Mistranslation In The Translation Of The Painted Veil From The Perspective Of Rewriting Theory

Mistranslation often occurs in the literary translation,and can be classified as “intentional mistranslation”,caused by the translator's deliberate modification based on the target language's socio-cultural environment,and “unintentional mistranslation”,resulting from carelessness,misunderstanding of the original text,lack of proficiency,or insufficient linguistic knowledge.This thesis explores examples of intentional mistranslation in a literary text.The Painted Veil,written by British author William Somerset Maugham,was first introduced to China by translator Liu Xianzhi in 1988,with the title Cai Se De Mian Sha.Domestic research into Cai Se De Mian Sha has focused primarily on its literary value,while its value as a translation has yet to be explored.This thesis attempts to research Cai Se De Mian Sha from the perspective of translatology.A comparison between the original and the translation reveals that most of Liu Xianzhi's mistranslations are intentional.Thus,this thesis attempts to explore the socio-cultural factors that influence intentional mistranslation in Cai Se De Mian Sha.For further investigation,the thesis employs Lefevere's Rewriting Theory,which contains similarities with intentional mistranslation.Lefevere claims that rewriting is constrained by both the literary system and other social subsystems.Translation,as a kind of rewriting,is influenced by factors inside and outside the literary system,including poetics,ideology,and universe of discourse.Thus,the thesis analyzes intentional mistranslation in Cai Se De Mian Sha from the perspective of Rewriting Theory.In conclusion,the main research questions are proposed in the thesis: First,how does the Rewriting Theory explain the intentional mistranslation existing in Cai Se De Mian Sha? Second,what influences does intentional mistranslation have on particular rewritten images in Cai Se De Mian Sha from the perspective of Rewriting Theory? By employing descriptive research method,including literature review,close reading,and comparative analysis to answer the research questions,the thesis finds that ideology,poetics,and universe of discourse all contribute to intentional mistranslation in Cai Se De Mian Sha.Liu intentionally rewrites literary content related to Chinese people and national icons,Catholicism,Daoism,and Buddhism,in accordance with the dominant poetics and ideology of his environment,and in order to make his translation acceptable,culturally and linguistically,to the target audience.By utilizing Rewriting Theory to discuss intentional mistranslation,this thesis aims to expand the research potential of Cai Se De Mian Sha,and also provides a reference for future studies on mistranslation and translation criticism.