Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This comparative study investigates the English translations of China’s first novel, Sanguo
yanyi. The focus is firstly on describing the factors that affect the production of each of the
translations and secondly on identifying and determining the approaches and strategies used
by the two translators. The primary objective of the study is to gain a better understanding of
literary translation between two distinctly different languages by objectively describing and
analyzing the factors relevant to the production of the two translations. The secondary
objective is to evaluate the two translations by using the functionalist approach to translation.
To this end, the study determines which of the two translations better serves the purpose of
providing South African students of Chinese with insight into and appreciation of some
aspects of Chinese culture which would enhance their Chinese studies.
The key theories and models that are introduced and applied are Descriptive Translation
Studies (DTS), which was mainly established by Gideon Toury in the 1980s and the
Functionalist Approach, which was established by Vermeer and Reiss also in the 1980s and
further developed by Nord. DTS focuses on pragmatic aspects, such as social, cultural and
communicative practices instead of only on linguistic units. Within this framework, decisionmaking
processes and translational norms of the two translators of Sanguo yanyi are examined.
Three representative chapters of the source text and their translations are selected as the focus
of the investigation. Furthermore, a description of the entire translation process is provided –
from the translators’ original planning and agents acting as patrons of the project to the
approaches and strategies that the translators are considered to have adopted in the process of
translating. Within Functionalism the function of the target text in the target culture
determines which aspects of the source text should be transferred to the target text. From this
theoretical approach the findings regarding the translation strategies and processes in the
translations of Sanguo yanyi are used to ultimately determine the extent to which the
translators succeed in conveying the collective memory of some of the cultural-historical
issues in China to the target texts, while at the same time making the texts accessible to
Western (South African) students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word daar ’n vergelykende ondersoek na twee Engelse vertalings van China
se eerste roman, Sanguo yanyi, onderneem. Daar word eerstens gefokus op ’n beskrywing van
die faktore wat die produksie van elk van die vertalings beïnvloed en daarna word die
benaderings en strategieë geïdentifiseer wat deur die twee vertalers gebruik is. Die primêre
doel van die studie is om ’n beter begrip van literêre vertaling tussen twee beduidend
verskillende tale te verkry deur die faktore wat ’n rol in die betrokke vertaalprosesse speel
op ’n objektiewe wyse te beskryf en te ondersoek. As sekondêre doelstelling word die twee
vertalings binne die raamwerk van die funksionalistiese benadering tot vertaling geëvalueer.
Daar word naamlik ondersoek watter een van die vertalings die beste slaag in die doel om aan
Suid-Afrikaanse studente ’n dieper insig in en groter waardering vir sekere aspekte van die
Chinese kultuur te verskaf ten einde hulle studie van die Chinese taal aan te vul.
Die belangrikste teorieë en modelle wat gebruik word, is deskriptiewe vertaalstudie (DTS),
wat as navorsingsrigting binne vertaling hoofsaaklik deur Gideon Toury in die tagtigerjare
gevestig is, en funksionalisme, wat ook in die tagtigerjare deur Vermeer en Reiss ontwikkel is
en later deur Nord uitgebrei is. DTS fokus op pragmatiese aspekte soos sosiale, kulturele en
kommunikatiewe praktyke eerder as bloot op linguistiese eenhede, en die
besluitnemingsprosesse en vertaalnorme van die twee vertalers van Sanguo yanyi word binne
hierdie raamwerk ondersoek. Drie verteenwoordigende hoofstukke van die bronteks en hulle
vertalings word as die fokus van die ondersoek gebruik. Verder kom ’n bespreking van die
vertaalprosesse in die geheel aan bod – vanaf die vertalers se aanvanklike beplanning en
agente wat as patronate van die projek optree tot die resepsie en invloed van die doeltekste in
die Engelssprekende wêreld. Binne die funksionalisme bepaal die funksie van die doelteks
binne die doelkultuur watter aspekte van die bronteks na die doelteks oorgedra word. Vanuit
hierdie teoretiese benadering word die bevindinge rakende die vertaalstrategieë en –prosesse
in die vertalings van Sanguo yanyi gebruik om uiteindelik te bepaal in watter mate die
vertalers daarin slaag om die herinnering aan kultuurhistoriese kwessies in China in die
doeltekste behoue te laat bly en die tekste terselfdertyd vir Westerse (Suid-Afrikaanse)
studente toeganklik te maak.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/71732 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Feng, Lei |
| Contributors | Feinauer, A. E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans and Dutch. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 346 p. : col. ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
Page generated in 0.0018 seconds