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Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China

This paper compares the linguistic acceptability in the Chinese translations of Peter Pan from a diachronic perspective, in terms of how changing socio-cultural factors over different time periods influence the linguistic acceptability of the target text. Linguistic acceptability is defined in rel...

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Main Author: Yuan, Mingming
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2018
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/1/25804-85233-1-PB.pdf
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/
http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/1125
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spelling my-ukm.journal.129032019-05-13T11:14:07Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/ Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China Yuan, Mingming This paper compares the linguistic acceptability in the Chinese translations of Peter Pan from a diachronic perspective, in terms of how changing socio-cultural factors over different time periods influence the linguistic acceptability of the target text. Linguistic acceptability is defined in relation to the extent to which translation conforms to dominant conventions and expectations in the target language. Relating to the polysystem theory, the paper first analyses the different roles translated literature has played in the Chinese literary system from the 1920s to the present, highlighting how, as translated literature moves from a central to a peripheral position, the preferred method of translation changes from innovative methods compromising the acceptability of the target text to conservative methods prioritising high acceptability. As part of the target literature polysystem, translation practice inevitably bears the mark of history. Three translations of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, completed respectively in 1929 (Liang’s), 1991 (Yang’s) and 2011 (Ren’s) are compared in terms of their linguistic acceptability, illustrating how the changed position of translated literature results in the change of preferred translating methods, signalling a move from language reform to cultural resistance in the prevalent translation norms in China. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2018 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/1/25804-85233-1-PB.pdf Yuan, Mingming (2018) Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China. 3L; Language,Linguistics and Literature,The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies., 24 (3). pp. 72-82. ISSN 0128-5157 http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/1125
institution Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
building Perpustakaan Tun Sri Lanang Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
content_source UKM Journal Article Repository
url_provider http://journalarticle.ukm.my/
language English
description This paper compares the linguistic acceptability in the Chinese translations of Peter Pan from a diachronic perspective, in terms of how changing socio-cultural factors over different time periods influence the linguistic acceptability of the target text. Linguistic acceptability is defined in relation to the extent to which translation conforms to dominant conventions and expectations in the target language. Relating to the polysystem theory, the paper first analyses the different roles translated literature has played in the Chinese literary system from the 1920s to the present, highlighting how, as translated literature moves from a central to a peripheral position, the preferred method of translation changes from innovative methods compromising the acceptability of the target text to conservative methods prioritising high acceptability. As part of the target literature polysystem, translation practice inevitably bears the mark of history. Three translations of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, completed respectively in 1929 (Liang’s), 1991 (Yang’s) and 2011 (Ren’s) are compared in terms of their linguistic acceptability, illustrating how the changed position of translated literature results in the change of preferred translating methods, signalling a move from language reform to cultural resistance in the prevalent translation norms in China.
format Article
author Yuan, Mingming
spellingShingle Yuan, Mingming
Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China
author_facet Yuan, Mingming
author_sort Yuan, Mingming
title Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China
title_short Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China
title_full Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China
title_fullStr Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China
title_full_unstemmed Translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in China
title_sort translation, modernity, acceptability—from language reform to cultural resistance in translation practice in china
publisher Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
publishDate 2018
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/1/25804-85233-1-PB.pdf
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/
http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/1125
_version_ 1643738922427088896
score 13.211869

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