2.3.1 Image translation from traditional perspecti...
2.3.1.1 Culturalological studies
From the perspective of culturology,the study of image translation in literary works is to explore the internal relations and inherent laws between approaches of specific culture studies and image translation.Image is closely related to culture and gives expression to specific cultural connotations.In different cultural-bound backgrounds,the connotative meaning implied in image is varied.In fact,largely as a consequence of the cultural turn experienced in translation studies,the role of culture studies approaches has been reassessed and the significance of culture for both the practice and the study of translation has been illustrated by some scholars(for example,Bassnet & Lefevere,1990;Snell-Hornby,2006).The approaches of cultural study can be seen to echo a notion which has acquired centrality in translation studies adopting a culturology slant,that is,the notion of habitus.The view on culture,as a triadic,hierarchical system,is essentially aimed at providing a more comprehensive view of its roles in literary translation(Wang,1997).A considerable amount of literature has been conducted from several theoretical angles of culturalology,namely,cultural-specific items theory,cultural linguistics theory,cultural translation theory and memetics theory.
Aixel(2006)concluded eleven categories of culture-specific items in literary translation and brought up a series of translation strategies corresponding to situational range of different categories of culture-specific items.Li(2009)investigated the application effects of these translation strategies on cultural image in ancient Chinese poetry.Based on the tentative classification of cultural image in ancient Chinese poetry,she concluded that the translation strategies of culture-specific items can be transplanted into the translation process of cultural image,owing to the fact that they are not only the simple binary opposition of domestication and foreignization,but domestication and foreignization in varied extents.From the perspective of culturespecific items theory,Fan(2008)made a tentative and functional analysis of translation strategies of Chinese cultural imagery in Chinese classics and examined major restraining factors in translators'choice of translation strategies in English translation of Chinese classics,with the methods of analytic statistics and exemplification.His study provided a broader perspective and psychological measure reference as well as proposed a methodological attempt for the research on translation strategies of Chinese classics.Based on the comparative analysis of translation versions of cultural images which are characteristic of culture-specific items in Chinese ancient poems,Song(2005)summarized several cultural criteria and psychological parameters that made a difference in translators'options on translation strategies of cultural images.She also pointed out that each translation strategy possesses distinctive characteristics and practical value and all of them could be adopted by translators as an organic integration in translating cultural images which are typical of culture-specific items in Chinese ancient poetry.
Cultural linguistics proposed by Palmer(1996)held that image,culture and language are closely related and thus they could be adopted as integrative-oriented research subjects.The core conceptions and basic principles of image defined by cultural linguistics have a great explanatory effect on translators'comprehension and interpretation of images in literary translation.By applying four general laws of cultural linguistics(the laws of transformational equivalence,structural equivalence,spatial equivalence and perceptual transformational equivalence)to the translation of cultural images which are typical of culture-specific items,it is found that the translation of culture images in different languages is not only the simple binary opposition of domestication and foreignization,but the varying degrees of domestication and foreignization.Quite a few scholars focused their research on translators'definition,categorization and cultural identification of images in their translation of Chinese literary works(for example,Bai & Kou,2002;Yang,2004).They analyzed several cases of image translation in Chinese literary works from the perspective of cultural linguistics,such as translation of wine images in The Dream of the Red Mansion,translation of imagery of color terms in Li Qingzhao's poems,etc.The studies not only provide detailed guidance for translators on their interpretation of cultural imagery in Chinese literary works,but also play a certain significance of application in specific case studies.The studies generally show that there is a close relationship among languages,cultures and imagery and they tend to see equivalence of image in literary works between Chinese and English language as unattainable provided that improper translation strategies and methods are applied.
