A Study On The Anne Birrell’s Translator’s Subjectivity From The Comparison Of English Translations Of The Culture-loaded Terms In The Classic Of Mountains And Seas

Traditionally,the subjectivity of translators did not gain much attention.However,the important role of translators in translation is undeniable as translators’understanding of the source text,preference,and even ideology can be reflected in the translation.This fact had long been overlooked by the mainstream in the study of translation.Thanks to the "Cultural Turn" in the 1970s,such tendency has changed.As more and more scholars turn their attention to this field both at home and abroad,this thesis uses The Classic of Mountains and Seas by Chinese translator Wang Hong in 2010 as a comparative text to study how Anne Birrell exercises her subjectivity in her translation of the culture-loaded terms in The Classic of Mountains and Seas published in 1999.The thesis hopes to help drive the study on the translator’s subjectivity and increase people’s focus on translators.According to Eugene Nida,culture-loaded terms can be divided into five categories:ecological terms,material terms,social terms,religious terms,and linguistic terms.In the analysis part,the thesis will adopt Nida’s classification and mainly study the culture-loaded terms in The Classic of Mountains and Seas from the above five aspects,and analyze how Birrell’s subjectivity is exercised in her translation,and what translation strategies are adopted,which have contributed to the successful translation of such a Chinese classic.The analysis of the thesis shows that despite some translation errors,in her selection,understanding,and translation of the source text of Shan Hai Jing,Birrell as a translator has fully exercised her subjectivity by putting herself in the shoes of the reader,decision-maker and facilitator,rendering such a Chinese classic,commonly known as the "Encyclopedia of Ancient China",into English successfully.Such success can be attributed to a great extent to Birrell’s proper translation strategies and her initiatives in the translation of the culture-loaded terms in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.