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/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/1/25804-85233-1-PB.pdf

id	ukm-12903
recordtype	eprints
spelling	ukm-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
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia
building	UKM Institutional Repository
collection	Online Access
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/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12903/1/25804-85233-1-PB.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T20:03:39Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T20:03:39Z
_version_	1777407014185467904

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

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