Domestication or Foreignization: a Message or the Message?

7/30/2019 Domestication or Foreignization: a Message or the Message?

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Domestication or foreignization:

A message or THE message?

YI YongQufu Normal University, China

[email protected]


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Domestication & Foreignization (1)

Domesticationan ethnocentric reduction of

the foreign text to target-language cultural

values, bring the author back home

Foreingization an ethnodeviant pressure on

those (cultural) values to register the linguistic

and cultural difference of the foreign text,

sending the reader abroad. (Venuti 1995: 20)


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domestication designates the type oftranslation in which a transparent, fluent style isadopted to minimize the strangeness of theforeign text for target language readers,

foreignization means a target text isproduced which deliberately breaks targetconventions by retaining something of theforeignness of the original (Shuttleworth &

Cowie 1997:59).


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Domesticationstrategy to conform to the culture

of the language being translated to, which may

involve the loss of information from the source

text.

Foreignisationstrategy to retain information

from the source text, may break conventions of

the target language to preserve meaning.


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Research questions (?)

. how is Conucius/Confucianisam know tothe outside world?

what ISgood translation?

What is the purpose of translation?

In what sense is domestication and

foreignisation a relevant argument whencultural contexts seem to be constantlychanging?


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Piloting some ideas a

questionnaire I wanted to see what idea of Confucius really existed in

English speaking Western adults

SO - selection of analects related to Ren a particular

construct of Confucius writings which was translated

into benevolent, the good, humane, real men, the

man of real virtue etc.

Asked selection of people to respond

Selection of the translators/English versions

Different decades

Native or near native English speakers
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Analects'%20translation%20Questionnaire%20final.dochttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Selection%20of%20Analects%20by%205%20translators.dochttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Selection%20of%20Analects%20by%205%20translators.dochttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Analects'%20translation%20Questionnaire%20final.doc


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Preliminary findings

Not much known of Confucius to wide public

Difficulty with the English language used by the

translators

Leading to lack of engagement with the message thatConfucius MAY have wanted to convey and

Lack of engagement with the ideas of Confucianism as not

interesting/stimulating

Not perceived as relevant to this modern culture
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/1%20LGW%20Questionnaire%20survey%20data.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/1%20LGW%20Questionnaire%20survey%20data.docx


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Issues that arose were

the questions of whether a writer/translator seeks toconvey:

A message, or

THE message

A meaning, or

THE meaning?


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Cans and cants

So we cannot legitimately ask anyone whether THE

meaning of the Analects is conveyed as no-one really

knows definitively what THE meaning is

But we can ask if the reader comprehends the Englishsentence structure and

we can ask if the words presents have any meaning to

the reader.

However, we cannot equate the two.


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What next? Extend the pilot study

Review the findings in details

Refine the questionnaire. Administer a larger scale study


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Major references

Ames, R. T. & Rosemont, H. (2003) The analects

Confucius & Pound, E. (1956) Confucian analects, London, Peter Owen Limited.

Dawson, R. (1964) The legacy of china, Oxford, Clarendon Press.

El-Dali, H. M. (2011) Towards an understanding of the distinctive nature of translation studies.Journal of King Saud University - Languages and Translation, 23, 29-45.

Lau, D. C. (1983) Confucius: The analects, Hong Kong, The Chinese University Press.

Legge, J., Confucius & Mencius (1966) The four books : Confucian analects, the great learning, thedoctrine of the mean, and the works of mencius, New York, Paragon Book Reprint Corp.

Olberding, A. (2012) Moral exemplars in the analects: The good person is that, Routledge.

Yung, B. (2010) Can confucianism add value to democracy education? Procedia Social andBehavioral Sciences, 2, 1919-1926.

(2008).()Journal of Chongqing Technology and Business University( Social Sciences Edition) 25, 134-137.

Confucian analects, The great learning, and The doctrine of the mean [electronic resource] /translated, with critical and exegetical notes, prolegomena, copious indexes, and dictionary ofall characters by James Legge
http://search.library.leeds.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3228980__SThe%20Analects%20of%20Confucius__Ff:facetavailability:c:c:Online::__Orightresult__X2?lang=eng&suite=cobalthttp://search.library.leeds.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3228980__SThe%20Analects%20of%20Confucius__Ff:facetavailability:c:c:Online::__Orightresult__X2?lang=eng&suite=cobalt


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On-line sources Analects in different language:

http://www.confucius.org/main01.htm

Confucian analects, The great learning, and Thedoctrine of the mean [electronic resource]
http://www.confucius.org/main01.htmhttp://search.library.leeds.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3228980__SThe%20Analects%20of%20Confucius__Ff:facetavailability:c:c:Online::__Orightresult__X2?lang=eng&suite=cobalthttp://search.library.leeds.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3228980__SThe%20Analects%20of%20Confucius__Ff:facetavailability:c:c:Online::__Orightresult__X2?lang=eng&suite=cobalthttp://search.library.leeds.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3228980__SThe%20Analects%20of%20Confucius__Ff:facetavailability:c:c:Online::__Orightresult__X2?lang=eng&suite=cobalthttp://search.library.leeds.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3228980__SThe%20Analects%20of%20Confucius__Ff:facetavailability:c:c:Online::__Orightresult__X2?lang=eng&suite=cobalthttp://www.confucius.org/main01.htm

Domestication or Foreignization: a Message or the Message?

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