Translation theories mainly explain or interpret the nature of translation,the principles of translation or standards for translation,the process of translation,the translator's subjectivity,translation context,translation strategies,etc.Contemporary translation theories make constant efforts to expound various phenomena of translation by drawing on theoretical fruits of linguistics,semiotics,literature and art,reception aesthetics,sociology,cultural anthropology,and so on.
Since the advent of the new century,monographs,papers,and textbooks on translation have come out one after another,greatly enriching translation studies as a new discipline.As far as the chief compiler of this textbook knows,the following outstanding scholars have made contributions to translation studies in China.Xu Yuanchong (许渊冲)proposes and proves his “Theory of Rivalry and Advantage”(优势竞赛论),which is feasible for literary translation (2000:2-6;2001:51-52;2003:2;2016:93-99).Xu Jun (许钧,2003),a famous translator and translation theorist,explores the nature,the process,and the meaning of translation,as well as various factors,contradictions,and subjects of translation,etc.Wang Dongfeng (王东风,2014),also a well-known translator and translation theorist,has published dozens of papers on translation and made a systematic study of translatology as a cross-discipline.Tan Zaixi (谭载喜,2005)discusses various aspects of translatology.Liao Qiyi (廖七一,2000)introduces,compares,and evaluates contemporary translation theories and translators schools in the West.Huang Zhonglian (黄忠廉,2002)proposes and verifies his “Theory of Varied Translation”(变译理论).Huang Zhending (黄振定,2008;2009)makes a special effort to probe into translatology,showing that translation theory is a unity of the theory of an art and that of a science;also,he continues to further inquire into essentials of translatology.Huang Guowen (黄国文,2006),from the perspective of linguistics,analyzes English translations of ancient Chinese poems and lyrics both comprehensively and systematically.Undoubtedly,translation theories which are derived from plenty of practice are intended to guide translation practice (王克非,2003:3).Though translation theories are indispensible to translators,yet Xu Yuanchong stresses it is translation practice that goes first,while translation theories rank second (2003:2).
The first part of this textbook,which consists of 8 chapters,explores the basic theories of translation,focusing on new research fruits.
Chapter 1 briefly introduces the origin,mentions the function,discusses various definitions of translation,and discusses the nature of translation studies.
Chapter 2 investigates various principles of translation,illustrating and verifying quite a few major principles of translation.
Chapter 3 expounds and proves such major translation strategies as literal translation strategy,liberal translation strategy and literal-plus-liberal translation strategy,as well as domestication and foreignization.
Chapter 4 makes a detailed study of the translation process.
Chapter 5 inquires into the reality of the translator's subjectivity.
Chapter 6 describes how the translator exerts his subjectivity and what qualifications a good translator is supposed to possess.
Chapters 7 and 8 explore and exemplify context and wording in translation,concentrating on the functions of context.
Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter;reference answers to the exercises are supplied at the end of this part.
Translatology is a cross-discipline and cross-culture subject.It is a very useful discipline.Undergraduates who major in English in China are supposed to learn and master the basic theories of translation so that they may be able to apply them flexibly and do translation well.