This thesis begins with the background and the main structure of this paper. Then the author makes a general introduction to translator's subjectivity and feminist subjectivity, which provides a theoretical framework. The author makes a tentative exploration of the hidden meaning of translator's subjectivity after which follows a historical review. The feminist translation theory focuses on equality and redefining the notion of fidelity while it highlights the selection of the original text and selection of translation strategies. The third part is a brief introduction to Pearl S. Buck and her English version Shui Hu Zhuan. The forth part is a detailed study on Pearl S. Buck's English Version Shui Hu Zhuan to demonstrate how the female translator's subjectivity was reflected in her translations,which can be summarized as: (1) reflection on feminism in literature; (2) reflection on feminism in vocabulary. These ideas play a role of theoretical elements of the feminist translator's subjectivity in the translation practice. After that is the concrete analysis of feminist translator's subjectivity in source text and the target one. The last part comes with the conclusion.

2. Literature Review

In history, the translator's subjectivity long been neglected of its existence and role in traditional translation theory that the highest standard of translation is faithfulness and equivalence. Accordingly, a successful translator should be transparent and invisible. Translators must be totally loyal to the source text and the author and “reproduce in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message, first in terms of meaning and second in terms of style”. (Nida, 1982: 55). For a long time, the translator and the target text is in a subsidiary and derived position. Since the “culture turn” in 1980s, people began to consider more various factors and pay more attention to the cultural nature of translation practice. Therefore, translator's subjectivity becomes noticed and translation gradually gets out of the dilemma of binary opposition between the source text and target one. 

Traditionally, women were incompetent and conceived as “the other”. To fight for equality between men and women, the feminism rises in the twentieth Century with the women movement. The statue and experience is hold by translation as well. According to Sherry Simon (1996, 1), “Whether affirmed or denounced, the femininity of translation is persistent historical trope, ‘Woman’ and ‘translator’ have been regarded to the same position of discursive inferiority... the original is considered the strong generative male, the translation the weaker and derivative female”.

Above all, this paper explores the translator's subjectivity in translation from the perspective of the feminist translation theory, using Pearl S. Buck's English Version Shui Hu Zhuan as an exemplification, in order to provide a new platform for the study of translation. 文献综述

2.1 A Brief Introduction to the Translator's Subjectivity in Feminist Translation Theory 

With the prevalence of “culture turn” in translation studies since the 1980s, researches concerning the translator's subjectivity have developed quickly. Subjectivity derived from the philosophical term of “subject”, which refers to a person or entity carrying out and responsible for an action, rather than the “object” which is acted. Thus, subject is prone to someone taking an action on the object under the orientation of his or her consciousness.

Since the 1980s, many western theories, such as psychoanalysis formalism, semiotics,  post-modernism and post-colonialism, have emerged as new intellectual movements in society and culture. Feminism, as one of them, brings its thought and reflections into theory and practice of translation studies. Feminist translation theory aims to identify the female identity and eliminate the prejudice against the female in translation theory and practice.