From cultural void to horizon fusion : translator’s subjectivity exemplified in an anthology of Chinese discourse on translation

• Main Author: Lu, Jun Jun
• Other Authors: -
• Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Humanities::Language::English; Humanities::Literature::Chinese
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/138586
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

For a long time, translators have been invisible. And translator’s subjectivity has been obscured, discouraged or even denied. However, as translation research digs in, it brings the value of translator’s subjectivity to light. Inspired by this trend, the present thesis draws inferences from An Anthology of Chinese Discourse on Translation (referred to as the Anthology hereinafter) by Martha Cheung to examine how translator’s subjectivity was being exemplified in the entire translation process. In the Anthology, translator’s subjectivity was both the invisible hand commanding the finest details in rendition; and the purposeful act of building cultural space for the possible creative blend. The use of paratext, the present thesis argues, establishes pockets of contact zone—— a shared platform displaying dissimilarities——between the author, translator and readers; while thick translation strategy mediates between voids, disparity and even enfilades of opinions with an aim to foreground Chinese traditional translation discourse. The complementary deployment of paratext and thick translation sweetened the ground for horizon fusion as an eventuality. Paratext jumps out of the bondage of the source text and opens up a new literary space for effective communication between different stakeholders. Thick translation, on the other hand, serves as the communication method, which not only helps translators reflect on their translation behaviour, but also establishes a communication channel between readers and the source text. The present thesis also attests through the Anthology the fact that annotations are the most powerful tool in the fulfilment of Thick Translation strategy, displaying explicitly Martha Cheung’s cultural consciousness. Martha Cheung’s successful practice of subjectivity in the Anthology serves to elicit the sagacity of traditional Chinese translation discourse system. The present study should contribute towards encouraging the rendition of ancient classics that are complete in cultural self-representation, and further promote dialogue between the East and the West.