Self-translation Exploration In The Perspective Of Lefevere’s Rewriting Theory

Eileen Chang has enjoyed a high reputation in Chinese history of modern literature asresult of her outstanding creations. Nevertheless, people have all the time neglected herrole as a translator, let alone the efforts on self-translating her own achievements. Actually,an author-cum-translator has more flexibility in contrast with others in self-translatingpractice. Even some rewrites have been done as well, namely, it is “unfaithful” to theoriginal, which disobeys the faithful principle in translation. So, self-translation, as aunique translation, is worth studying for providing enlightenments in translating research.The paper will take the self-translation of Chang’s Wusi yishi as a case, attempting toput self-translating practice in researches of cultural system. Also, by means of Lefevere’stheory of rewriting, the paper probes into the problem how the self-translator deals withher achievements under the power of ideology, poetics and patronage. Specifically, thepaper, at the outset, will make a review of self-translating evolution as well as Chang’sself-translating research, and the significance of the research will be pointed out as well.Moreover, the paper will concisely propose the rewriting theory of Lefevere in addition tofurther shows the rationale of the theory in self-translating exploration. Furthermore, asummary of Wusi yishi and its original version will be given around the main plots as wellas the related studies, highlighting the effects of politics, economy and culture on EileenChang and her self-translating activity. The fourth part will separately make detailedanalyses of faithful translation and unfaithful translation (namely, rewrite) in Wusi yishiunder control of ideological influence, the influence of poetics, along with power ofpatrons, taking “faithfulness and unfaithfulness” as a focal point.In common translation, a translator give priority to the ideology and poetics of theoriginal author, in contrast, the self-translator often does many rewrites in self-translationfor the author is the same person as the translator and consequently the self-translator hasan advantage comparing with others in self-translating practice. Besides, the demand oftarget readers will be taken full consideration at first for catering to the ideology in adifferent market. It is “unfaithful”. Nevertheless, the mentioned self-translation is stillregarded as “translation” in terms of transferring broadly similar plots and same writinggenre in one language to the other. In Wusi yishi, comparing with its original text, the maincontent and literary genre have been maintained except for differences in detail, and many plots are in line with the original as well. In this sense, it is “faithful”.In a word, the self-translation is an outcome of joint powers, boasting patron, diverseideologies and various poetics. The “unfaithful” translation or rewrite, we may say, isbound to happen for meeting the demand of readers in a different market However, it isstill regarded as a kind of special “translation” and the principle of “faithfulness” intranslation should not be completely ignored. As too much is as bad as too little, it is ratherimportant to keep a balance between faithful and unfaithful translations, in self-translatingactivity, further in common translating practice.