The Evolution of the Role of the Translator

高小芳

Abstract：As a communicative approach of cross-language and cross-culture，translation plays an extremely important role in the world exchange. Studies on translation have changed from the lack of translators subjectivity to the development of the subjectivity after the cultural turn and the inter-subjectivity of modern translators. Meanwhile，the role of translators have been greatly transformed. This paper aims to expound the evolution of translators role from “invisibility”，the development of translators subjectivity and intersubjectivity so as to expand and deepen translators subjectivity research.

Keywords：translator；subjectivity；intersubjectivity；

Introduction

With the development of economic globalization，the collision and blending between different cultures also undoubtedly reflect the soft power of a country. Translation activities are often necessary in the face of political，economic，and cultural exchanges between different regions and languages. The major changes in the translators role have showed that all parties concerned need to respect each other. The subject and subjectivity can only be well played in the context of intersubjectivity. In recent years，translation studies have experienced the transformation of the mode “language-culture-people”.

1 Translation subject

The translation subject--the author，the translator and the reader-has three main characteristics：dominance，subjectivity，and subjective initiative. The dominance enables the translator to be able to exercise the dominant role in the process of translation practice，so that the translation develops in the direction that he expects. The subjectivity requests the translation subject to pay attention to his own subjectivity and strive to achieve his own subjectivity. The subjective initiative pays more attention to the mutual influence and restraint between the subjects and between the subject and the object. In short，a full play of the subjective initiative can improve the quality of translation.

For a long time，people have regarded the translator as the sole subject of translation activities. However，the translators pivotal role in translation does not mean that the translator is the only subject of translation activities.

Xu Jun（2009）summarizes four versions on the translation subjectivity studies at home：“The translator is the subject of translation；the original author and the translator are the subjects of translation；the translator and the reader are the subjects of translation；and the original author，translator and reader are all translation subjects.”

In view of the subject of translation，the translation community have formed two main viewpoints：translation single subject theory and translation multi-subject theory. Many scholars support the first theory. As for the second theory，some scholars believe that the subject of translation is not limited to the translator，and a satisfied translation product is jointly created by writers，translators and readers.

2 The translators “invisibility” and the subjectivity

In traditional translation，people regard translation only as a linguistic transformation. The translator must not only communicate what the author says or writes，but also let the listener or reader understand. The book The Translators Invisibility A History of Translation written by Lawrence Venuti was published in 2004，making the translators “invisibility” a hot topic in studies. Though the author regarded the translation as a cultural phenomenon，he completely obscured the translator himself.

The translation model has always been regarded as the highest goal of translation. However，people gradually find that translation is not a simple transformation on language，but between two different cultures. As the translators initiative and creativity are recognized by more and more people，the translators subjective has gradually been established from “invisibility” to “visibility”.

The single-subject theory of translation has showed the translators significant role，and the multi-subject theory of translation，although the status of the original author and its work has increased，the translators main role cannot be replaced. Both of these views explain the dominant role of the translators subjectivity to varying degrees. In the 1980s，cultural turn in translation studies opened up a new cultural horizon for translation studies. The development of postmodern ideas such as deconstructionism，feminism and post-colonialism has given full play to the translators subjectivity.

3 The translators subjectivity and intersubjectivity

Intersubjectivity is a philosophical concept that is opposite to subjectivity. It refers to the mutual interaction between subjects. The intersubjectivity of translation is mutual interaction in the translation activities among the author and a multi-subject relationship. There are three basic characteristics of intersubjectivity in translation：identity，difference and constructivism. Identity refers to the dialogue through the text among the translator，the author and the reader to reach an agreement. Difference means that each subject differs from other subjects on the basis of identity. Constructivism is the construction of the translation process in which all subjects participate.