A Study Of The English Version Of Fu Zao From The Perspective Of Mona Baker’s Narrative Theory

As a unique translation activity,literary translation is of great significance to the spread of Chinese culture.However,in the process of translation,it will be more or less affected by various factors,leading the translator to modify and reframe the original narrative in order to achieve the goal of acceptance by the target language readers.Mona Baker’s narrative theory provides a new perspective for translators to reframe narrative in the translation process.Mona Baker is one of the famous modern translation theorists.In 2005,she was influenced by translation cultural conflicts,political conflicts and even armed conflicts,and creatively introduced the narrative concepts in sociology and communication theory into translation studies.In 2006,once the book Translation and Conflict:A Narrative Account compiled by Baker was published,it was appreciated and highly recommended by experts in the western translation industry.The book explains in detail how the four strategies of temporal and spatial framing,selective appropriation framing,framing by labelling and repositioning of participants can reconstruct narratives in the translation process.This theory not only provides a new perspective for the study of translated texts in various genres,but also provides a strong theoretical support for this research.In this research,the Chinese long novel Fu Zao written by Shaanxi writer Jia Pingwa,and its English version Turbulence,finished by the famous American Sinologist Howard Goldblatt,are chosen as texts for analysis.The book revolves around the emotional experience between the rural youth Golden Dog and Water Girl,and to a certain extent shows the subtle changes that occurred in the Chinese countryside at the beginning of the reform and opening up:the looseness and vacillation of the social system and the old order,the hope ignited in the hearts of the people,the indomitable fight and struggle,and the eagerness of people trapped in poverty to get rid of poverty and get rich.It takes the story as the framework,reflects the social problems in China at the beginning of reform and opening up,which caters to the concerns and interests of the target readers on China’s social policies and conditions.Its English translation also has a powerful role in promoting the spread of Shaanxi culture.Starting from Mona Baker’s narrative theory,this thesis compares and analyzes the original novel and its translation and finds that Howard Goldblatt has adopted the four translation strategies proposed by Baker in the process of translation.First,through the temporal and spatial framing,the translator brings the target language readers into the background and environment of the novel at the time,and make the novel resonate with readers in the target language.Secondly,the translator strengthens or weakens the implicit narrative in the original text by selective appropriation framing of the text material.Among them,amplification enables the target readers to have a clearer understanding of the reality of Chinese rural areas in the early stage of reform and opening.It reduces or eliminates reading barriers caused by cultural differences between China and the West by omission,and simplifies the narration of the original text,making it easier for readers to understand and accept.Third,the translator has realized the framing by labelling from several aspects such as the name of the book,the forms of address and the culture-loaded words,so as to enhance the narrative effect of the original text.Finally,the repositioning of participants is realized by changing register and deixis,which changes the relationship between participants in the novel and achieves the reframing of narrative.Through the comparative analysis of the Chinese and English versions of Fu Zao,this thesis explores the factors that influence the translator’ s narrative framing,enriches the study of Mona Baker’s narrative theory in translation,and provides a methodology guidance and reference for the evaluation of literary translation and its translation quality.What’ s more,it further promotes Chinese outstanding literary works and Chinese traditional culture to go global.