The aesthetic representation in prose translation from the perspective of translation aesthetics: a case study on the selected excerpts of The Fading Days

Abstract

In literary translation sphere, translation and aesthetics are inextricably intertwined and the emergence and development of translation aesthetics have provided a systematic guidance for the practice and study of literary translation. It is irrefutable that the translating of prose is likewise a process of artistic appreciation and re-creation, which can also be conducted on that theoretical basis.

The capstone project is based on Liu Miqing's translation aesthetics, aiming to appreciate the aesthetic information of the original proses “Dinner in Summer” and “The White Night’s Dream” in light of formal and non-formal systems. To examine and justify the English translation, the tactics applied to reattain the original aesthetic values are extensively analyzed. Overall, the drastic differences between Chinese and English, along with other translation constraints and the translator’s “pre-structure” make it impossible to retrieve all original aesthetic elements in translation. However, Liu Miqing's translation aesthetics is indeed of great importance to the aesthetic appreciation and representation, further attesting to its applicability and scientificity in prose translation. This project can hopefully offer some insights and enlightenments for future studies on prose translation.