 Read the following example and consider what is good about it. Please write your comment in the space provided.
5. Results and Suggestions
5.1 Results
Literary translation is far from being a pure language transformation. On the contrary, it is a kind of reproduction in which the translator plays as important and dynamic a role as the author. The translator should profoundly and thoroughly understand the original text and then accurately and creatively represent it in the target language. Generally speaking, there are two general principles guiding the translator¡¯s effort in dealing with the cultural-specific images in literary works ¨C foreignization and domestication.
From the above analysis of some examples of literary translation, we can see that foreignization and domestication are both applied in literary translation, sometimes independently and some times in a combined manner. They each incorporate some different translating methods. To be exact, the methods of literal translation and literal translation plus explanation are practiced following the principle of foreignization while the method of replacing the SL image with a TL image is in line with domestication.
5.2 Suggestions
Then what makes the translator decide whether to employ the domesticating or foreignizing strategies? My research has the following suggestions.
First, when a cultural-specific image in the SL is shared by the TL, it can be retained without impairing the comprehension of the TL reader, so the translator can use the foreignizing translating strategy ¨C literal translation.
Second, when coming cross an expression which contains the historical, geographical or folk heritages specific only to the SL, the translator often has to try very hard to find a suitable translation. To maintain the cultural-specific feature, a workable method is to add to the literal translation with a further explanation to help the original cultural information get cross to the TL reader.
Third, the TL reader¡¯ purpose of reading the translation is also a significant factor for the translator to consider in the selection of the methods. If the TL reader is more interested in the plot of the story rather than the culture underlying it, when a cultural image in the SL is alien to the TL reader, the translator can seek for a TL expression to replace its SL counterpart. The former needs to be an equivalent of the latter in the semantic meaning, although the image it carries may be totally different from that of the original.
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