After Babel in China

Authors

  • Yifeng Sun University of Macau

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52116/yth.vi1.23

Keywords:

Hermeneutic Theory, Translator’s Subjectivity, Multi-Layered Meaning

Abstract

When George Steiner’s After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation was published in 1975, the excitement and controversy generated by this book in the West were naturally unknown in China since the country was still in the thrall of the Cultural Revolution. Nevertheless, the subsequent journey of After Babel to Chi­na seems to be unimpeded, though apparently belated, which is understandable, given the fact that the Chinese Cultural Revolution only came to an end in late 1976, prior to which the conditions for accepting such Western theoretical works did not exist. This paper will present a succinct trajectory of the reception of After Babel by reviewing how some of the key concepts of Steiner’s hermeneutic theory were and are perceived and adapted to the Chinese environment. The travel of Stei­ner’s theory to China will be briefly sketched, followed by accounts of different in­terpretations of Steiner’s chapter “The Hermeneutic Motion” and a discussion of the various attempts to supplement and expand it in a critical light. Some specific examples concerning English-Chinese and Chinese-English translations are dis­cussed in order to illuminate the relevance and applicability of the theoretical con­cepts con­tained in After Babel for addressing some of the fundamental issues per­tain­ing to translation.

References

BAIDU ENCYCLOPEDIA. URL: <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%80%9A%E5%A4%A9%E5%A1%94%E4%B9%8B%E5%90%8E%EF%BC%9A%E8%AF%AD%E8%A8%80%E4%B8%8E%E7%BF%BB%E8%AF%91%E9%9D%A2%E9%9D%A2%E8%A7%82> (05.03.2021)

CHAN, Tak-hung / CHANG, Nam-fung [eds.] (2000): Xifang fanyi lilin jingxuan [Masterpieces in Western Translation Theory]. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong Press.

CHAO, Zheng / ZHAO, Zhengjun (2011): “Cong sitanna chanshibuzhou kan huaxiaji yizhe de zhutixing” [“On the Translator’s Subjectivity Reflected in Cathay in the Light of George Steiner’s Hermeneutic Motion”). In: Overseas English 20/6, pp. 193–196.

DONG, Qiao (1996): Dong Qiao Wenlu [Collection of Essays by Dong Qiao]. Chengdu: Sichuan wenyi chubanshe.

HARDY, Thomas (1891/2005): Tess of the D’urbervilles. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

HARDY, Thomas (1891/1984): Tess of the D’urbervilles. Trans. by Zhang Guruo. Beijing: Renmin wenxue chubanshe.

HAYOT, Eric (1999): “Critical Dreams: Orientalism, Modernism, and the Meaning of Pound’s China”. In: Twentieth Century Literature 45/4, pp. 511–533.

JIN, Jinghong / LI, Siguo (2003): “Sitanna he ledailei de chanshi fanyi lilun pingjie” [“The Hermeneutic Translation Theories of Steiner and Lederer”]. In: Foreign Languages and Their Teaching 4/9, pp. 44–47.

LI, Xiaojun (2015): “Qiaozhi·sitanna: qiren, qiuzu, jiqizai zhongguo de yijie” [“George Steiner: the man, his works and translations in China”]. In: East Journal of Translation 6/1, pp. 48–52.

LIAO, Qiyi [ed.] (2001): Dangdai yingguo fanyi lilun [Contemporary British Translation Theories]. Wuhan: Hubei Education Press.

LIU, Zheng (2009): “Fangkaille, xinzhong de moguihetianshi douchulaile” [“Let go. Both the devil and angel in the heart are out”]. In: Oriental Morning Post, 27 September 2009. URL: <https://www.douban.com/group/topic/1855 93 08/> (05.03.2021).

MIAO, Fengbo / HU, Sile (2012): “Xiandai chanshixue shijiaoxia sitanna de fanyi lilun” [“Steiner’s Translation Theory from the Perspective of Modern Hermeneutics”]. In: Journal of Inner Mongolia University of Technology 21/2, pp. 52–55.

POUND, Ezra (2016): Cathay, For the Most Part from the Chinese of Rihaku: From the Notes of the Late Ernest Fenollosa, And the Decipherings of the Professors Mori and Ariga. London: Elkin Mathews.

SAID, Edward (1993): Culture and Imperialism. New York: Alfred Knopf.

STEINER, George (1998): After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

STEINER, George (1975/2001): After Babel. Aspects of Language and Translation. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press

STEINER, George (2008): My Unwritten Books. New York: New Directions Publishing.

SUN, Yingchun (2004): Zhang Guruo fanyi yishu yanjiu [Study of Zhang Guruo’s art of translation]. Beijing: China Translation and Publishing Corporation.

SUN, Zhili / TANG, Huixin (2005): “Preface”. In: Tuomasi hadai taisi [Tess by Thomas Hardy]. Trans. by Sun Zhili and Tang Huixin. Beijing: Yanshan chubanshe.

WANG, Zuoliang (1994): Yingguo sanwen de liubian [The Evolution of English Prose]. Beijing: Commercial Press.

WU, Qian (2008) “Qiaozhi sitanna chanshi fanyi lilun guanzhaoxia de yizhe zhutixing – taisi liangge zhongyiben duibi fenxi” [“The Translator’s Subjectivity from the Perspective of Hermeneutic Translation Theory: A Comparative Analysis of Two Chinese Versions of Tess”]. In: Journal of Dalian Maritime University (Social Sciences Edition) 7/2, pp. 120–123.

XIA, Tian (2009): “Sitanna chanshi yunzuo lilun de yingyong, wenti yu fangfa” [“Application of G. Steiner’s Theory of Hermeneutic Motion: Adaptation and Extension”]. In: Foreign Languages Research 25/3, pp. 81–87.

XIE, Ming (1999): Ezra Pound and the Appropriation of Chinese Poetry: Cathay, Translation, and Imagism. New York: Garland Publishing.

XIE, Tianzhen (2008): Dangdai guowai fanyi lilun [Contemporary Foreign Translation Theories]. Tianjin: Nankai University Press.

XU, Yuli / GAO, Cun (2018): “Qiaozhi·sitanna chanshi yunzuo lilunzhong de zhutixing” [“The translator’s Subjectivity of George Steiner’s Theory of Hermeneutics”]. In: English Square 7/3, pp. 46–47.

YE, Fangfang (2020): “Fanyi lilun piping: qiaochi stantanna sibuzhou chanshiunzuo lilun bianxi“ [“Criticism of Translation Theory: An Analysis of George Steiner’s Four Phases of Hermeneutic Theory”]. In: Journal of Lanzhou University of Arts and Science 36/1, pp. 105–111.

YIP, Wai-Lim (1969): Ezra Pound’s Cathay. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

ZHUANG, Yichuan (1987): “Preface”. In: Tongtianta: wenxue fanyi lilun yanjiu [Babel: Studies in Theories of Literary Translation]. Beijing: China Translation and Publishing Corporation, pp. iii–vii.

DOI: 10.52116/yth.vi1.23

Downloads

Published

2021-10-27