A Study of the Translation of Culture-Loaded Words in the Biography of Su Tungpo

Abstract

Su Tungpo (Su Shi) is an encyclopedic literary figure in the Song Dynasty in ancient China. He has open-minded attitude towards life and influences several generations. The Gay Genius: the life and time of Su Tungpo tells the story of Su. By introducing this Chinese literary genius to American readers, Lin Yutang, a famous Chinese writer and translator with four nominations of Nobel Prize, depicts the biography of Su with humor and skillful languages. His translation of the book made Su’s works including his poetry, articles and philosophy of life spread overseas and gave a multidimensional portrayal of Su’s life story. Evidently, culture-loaded words abound in the book. The translation of such words frequently makes translators exhausted and stranded. Focusing on the study of the translation of the culture-loaded words, this thesis intends to take Lin’s The Gay Genius as an example to analyze the choices and the effects of different translation techniques due to different purposes under the guidance of domestication and foreignization.