摘 要

本文旨在借助“女性主义翻译理论”，分析译者在科幻小说《三体》英译本中对脚注补充、删减、加写前言等翻译策略的综合运用，以及在跨文化交流视角对相关信息进行具体删减，改动和美化的实践，重点剖析了译者对原作者信息意图再现的具体方法，和最终实现作品整体接受度和可读性的有效途径。

关键词：刘宇昆; 《三体》; 女性主义翻译理论; 译者主体性

Contents

1. Introduction 1
2. Demonstration 2
   1. An overview of Feminist Translation Theory 2
      1. Origin and development 2
      2. Content and translation strategies 3
         1. Translator’s subjectivity 4
         2. Feminist translation strategies 4
   2. An overview of Three-Body Problem 5
      1. The Translator of Three-Body Problem: Ken Liu 5
      2. Main plot of Three-Body Problem 6
      3. Analyses of the translation of Three-Body Problem 6
         1. Preface and footnote 6
         2. Supplementation 8
         3. The omission and desalting of gender difference 10
         4. The transformation or desalting of the description of female 11
3. Conclusion 12

Works Cited 14

Bibliography 16

On Translation of The Three-Body Problem from the Perspective of Feminist Translation Theory

Introduction

Chinese science fiction book The Three-Body Problem has won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The author Liu Cixin becomes the first Asian writer who won the Hugo Award, the highest honor for science fiction works along with the Nebula Award. This is a very significant and historical moment for all the Chinese people, because it marks that Chinese science fiction begins to march into the world market.

The trilogy (Remembrance of Earth's Past) of The Three-Body Problem has been honored as the milestone of Chinese science fiction. The Three-Body Problem is the first opportunity for English-speaking readers to experience this extraordinary work which has won so many awards from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin. Apart from the translated version, the work also inspires a Hollywood film adaptation, which will be seen by July 2016.

There is a fact that no matter how outstanding and splendid a literary work is, it can hardly “go global” without a successful translation. Even though the translation of this work is definitely not easy at all due to the unique Chinese historical background and Chinese literary features in the source text (ST) compound with huge cultural gaps. Ken Liu once pointed out: There are background assumptions and bits of knowledge that a Chinese reader would have that the author can count on, but which American readers don't have. This means that some nuances will be “lost” in the translation, but it's not because the same thing can't be said in English, it's that the average American readers don't share the same cultural assumptions as the writer Liu Cixin had in mind.” Consequently, it is difficult to preserve the original beauty and flavor in the target text (TT).

From the perspective of feminist translation theory, the English

translation version, The Three-Body Problem is in line with the law of translator’s subjectivity and adaptation in order to survive in the translation of Eco-feminism. This thesis is to analyze that how the subjectivity of translator Ken Liu is reflected in his translation and how he manages to rewrite the original text in a feminist way in the process of translating.