Cultural translation theory is opposed to the way of comprehending literary works in the light of the norms of the source language in ST.Rather,it emphasizes the social and ideological pressure that urges translators to conform to established practices.It sees culture not so much as a set of levels but as an integrated system through which connotation of ST is to be negotiated.On this basis,both translators and literary works cannot be assigned to one culture in particular but are seen to have various allegiances and constitutive roles of culture in mind.It can be brought to bear on translation questioning the prevailing norms are under construction of an ambiguous“Third Space”,where there are,unequal and uneven forces of cultural representation(Bhabha,1996).Wang(2002)examined the norms of the application of cultural translation theory to the translation of Chinese classics from three key criteria,including cultural identity,cultural norms and cultural level.He concluded that the application of cultural translation theory to Chinese classics translation can faithfully preserve ethnic cultural identity and the cultural essence of imagery from ST to TT.Dong(2013)pointed out that cultural borderline between source language and target language of the translation of image in Chinese literature is a fuzzy one.As a result,contrastive analysis is bound to resort to ideas of translation equivalence in the testing of its hypotheses.On the basis of an empirical elucidation and reassessing of“Hybridity”,“Cultural Imitation”and“Third Space”of cultural translation theory,Li(2014)identified two typical translation types of the translation of image in Chinese literature as overt translation and covert translation.
The notion of meme has been introduced into translation studies by Chesterman(1997)and Vermeer(1997),as a way of explaining how the concept of translation changes over time and travels from one community or group to another.It is actually a unit of cultural transmission or imitation(corresponding to an idea,a catchphrase,a fashion,etc.),which propagates from source language to translators'mother tongue,due to the fact that translation is at first as a cognitive activity and then takes place in a given historical,social,and cultural setting.According to the findings of Su's study(2015),both the socio-cultural environments of ST and TT exert considerable influence on translators'options of translation strategies in image translation of literary works.Besides,her study reveals different translation strategies that translators apply in their creative translation.In a sense.meme could be proposed as a notion capable of establishing a link between the two dimensions,the social and the individual,applied by translators of image translation in literary works.By adopting three qualities(longevity,fecundity and copying-fidelity)of a meme as the appreciation standards,Yang(2016)studied several translation versions of Guo Moruo's classic poetry to probe into translators'decision-making process of poetic imagery meme.His findings indicate that translators maintain the original poetic imagery in most cases but make deviation in a few cases due to over creation.Wang(2001)illustrated his views about imagery and did shed some lights on the concept.From his viewpoint,a meme,as image,can be an idea,behavior,or style that spreads from source language to target language within a culture—often with the aim of conveying a particular theme or meaning represented by the meme.Hence,a meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas,symbols,or practices,which can be transmitted from one image in ST to its corresponding one in TT.
2.3.1.2 Functional pragmatic studies
Functional translation theory is affiliated to the categorical framework of pragmatic theory which is based on the principles of behavioral semantics.Functional translation theory emphasizes that translation is equated with cultural transformation,pragmatic interaction and cross-cultural exchanges.It would be more correct to say that it is a complex behavior involved multiple participants such as principals,translators and receivers(Hu,et al,2017).It is in functional approaches that translators should give priority to the transmission of functional characteristics of TT rather than the equivalence principle,due to the fact that“function”is considered as an abstract“value”assigned to TT by the network of relations established within a pragmatic system.Studies on image translation in functional approaches are aimed at exploring the internal relation and rules between acceptance of pragmatic maxim by target readers and image translation.To be specific,image translation strategies adopted by translators should be determined by the pragmatic interactive skopos of ST.Image in the original text only provides equivalent effects which are as close as possible to that in TT(Barkhudarov,1993).To meet the specific pragmatic situation of TT's socio-cultural setting and the needs of target readers,the reference system of translators'communicative translation in image translation should not concentrate on the original text and its pragmatic functions,but the communicative functions that are expected to be achieved in target language environment.A considerable amount of literature has been conducted from several theoretical angles of functional pragmatics,namely,relevance-adaptation theoretic model,functional equivalence theory and intertextuality theory(for example,Li,2005;Shu,2007).(https://www.daowen.com)
