Analysis on Two Chinese Versions of Jane Eyre Based on Domestication and Foreign

Abstract: The two main translation strategies foreignization and domestication have become one of the debates in translation studies. It can be regarded as the extension of the translation strategy. Both are dynamic dialectical unification relations. In order to achieve perfect translation, translators should grasp the right discretion to combine the two translation strategies according to the context. In the guidance of the translation theory domestication and foreignization, This paper aims to compare ZhuQingYing’s translation Jane Eyre and HuangYuanshen’s to further explain the treatment of "domestication" and "alienation".

Key words: Domestication, Foreignization, Jane Eyre, Translation strategies

I. The Theory Of Domestication And Foreignization

In west countries, the origin of foreignization and domestication can be back to literal translation and free translation promoted by Cicero and Jerome in ancient Rome times. In 1813, Friedrich Schleiermacher pointed out that in《discuss the method of translation》, as for the cultural contents in the articles, there are two kinds of methods to translate, one is to allow the author to stay immobile as much as possible and guide the readers to approach and get close to the author’s intention and ; the other is oppositely allow the reader to stay right where it is , and guide the author to get close to the readers’ purpose and intentions. American famous and renowned translation theoretician Lawrence Venuti definitely presented and promoted the concept of foreignizaion and domestication in his 《Translator’s Invisi-ility》.

We can not follow and abide strictly by one principle or adopt one translation method in practice. Therefore, there are no translation works that entirely treat source language culture as destination, or entirely treat target language culture as destination, and it just presents the fundamental and essential intention in translating and dealing with source language information. Excessive and immoderate foreignization and domestication in translating will degrade and the quality of translation works. As two translation strategies, foreignization and domestication is the relationship of the unity of opposites and complementary. Foreignization permeates into domestication and simultaneously domestication contains foreignization. In our translation practice, the unity relationship between foreignization and domestication is not on a fifty-fifty basis, equally divided, while it presents and displays realistic, concrete and dynamic relationship of unity according to the different translation purposes and different version types.

II. Comment And Analysis On The Huang Yuanshen And Zhu Qingying’s Translation Works Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is one of the representative works of British female novelist Charlotte Bronte in the nineteenth century. There are a number of translation versions of Jane Eyre in our country, authors in different times and ages have their own high-quality translation works, while different translation versions of Zhu Qingying and Huang Yuanshen have become representative versions in different times and ages. Zhu Qingying is an outstanding and excellent contemporary writer. Her translation version of Jane Eyre is produced and created in the nineteen eighties and published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House. And the Huang Yuanshen’s translation version of Jane Eyre is the one which is accepted and has most impact and influences in our country. Start from Huang Yuanshen’s translation work, we can find out that he strongly advocate to regard original contents as outline and compendium, and actively encourage to deeply explore the original work. Be different with Zhu Qingying’s translation version, Huang Yuanshen’s version emphasizes and stresses more on free translation, and better present and vividly express the spirit of original work, and his discourse style in translation work also comes closer to original work.

2.1. Different translations of poetry

Firstly, we vigorously explore and discuss the influences and impacts translation strategies and translators’ style on version, base on the different poetry translation methods in Jane Eyre versions of Zhu Qingying Huang Yuanshen (Zhu version and Huang version for short in following part). Zhu Qingying favors and intends to adopt literal translation strategy when she translated Jane Eyre, thus she remains more original sentence structures of Charlotte Bronte. Huang Yuanshen emphasizes and stress more on free translation strategy when he translated Jane Eyre. In addition, Huang version appeared later than Zhu version, the words and expression method are closer and more approach to our practical situation and facts. This allows the Huang version is consistent with modern habits and mass appreciation.

Example 1：Like heath that,in the wilderness,The wild wind whirlsaway.(Chapter 12） Zhu version is: Like heath that in the wilderness, the wild wind rollaway. Huang version is: Like heath that in the wilderness, the wild wind swept away. This is a verse in《Anthem》 written by famous Irish poet, Thomas Moore. The translations between Zhu version and Huang version are very similar, the most apparent distinctions between them are: “whirl away” is translated into “roll away” in Zhu version while it is translated into “swept away” in Huang version. The word “whirl” itself has the meaning of spin and rotating, and something that can rotate may have fast speed. Thus standing on this view and point, the translation “swept away” deeply meets the modern reading habits and appreciation demands and reads more fluently and naturally. While the words “roll away” in Zhu version is somewhat colloquial and it is not suitable for poetry translation. Although there is only one different word, we can deeply experience and vividly feel more accurate and proper poetry translations in Huang Yuanshen’s version.

Example 2: day its fervid fires had wasted (Chapter 23). The Zhu version: the day has exhausted its fervid fires. The Huang version: the day has exhausted its fires. This is one sentence in 《Turkish Wife》 written by British poet Campbell, the translation in Zhu version is more in line with the statement and expression method in original work, adopting the literal translation strategy and remaining the passive sentence in original work. While the translation in Huang version adjusts it into active sentence which is easily understood by Chinese people, and the sentence is more concise and clear.

