Wu Ningkun’s version3 is published in May 2011 ,by Shanghai Translation Publishing House。 The reason why I choose this version to make a comparison is that Wu is a typical representative of a translator of older generation, his works worth pondering and he is the first translator of the Great Gatsby in China。 Yao Naiqiang’s version4 is published in July 2004 ,by People’s literature Publishing House。 Yao’s version is acclaimed by audiences for his fluency and beauty of words。 Most Chinese people like his version best。 

Different translations can give us a different image towards the same book, and here I pick these two versions to make a comparative study in environment descriptions, characterization and symbolism。  In this comparative study  we can draw a conclusion about the difference of these two version, containing their weakness, strength, emphrasis and their theoritical basis。 

Chapter 1 Translating styles

1。1 Literal translation and liberal translation

In the field of translating, there is a hot discussion between literal translation and liberal translation。 Different translating styles will give readers different feelings towards the novel。 So we could not jump to a conclusion about which translation style is better or more difficult。 We just hold a tacit agreement that if a translator can give us a complete reduction towards this writer, and this novel also, we will regard his version as a kind of good version。 Just as China has an old saying goes, “All are good cats that catch mice。” (黑猫白猫，抓住老鼠就是好猫)。 Different translating style has its own strength, and here we will list some emphasis and characteristics below。来自优W尔Y论W文C网WWw.YoueRw.com 加QQ7520,18766

Literal translation lay emphasis on the meaning of the original version, translators intend to translate the novel sentence by sentence or even word by word。 This translation style pay more attention to the original version, but consider less in fluency of the whole novel。 Readers will be puzzled when they meet with some sentences or words which has the color of author’s private thinking or some Age factor that they do not know it well。 Sometimes literal translation are not so beautiful or fluent on language, readers will be hard to understand, there is no doubt that literal translation needs more thinking and interpretations。 But if readers want to know the pure characteristic of a novel, literal translation are the best choice。

Liberal translation, also be called as free translation, just as its name, it is very free in translating or, in some occasion we can regard it as a kind of rebuilding for the original version。 It lay emphasis on the fluency of the novel, not only in language but also in logic。 Translators try their best to show reader a beautiful and reasonable story, they will transfer some sentence or words to some other sentences or words which are more beautiful and easier to understand。 This kind of translating style will make the readers feel the beauty of language and foreign novel。 Take English-to-Chinese version as an example, Chinese translators are good at free translation, they will translate the sentence as beautiful as they can。 What’s more, idioms, proverbs and puns can be used perfectly in their version。 And here let’s have a look at some different translations in the beginning of the Great Gatsby。

In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores。

And we have two different version, the first one is Wu Ningkun’s version: 久而久之，我就惯于对所有人都保留判断，这个习惯既使得许多有怪癖的人跟我讲心里话，也使我成为不少爱唠叨的惹人厌烦的人的受害者。论文网