Relevance theory defines languagecommunication as an ostensive-inferential cognitive proceeding,which consists of ostensive model of communicators'information intentions,communication intentions and their illation of such intentions.The degree of relevance hinges on contextual effects of language communication and communicators'endeavor to satisfy communication intentions.Communicators'inference is actually optimum relevance-oriented,contextual-based.It is the contextual assumptions made by communicators'ostensive stimulus(Sperber &Wilson 1986).Verschueren(1999)proposed linguistic adaptation theory and held that language use is a dynamic adaptation process in terms of options of linguistic and strategic aspects,which has distinctive characteristics of adaptability,variability and negotiability.The process of dynamic formation is the core content of adaptability.Adaptation could be examined from several perspectives,involving contextual correlates of adaptability,structural objects of adaptability,dynamics of adaptability,and salience of adaptability respectively.Yang(2001)established relevanceadaptation theoretic model.He proposed that communicators'alternations and options of language is a cognitive operation in which they make suppositions about relevance at first and then make first-rank linguistic and strategic choices to accommodate cultural and social environments concerned.In the sense,translation is an ostensiveinferential process seeking for relevance in the original cognitive environment as well as a dynamic process making adaptation in the target cognitive environment(Venuti,2008).Quite a few scholars(for example,Mu,1990;Meng,2006;Liu,2008)have made systematic and exhaustive studies on functionally pragmatic multidimensions of the translations of cultural imagery.The studies have been conducted from the angles of linguistic context and non-linguistic context.To be specific,the pragmatic multi-dimensions generally involve aspects of contextual cohesion,style features,plot setup,contextual register,contextual gene and socio-psychological factors.The domains of linguistic context involve the aspects of lexicon,syntax and discourse.Meanwhile,non-linguistic contextual adaptation refers to situational context,cultural context,communicators'mental world,social world and physical world.It is therefore concluded the textual relevance-adaptation relations of cultural imagery observed in ST tend to be replaced by that are more habitual in TT.
Nida(2001)founded functional equivalence theory which emphasizes the corresponding response of original readers and that of target readers to their comprehension of original texts and translated texts respectively.It indicates that it is not necessary for translated texts to be a stick for the forms of original texts and for translators to be rigidly adhered to linguistic referents in original texts.Rather,it is advisable for translators to make proper adjustments in structures and forms of original texts so as to maintain information equivalency between ST and TT.Quite a few scholars(for example,Wang,2008;Jia,2004;Chen,2015)examined whether functional equivalence theory is applicable to the image translation,by using an empirical research method for analysis of various genres of literary translation as the research corpus.The results have supported the proposition that the application of functional equivalence theory to image translation in literary works can facilitate translators in actualizing translated images in TT with correspondingly felicitous equivalency.Gao(2006)concluded that translators should always take representation analysis of image into consideration so that subjective elements can be minimized.In addition,they should also increase awareness of TL readers'aesthetic norms in image translation of classic Chinese poetry so as to produce equivalent image in TT.Jin(1998)pointed out that translation strategies translators adopt in dealing with different types of cultural image may dissimilar to each other.The flexible employment of a variety of translation methods enables TL readers to obtain equivalent information of original image in ST as ST readers do.Wolf(2002)emphasized the application superiority of functional equivalence theory in cultural image translation.Although there is no translation ever to be completely equivalent,which in turn leads him to conclude that equivalence of image across languages is bound to be partial and relative.
