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Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses Rethinking Binarism in Translation Studies A Case Study of Translating the Chinese Nobel Laureates of Literature XIAO, DI How to cite: XIAO, DI (2017) Rethinking Binarism in Translation Studies A Case Study of Translating the Chinese Nobel Laureates of Literature, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12393/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 RETHINKING BINARISM IN TRANSLATION STUDIES A CASE STUDY OF TRANSLATING THE CHINESE NOBEL LAUREATES OF LITERATURE Submitted by Di Xiao School of Modern Languages and Cultures In partial fulfilment of the requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Durham University 2017 DECLARATION The candidate confirms that the work is her own and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Unless otherwise indicated by reference or acknowledgment, all translations from Chinese are provided by the candidate. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the author's prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. DI XIAO (Signature) --------------------------------------------- i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The completion of my PhD thesis has been the single most significant achievement in my life so far and the past four years dedicated to this project have transformed me both professionally and personally. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the following people, as everything that I have accomplished would have been impossible without their contribution. First and foremost, I would like to thank my two supervisors, Dr Binghan Zheng and Dr Sergey Tyulenev, for showing a genuine interest in my research project and for sharing their inspiration and enthusiasm, which helped me overcome writer’s block on many occasions. I am grateful for the numerous opportunities and assistance provided in terms of researching, teaching, presenting and writing, which I believe has facilitated my growth as a better academic over the years. I also want to express my gratitude to Durham University for funding my research project. I would like to specially acknowledge Prof Mabel Lee and Prof Juliet Winters Carpenter for accepting my interviews. Our conversations have been most enlightening and have proven to me once again that my fascination for the field of literary translation has been most justified. Through our interviews, I have also developed a stronger desire to bridge the gap between the theorisation and the practice of translation. I remain most grateful to my parents. Although they are unable to understand English or the subject I study, they have never failed to lend a sympathetic ear and have been my most ardent fans. I appreciate every sacrifice they have made to support me and sincerely wish that one day I may be able to repay a little bit of their love. Also, I would like to make a special mention of my fiancé, Christopher, for always being there for me. I will be forever grateful for the unreserved encouragement he has shown me over the past four years. Without his good humour and determination to cheer me up during the more challenging times, I would not have made it this far. ii ABSTRACT The theorisation of translation originated in a binary opposition embodied by the debate of word-for-word vs. sense-for-sense translation methods. It is true that by now, theories in Translation Studies (TS) have become significantly more elaborate and sophisticated. However, it cannot be denied that some of its most dominant and pertinent concepts continue to get portrayed in binary concepts, such as translation vs. original, translatability vs. untranslatability and translation vs. interpreting, among many others. This study believes that TS, not different from most intellectual inquiries of the human mind, has been built upon binarism. The current research project aims to identify the traces of this epistemological tradition in the different stages of the discipline’s development, encompassing various theoretical models in the field, while reflecting upon the evolution of TS that marks its departure from such a tradition. It approaches the issue by examining three prevailing dichotomies in the field, namely source vs. target, prescriptive vs. descriptive and translation vs. non-translation. To propose an alternative to the existing binary perspective, this study borrows from the sociological models of Parsons and Giddens to portray translation as a social action. The binary concepts are then evaluated against empirical evidence obtained through a case study of two translators of Chinese Nobel Laureates, Howard Goldblatt and Mabel Lee. Both paratexts and metatexts are consulted to demonstrate that the scenario is much more complex than what is suggested by these dichotomies. It should be clarified that this study does not advocate that scholars discard these terms altogether. Instead, it acknowledges that dichotomies serve a definite purpose in certain contexts, but aims to problematise their uncritical application. Eventually, it seeks to heighten the awareness of binarism in the discipline and strives for a balance between the precision and standardisation of the metalanguage employed in discussing translation. iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AV alternative version CV Chinese version DTS descriptive translation studies EV English version NPL Nobel Prize in Literature PTS prescriptive translation studies TS Translation Studies iv Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 0.1 Theme and Objective of Research .................................................................................. 1 0.2 “Binarism” Explained ...................................................................................................... 4 0.3 Contextualisation of Case Study ................................................................................... 10 0.4 Corpus and Methodology ............................................................................................. 36 0.5 Outline and Scope of Study .......................................................................................... 42 PART I CONSTRUCTING THE CONCEPTUAL SCHEME .............................. 47 Chapter 1 Literature Review .............................................................................................. 47 1.1 Word vs. Sense ............................................................................................................. 47 1.2 Source vs. Target .......................................................................................................... 52 1.3 Prescriptive vs. Descriptive ........................................................................................... 62 1.4 Translation vs. Non-translation .................................................................................... 72 Chapter 2 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................... 86 2.1 Parsons’ Theory of Action ............................................................................................. 86 2.2 Giddens’ Theory of Structuration ............................................................................... 108 2.3 Towards a Theorisation of Translation Errors ............................................................ 130 PART II BETWEEN PRESCRIPTIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE – ERROR ANALYSIS AS A CASE IN POINT ............................................................ 145 Chapter 3 Translating One Man’s Bible ............................................................................ 145 3.1 The “Rigid” Rendition of an Academic ....................................................................... 145 3.2 Mounting a Defence for the Libertine ........................................................................ 150 3.3 Attaching the Mao Label ............................................................................................ 156 3.4 Probably? Definitely! .................................................................................................. 165 Chapter 4 Translating Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out ............................................. 176 4.1 The Dilemma of Naming ............................................................................................. 176 4.2 The Challenge in Translating Titles ............................................................................. 181 v 4.3 The Two Overriding Motifs ......................................................................................... 184 4.4 A Revolution and a Party Judged by History ............................................................... 191 4.5 Between Strategic Editing
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