Analysis of Feminism in the Male Image of Chinese Versions of Pride and Prejudice Done by Translators of Different Genders

Abstract

Feminist Translation is an important research topic of our times. Meanwhile, this trend is gaining increasing attention in China. However, the research on male images in female literature remains insufficient, since those male characters pale easily in comparison with those gorgeous ladies in feminist translation studies. Therefore, the authors choose as the research subject male images in translations of Pride and Prejudice as it seeks to analyze the influence of feminism on male and female translators. To achieve this, the authors carry out a contrast analysis of the language of two Chinese versions of Pride and Prejudice, done respectively by Mr. Wang Keyi and Ms. Lei Limei. The main logic behind our research method is that nuances in translation can give insight into translators' opinions. As a result, readers can detect the influence of feminism on translators, by comparing the expressions used to interpret male figures of a shared original text. In the third part, the authors conclude that gender plays a certain role in translations: male images created by women tend to be more in line with that of the original text, while gentlemen interpreted by men correspond mostly with that of social cognition. Given this, the authors analyze, at the end of this paper, translators’ personal experiences and historical background as a way to seek reasons for these differences.