Allen held that intertextuality theory is generally regarded as a designation of its participation in the discourse space of a culture:the relationship between a text and the various languages or signifying practices of a culture and its relation to those texts which articulate for it the possibilities of that culture.What is noteworthy is that intertextuality is not only an abstract theoretical concept of discourse analysis,but also a literary device that creates an interrelationship between discourses and generates related understanding in separate literary works.From the perspective of intertextuality theory,Shu(2007)examined several influencing factors affecting the mediated foreignization of cultural images translation in Chinese literary works.He concluded that translation of cultural imagery in Chinese literary works should maintain the absorption and transformation of cultural implication between ST and TT the whole way,which embodies intertextual relations between the interaction of SL culture and TL culture.Zhu(2004)pointed out that intertextuality of cultural images and translation of cultural images are a couple of contradictions,which combine the characters of closeness and openness of cultural images.In fact,certain unique ethnic connotation of cultural images may be misread,distorted or even lost once cultural images are divorced from their cultural matrix.
2.3.1.3 Studies on translation aesthetics and literary translation theory
The interpretation of translation mechanism and language function are always operated within the theoretical concepts and structural frameworks of translation aesthetics.Literary translation theory is one field of translation studies.The application of translation aesthetics and literary translation theory to image translation of Chinese literary works can not only foster translators'acute awareness of conveying the artistically cultural implication embedded in cultural images,but also facilitate them in recognizing the full worth of efficient and effective transference of cultural images.Thus,the loss,distortion and misalignment of cultural images should be avoided.From this point of view,the aim of studies on image translation is to achieve the structural transformation of literary value and aesthetic function of image translation in ST language and TT language at two levels of discourse dialogue process and in art reception process.A considerable amount of literature has been conducted from several theoretical angles of translation aesthetics and literary translation theory,namely,reception aesthetics,hermeneutics and descriptive translation.
In the theory of reception aesthetics as elaborated by Hans(1982),“acceptability”is the result of the translators'initial decision to subject themselves to the norms prevailing in the TL culture.Translation is thus reception in the sense that it subscribes to the the linguistic and literary norms active in the TL and in the target literary polysystem or a certain section of it(Toury,1995).In a more general sense,acceptability refers to translators'adherence to the conventions of text production prevailing in TL.This would mean considering what aspects that may vary according to that particular purpose served by the translation and the horizon expectation of readers.Mu(1990)pointed out that translators should focus more on text-reader relations and TL readers'emotional resonance of cultural implications instead of text-oriented approach,owing to the indeterminacy of readers'horizon expectation in image translation of Chinese literary works.Considering main concepts of reception aesthetics,Xin(2013)proposed several corresponding translation strategies adopted in tackling the various classification of the places of indeterminacy and vacancy in cultural image translation of Chinese classic poetry on the basis of a detailed explanation of classical samples in image translation.Wang(2001)probed for translation strategies to realize an interrelated relation between faithfulness and comprehensibility from the perspective of reception aesthetics.His study lays stress on the fuzziness and untranslatability of image translation in certain cases.
Hermeneutics is a theory and methodology of interpretation,especially for the interpretation of biblical texts,wisdom literature,and philosophical texts.It is one of the profound extant literary translation theories in the Western tradition to deal with the relationship between language and logic in a comprehensive,explicit and formal way(Steiner,1975).Any form of translation,in essence,is a discourse explanation of the ST language.By adopting the core notions and major concepts of hermeneutics,quite a few scholars(for example,Liu,2002;Zhu,2003)explored the explanatory power of hermeneutics in image translation study.In a sense,it is also a traced and in-depth attempt to study translation from the perspective of hermeneutics.Xi(2009)defined four stages of translators'hermeneutic motion in image translation,which are the stages of trust,aggression,incorporation and restitution respectively.As an essentially hermeneutic or interpretative activity,image translation is aimed at achieving an empathic understanding of the originally imaged in ST.He suggested that translators should endeavor to restore the balance of forces of integral presence in“fusion of horizons”.It was found that translators'efforts eventually incorporate TT with their intention of extracting and appropriating meaning of original images in ST.By applying the notion of“historicity of understanding”in hermeneutics,Liu(2013)made a systematically comparative study of two translated versions of cultural images in Li Qingzhao's poetry.His research does shed some lights on the concept that translators entail a modification and enrichment of the original cultural images.