The Study of Foreignization and Domestication

王健

【Abstract】The historical and cultural obstacles rising during translation bring about different versions of the same original work，thus probably preventing the translator from fully conveying the original meaning.Generally speaking，different versions will be complementary to each other，showing the diversity of translation criteria which has a strategically significant to international cultural exchange.Meanwhile，the diversity of translation criterion will have a strategic significance in diversified culture of our modern society.Foreignization and domestication are two different strategies often used in the translation of language form and culture parts，and regarded as the extension of free translation and literal translation.This research will begin with the definition of foreignization and domestication，and then explain the complementary relations of the two versions of The Great Gatsby with examples.

【Key words】Translation； Foreignization； Domestication； The Great Gatsby

【摘要】翻譯中的历史文化阻隔，对同一原著产生了多种译本，使得译者对原文的意义传输变得困难重重。从某种意义上讲，同一原著多译本形成互补性关系，这体现了翻译标准的多元化。与此同时，在现代的多元文化社会中，实行文学翻译标准的多元化，具有重要的战略意义（迟庆立，2007）。[1]异化和归化是处理语言形式与文化因素的两种不同的翻译策略，可以说它们是直译和意译在某种程度上的进一步延伸。本文首先介绍了异化和归化的定义，然后通过小说《了不起的盖茨比》两个不同译本中异化和归化的实例，阐述二者在翻译过程中相辅相成的关系。

【关键词】翻译 异化 归化 《了不起的盖茨比》

1.Overview

Translation theorists from different countries had in-depth researches of foreignization and domestication.In the early nineteenth Century，a German scholar Schleiermacher pointed out that the translation works should be different from the source text when it was translated into German； if the original texts are from Spanish，the readers should not be able to guess the translation versions are from Spanish.If all the translations read and sound the same，the features of source text will disappear，and so will the difference between target languages（Shuttleworth，M.& Cowie，1997）.[2]In twentieth Century，the Italian American translation scholar Venuti proposed the concept of foreignization and domestication firstly in his book The Translator Invisibility：A History.

Generally speaking，foreignization gives the translator an expressing method adapt to the original text and will lead readers close to the author； while domestication allows the translator to take more care of readers by resorting more structures familiar to readers.Foreignization is similar to literal translation to some extent，for it tries to follow the original language and present the exotic culture to readers.It is beneficial to cultural dissemination but may add difficulty to the readability of the work.Domestication，or free translation sometimes，allows readers to understand the work easily but may lose its language characteristics and cultural connotation （Venuti，2001）.[3]

2.Application of Foreignizationand Domestication in Translation—— Taking The Great Gatsby as an example

2.1 About the author Fitzgerald

As a famous American novelist and a symbol of the critical period in American history，Fitzgerald described the United States as a“Jazz”and“Money”society.His life，works and experience in the World War I made him the symbol of“Jazz Age”of the United States.He instinctively equated his own experiences to the United States.His genius can be found in his writings which reflect inadvertently the pulse and appearance of that time.His masterpiece The Great Gatsby was completed in 1925，depicting the cruelness，coldness and selfishness of the “Jazz Age” and revealing the inevitable death of the American Dream.

2.2 Applications of Foreignization and Domestication in two translated versions of The Great Gatsby

The difference begin with the title ——The Great Gatsby，《了不起的盖茨比》by Wu Ningkun and 《大亨小传》by Qiao Zhigao.The former，apt to foreignization，is widely accepted in the mainland of China which is often regarded as the biography of Gatsby，a great man，while the latter may bring to readers the doubts that who is the tycoon and whether he is great or not.

The following are some other examples of foreignization and domestication from the two versions：

（1）“Just remember that all the people in this world havent had the advantages that youve had.”

喬：“只要记住，世界上所有的人不是个个都像你这样，从小就占了那么多便宜。”（Qiao Zhigao，2013，P1）

巫：“你就记住，这个世界上所有的人，并不是个个都有过你那些优越条件。”（Wu Ningkun，2010，P3）

This refers to Nicks memories about what his father told him when he was young.Qiaos domestication translation“从小就占了那么多便宜” following the target language and conveying the original meaning clearly and accurately，sounds natural to readers，while Wus foreignized version “并不是个个都有过你那些优越条件”，though correct，but does not seem idiomatic to Chinese readers.

（2）Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track，gives out a ghastly creak，and comes to rest，and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud，which screens their obscure operations from your sight.

乔：有时看见一队垃圾车，慢慢沿着不清不楚的路线爬行过来，车子一声鬼啸，咯吱停住，马上一群灰扑扑的汉子拖着铁铲一窝蜂的包围上来，搞得灰尘满天，叫你看不清他们干的是什么勾当。（Qiao Zhigao，2013，P29）

巫：有时一列灰色的货车慢慢沿着一条看不见的轨道爬行，叽嘎一声鬼叫，停了下来，马上那些灰蒙蒙的人就拖着铁锹一窝蜂拥上来，扬起一片尘土，让你看不到他们隐秘的活动。（Wu Ningkun，2010，P25）

Compared with Wus translation of “which screens their obscure operations from your sight” into “让你看不到他们隐秘的活动” which sounds stiff with unclear meaning and awkward readability，Qiaos domesticated translation into “叫你看不清他们干的是什么勾当” seems more appropriate.