Example 3:with a sullen moaning sound (Chapter 25). The Zhu version: with a plaintive and whimper sound. The Huang version: sullen and moaning sound, more strange and odd. This is the verse of British poet Milton. These two kinds of translation method are all good and accurate. The translation in Huang version is simpler, but simultaneously the poetry artistic conception is more of the lingering charm of modern poetry. And in Zhu version, he translated the “sullen, moaning” into plaintive, whimper” and adopted literal translation strategy, the sentence is not smooth and fluent enough, he just simply and mechanically translated the originals leading to the sentence elements are inharmonious and inconsistent, and the sentences he translated are without folk rhyme style. By contrast, Huang adopted free translation strategy, the translation version reads beautifully and smoothly, not only has lingering charm of poetry, but also enrich in rhythm in form of its expression, acquiring and obtaining the literacy image, implication and meaning.

2.2. Different translations in phonetic features

“You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mamma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mamma’ expense. Now, I’ll teach you to rummage my bookshelves: for they are mine; all the house belongs to me, or will do in a few years. Go and stand by the door, out of the way of the mirror and windows.”

Zhu translated: You have no business to take our books, mom says, you are a person depends on others, you do not have money, your father left you alone, you ought to beg and not live here with us gentlemen’s children, and eat the same food we have, and wear clothes at our mom’s expense. Now listen, you grub my bookshelves and I will punish you. The books belong to me and the whole house belongs to me, or they will do in a few years. Go and stand by the door, get away from the mirror and windows.

Huang translated: You have no business to move our books. Mamma says you depend on others, you do not have money, your father left nothing for you, you ought to beg, and not to live a life with us gentlemen’s children, and eat the same food we have, and wear clothes at mamma’s expense. Now I will punish you, and let you know the results of grubbing my bookshelves. These books are my and even the whole house belongs to me, or it will belong to me in a few years. Get out, stand by the door and stay far away from mirror and windows.

These words and expressions are from John Reed when he saw Jane was reading books on bookshelves. These words and expressions indicate and display that he looks down upon Jane, and also shows the cold-blooded, ruthless and hate attitude towards Jane. Compared to Zhu’s translation, Huang’s translation better expresses and vividly presents the characteristics and style of original. For example, in the translation of “you have no business to move my book”, “let you know the results of grubbing my bookshelves” and “get out, stand by the door”, the words and expressions like “move”, “results” and “get out” vividly present and figuratively display John’s cold and ruthless attitude. The accurate and careful choices and selections of words can better and successfully present and embody the original’s style and characters. The translations of these words in Huang’s translation version achieve the success in the whole. Huang not only considers and think about the form and meanings in original, but also presents and illustrates the features and characters of concise, succinct and casual colloquial in original. This also strongly presents and vividly reflects the daily lifestyle.

Example 2: “I dared commit no fault; I strove to fulfill every duty; and I was termed naughty and tiresome, sullen and sneaking, from morning to noon, and from noon to night.”

Zhu translated: I dared commit no fault, I try my best to fulfill my every duty, and somebody scolds me naughty, tiresome, insidious and sneaking, from morning to noon, and from noon to night. Huang translated: I dared no accidents, try my best to do my duty, others still scold me naughty guy, hate embryos, freezing and thieves sneaking, from morning to noon and from noon to night.

These are some words and expressions that vividly present and show Jane’s emotional and inner processes and activities when she was locked in the red house after trouncing and lash with any reasons. Through these expressions and words of emotional and inner processes and activities, the author’s purpose and intention is to thoroughly reveal and expose the facts that although Jane attempted her best to ingratiate and pleased everyone, she will eventually suffer the bitter and go through maltreating. The sentences in original are smooth, fluent and rich in rhythm. By contrast, the words and expressions in Zhu translation version are incompact and short of original emotional and lyric rhythm. Huang uses and chooses the words that can strongly express and present emotion in his translation works, such as these colloquial words “naught guy”, “hate embryos”, these words present the gateshead used vicious and malicious word to curse Jane. In Huang’s translation version, words “freezing” and “thieves sneaking” indicate and display that Jane is an evil in the gateshead. Moreover, the words like “naughty guy”, “hate embryos”, “freezing” and “thieves sneaking” are rich in vivid and lively sounds effect, and perfectly make the translations have rhythm feelings and embody the features and characters of original. Therefore, Huang’s translations better embody and express the original features and characters than Zhu’s. Any translator who wants successfully present and express the original style and features must keep in mind that the works he translates are written and created by others, he must capture and seize the author’s writing style and characteristics of figures. Furthermore, he should try his best to create his translation into a literacy work equals to original emotions and features. This can make readers with target language better understand and appreciate the original literacy work.

III. Conclusions

Through the comparative analysis and study on two translation versions of Jane Eyre, we finally find out that two translation versions all can better present and express original style and features, and they have different opinions and understandings towards original words, dictions and styles. For these two translation works, Huang’s version has smooth, fluent and beautiful works expression and artistic charming. While Zhu’s version mostly adopts foreignization translation strategy, and tries best efforts to reproduce the original form and contents, and puts emphasis and stress on words selections and sentence structure reconstruction. It can not be denied and neglected that the translations in Zhu’s version have foreignization tendency and intention, some sentences in the translation works present somewhat unnatural and hard to understand.

References

[1]GU Qi-nan Understanding is the key of literacy work translation China Translation 1998(5)

[2]SHEN Dan The Important of Literature and Stylistics in Translation Discipline Building China Translation 2002(1)

[3]ZHU Qingying Jane Eyre M1, Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House 2006

[4]HUANG Yuan-shen Jane Eyre, Yilin Press 1994