Exploring the translator’s identity : a case study of Lu Xun’s translation of Xiandai Riben Xiaoshuoji

• Main Author: Teo, Wee Boon
• Other Authors: Cui Feng
• Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Humanities::Language
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/142699
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This case study aims to explore the translator’s identity by looking at the translator’s ideologies and translation methods during a period of time. Lu Xun (1881 – 1936), one of the greatest Chinese author of all times, has also translated as many words, if not more, in his literary career. However, analysis of his translations has not been as extensive as the studies on his self-penned works, but it is important to recognize that both his writings and translations are contributions to his literary works. Most of the analysis on his translation work emphasized on the method and accuracy of translation, neglecting his ideologies and thinking that he wanted to convey to the readers, which is the purpose of the present study, to find out more about the identity of a translator in his translated works, using the notion of the habitus. In addition, there is very little research about Lu Xun, written in the English language, so the present study hopes to extend the analysis of Lu Xun to a more international audience, in particular, the English readers. For this study, the chosen material is Xiandai Riben Xiaoshuoji, which is a collection of short stories by six prominent Japanese authors, published in 1923. It is significant to note that Lu Xun did not choose the author’s well-known classics to translate in this collection, and a purpose in this study is also to find out the reasons of his selection of the short stories in the collection. Finally, the study uses the theory of “in-betweenness” or “intermediate consciousness” to discuss about the relationship between translation and identity, which is not only limited to the present study, but also extends to a broader perspective of translation.