（3）A momentary hush； the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her.

乔：在这一刹那，大家肃静，乐班指挥马上很合作地改变了拍子来为她伴奏。（Qiao Zhigao，2013，P53）

巫：片刻宁静，乐队指挥殷勤地为她改变了拍子。（Wu Ningkun，2010，P43）

The word “obligingly” literally means “亲切地”.Qiaos transfer of this word into “很合作地” is more in line with the present situation than Wus version “殷勤地” which may confuse readers why the band is so hospitable to an unknown dancer.

（4）I am still a little afraid of missing something if I forget that，as my father snobbishly suggested，and I snobbishly repeat，a sense of the fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth.

乔：我前面提到我父亲的话，似乎我们父子都有点瞧不起人的样子，但他的意思是说，待人宽厚虽是一种天赋，却并不是人人生来相同的——我唯恐忘了这个教训，责人过苛，而有所失。（Qiao Zhigao，2013，P2）

巫：我现在仍然不免担心错过什么东西，如果我忘记（如同父亲带着优越感所揭示过的，我现在又带着优越感重复的）基本的道德观念是在人出世的时候就分配不均的。（Wu Ningkun，2010，P4）

Here is a long complex sentence with a conditional adverbial clause，two parallel attributive clauses and one objective clause，introduced respectively by“if”，“as”and“that”.Here Wu reproduces the sentence with the adverbial clause still behind the main clause and without any change to the original structure which may sound somewhat obscure and puzzling.But Qiao，based on fully understanding of deep structure，does not follow the original sentence order by dividing it into three parallel sentences，and focuses on the meaning of the original sentence by adding“责人过苛，而有所失”and other words.Such change not only offers conciseness and readability to readers，but also reflects the translators understand of the characters in the novel and the authors original implication.Obviously，Qiao has exerted his subjectivity into the translation.

（5）Yet high over the city our line of yellow windows must have contributed their share of human secrecy to the casual watcher in the darkening streets，and I was him too，looking up and wondering.I was within and without，simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.

喬：可是我一面心里想，我们这排灯火辉煌的窗户高高在这都市之上，从底下暮色苍茫的街道望上来不知道蕴藏着何等的人生秘密，而我自己也就是这么一位过客，偶尔路过此地，抬头望望，不知所以。我似乎又在这里边又在外边，对这幕人生悲喜剧无穷的演变，又是陶醉又是恶心。（Qiao Zhigao，2013，P45）

巫：然而我们这排黄澄澄的窗户高踞在城市的上空，一定给暮色苍茫的街道上一位观望的过客增添了一点人生的秘密，同时我就是他，一面在仰望一面在寻思。我既身在其中又身在其外，对人生的千变万化既感到陶醉，又感到厌恶。（Wu Ningkun，2010，P38）

Wu adopts foreignizaion during his translation，for his version is concise，simple and natural，reflecting the fresh and beautiful original style； While Qiao prefers domestication with his version eloquent，exquisite and decorated，On the whole，Wus version seems more concise and acceptable to Chinese readers in the mainland.

（6）It was lonely for a day or so until one morning some man，more recently arrived than I，stopped me on the road.

乔：头一两天我相当孤单，随后一天早上在路上碰到一个比我还陌生的人，向我请教。（Qiao Zhigao，2013，P4）

巫：头几天我感到孤单，直到一天早上有个人，比我更是新来乍到的，在路上拦住了我。（Wu Ningkun，2010，P6）

Contrast to Qiao of translation of “more recently arrived than I” into “一个比我还陌生的人” which may confuse readers：who is he unfamiliar with，Wus version “比我更是新来乍到的” is more idiomatic，telling readers a man who recently moved here.

The above analysis shows that，Mr.Wu Ningkun and Mr.Qiao Zhigao have adopted different strategies to translate The Great Gatsby.With foreignization，Mr.Wu tries to retain the features of the original vocabulary，sentences and rhetorics，so that readers can feel the exotic culture present in the original work.But too much foreignization in his translation adds difficulties to readers.On the contrary，Mr.Qiao is more inclined to adopt domestication where he，based on his full understanding of the original text，combines the authors thought with the translators understanding without following the original structure.His version shows not only subjectivity and creativity from the translator but also acceptability and readability to target language readers.

3.Conclusion

During translation，domestication and foreignization are often hard to decide.In fact，proper adoption of either will offer a balanced point where the author and readers can have an efficient indirect communication.The point should not be too far from or close to either the author or readers，that is to say，foreignzation should not hinder reading and understanding fluency while domestication should allow readers to get to know exotic cultures.Only in this way can the translator take full advantage of these two strategies and produce excellent works.

References：

[1]Shuttleworth，M.& Cowie，M.Dictionary of Translation Studies[M].Manchester：St Jerome，1997.

[2]Venuti，L.Strategies of Translation[M].Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies.Baker，M.&.Mlmkjaer（eds.）.London and New York：Routledge，2001.

[3]遲庆立.文化翻译策略的多样性与多译本互补研究.上海外回语大学，2007.

[4]《大亨小传》弗·司各特·菲茨杰拉德 乔志高：上海三联书店；第1版，2013.

[5]《了不起的盖茨比》菲茨杰拉德（Francis Scott Fitzgerald）巫宁坤；上海译文出版社；第1版，2010.