Self-translation Not Answerable to Faithfulness in Translation

DOI

10.2991/icelaic-16.2017.83How to use a DOI?

Keywords

self-translation; variation; faithfulness

Abstract

To be absolutely faithful in translation has long been the ultimate goal for many translators. Due to semantic, stylistic and cultural reasons, it seems an impossible mission. Some suggest that self-translation may be the only possible answer toward faithfulness in translation. With the writer and translator being the same person, there aren't any problems in understanding the original text and the writer-cum-translators can best adhere to it both in language and in style. By investigating into such famous self-translators as Xiao Qian, Lin Yutang, Zhang ailing, Bai Xianyong, etc, we find that even self-translators can not guarantee the complete equivalence in translation due to the following reasons: (1). translators' subjectivity; (2). translators' pursuit for perfection; (3). adaptation to the target readers; (4). cultural factors outside translation.

Copyright

© 2017, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Changyong Zou
PY  - 2016/12
DA  - 2016/12
TI  - Self-translation Not Answerable to Faithfulness in Translation
BT  - Proceedings of the 2016 3rd International Conference on Education, Language, Art and Inter-cultural Communication (ICELAIC 2016)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 347
EP  - 350
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/icelaic-16.2017.83
DO  - 10.2991/icelaic-16.2017.83
ID  - Zou2016/12
ER  -