As to the Ci poems, it enjoys equal popularity with poetry of the Tang Dynasty. It is also called lyrics because each length of sentence is not the same. It is first used to sing and every poem has the name of the tunes that contains lots of cultural meanings and different sources of culture. From the end of the 19th century to 1970s, many foreign writers translated some famous poems into English. For example, Ezra Pound translated nineteen poems in Cathay. However, few of poems can fully display the beauty of original poems. Some Chinese translators, such as Xu Yuanchong, Sun Daxi, and Zhu Shenghao, have also translated many traditional Ci poems.
The Beautiful Lady Yu has been analyzed from different aspects: from the context adaptation, the cultural linguistics, the experiential function, the Sikong Tu’s Three Dimensions of Aesthetics and so on. In this paper, I choose to explore the translator’s subjectivity demonstrated in The Beautiful Lady Yu, taking into consideration creativity and restrictions as a whole.源-自-优尔:,论'文'网]www.youerw.com
2. Translators’ Subjectivity
2.1 Translator: From Periphery to Center
It seems to have long been a unanimous attitude in the translation circle that translation is equal to the reproduction of the original text (Hereinafter refereed to as OT). Therefore, translators are always acknowledged as subordinated servants. Although there are some appreciative appellations such as “prophet of people” by Johann Goethe, translators are still given many various odd ones like mouthpiece, traitor, sculpture and servant with two masters. This may reflect that “translation should give a full and exact expression of the ideas of the OT without any change, distortion, addition, deletion or omission” (Ma Zuyi 1980: 2) and translators should be “hidden” so that readers couldn’t perceive translators’ thoughts. That is to say, they are invisible and overlooked. Their marginalized status is not in accord with their contribution. Actually, they cannot be invisible entirely for the reason that translation is more or less subjective in consideration of the difference of cultural background. After the “cultural turn” in translation studies during 1970s, more and more people began to be aware of the significant role the translator plays in the translation. “Subjectivity is to reveal the subjective initiative during translation on the premise of respecting the original text and writer. It contains conscious sense and traits of culture as well as creativity of aesthetic”.（Zha Mingjian, Tian Yu, 2003: 20）Translation is no longer like a pane of glass or a pure imitation. As a matter of fact, in the relationship of OT, the translator and the target text (hereinafter refereed to as TT), the translator is the hinge between the adaptation of OT and the selection of TT. The translator is the reader of OT and simultaneously the writer of TT. The subjectivity is embodied in his comprehension of what the original writer wants to transmit and in his expression affected by English proficiency, attitudes, values and so on.
2.2 Definition of Translators’ Subjectivity
In the first place, we should make clear who the subject of translation is. Xu Jun has concluded four kinds of opinions: “the translator is the subject of translation; the original author and translator are the subject of translation; the reader and translator are the subject of translation; the original author, the reader and translator are the subject of translation” (2003: 8). But I think that the core of the subject of translation is the translator because the subjectivity of translator can be shown through the whole process of translation while the subjectivity of the author and readers is seldom shown during the steps of translation. The original writer is the subject of creativity of the OT and the reader is the subject of acception. And this paper focuses on the subjectivity of the translator. Factors like authors of source text and readers are references for the translator to understand the original text and to express. 从译者主体性角度看李煜词《虞美人》的三种译本(2):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_57163.html