- 期刊
Analysis of Yu Guangzhong's Translation of An Ideal Husband from the Perspective of Skopos Theory
摘要
An Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play composed by Oscar Wilde, who uses a great number of unconventionally paired terms, alliteration, rhyme, parallel structure, allusion and paradox. Due to the cultural difference, it is rather difficult to translate it from English to Chinese. However, Yu Guangzhong, a distinguished poet and translator, manages to do so and his translation enjoys great popularity in China. While few studies have explored Yu's translation of An Ideal Husband exclusively, this paper intends to fill the gap. Guided by Skopos theory, the author attempts to find the Yu's purpose in the process of translating the drama. From Yu's books and interviews, it is observed that his purpose of translating the play is to put it on stage for audiences to appreciate. This paper analyzes Yu's translation of An Ideal Husband from two perspectives-figures of speech and cultural items and finds that his principles of translating the drama have been put into practice. Most of the translations maintain both the form and the meaning of the original script while a few make compromises to ensure the easy understanding of target readers and audiences. It is hoped that future translators can make reasonable choices and adopt appropriate translation strategies when encountered with linguistic and cultural barriers when translating dramas.