模因与翻译探微(英文)

2  Translation meme and meme transmission
Memetics is the theory for researching meme while translation memetics is that for researching translation memes. Chesterman put the ideas or concepts connected with translation into a category—translation memes. The core of Chesterman’s translation memetics is translation standard theory. Translation memetics discusses on translation theory and skills, aiming to enlighten some aspects on translation research.
Meme can be infected and spread between humans’ brains through being imitated and copied.[7] Human beings are vectors for memes and the most convenient and effective machines for spreading. In the same culture, meme’s spread always depends on imitation, especially by language. If memes are to be spread through language, translation is required. Therefore, translation is memes’ vector to spread beyond cultural boundary.
2. 1 Translation meme
Memetics is a new theory for explaining the rule of cultural evolution based on Darwin’s evolution theory. Who first introduced meme into translation field are Chesterman and Hans J.Vermeer. Chesterman names all the concepts or ideas connected with translation itself or translation theory “translation meme”, such as translation’s theoretical concepts, standards, strategies and value. [8] He considered translation theory as a branch of memetics and attempted to explain the problems of translation by using memetics. And through the research of development history of translation theory, he also probed the law of translation theory’s evolution and form. Chesterman discusses the five super memes in translation memes library：source-target language meme, equivalence memes, untranslatable memes, free-literal translation memes, all writing is translating meme. [9] During the evolution course of translation theory, he found that some translation memes died due to unpopularity; some are finally replaced after a period of popularity; and some are so dynamic that they can survive and develop. From the perspective of diachronistics, he arranged these memes into eight periods, while from the perspective of synchronistics, there is always a typical meme or meme complex in each period. He gave each of the periods a name with that of the typical meme or meme complex. Their names are as following: (1) Word stage---word is a basic translation unit. (2) The word of God stage---the translation is totally faithful to the original text. The grammar form of target language can not be changed, for it carries the cultural meaning, like Bible’ translation. (3) Rhetoric stage---the faithfulness is transformed to the reader of target language and the fluency, of target text id emphasized. (4) Logos stage---the translator’s initiative and creativity and language’s molding enjoys the status. (5) Linguistic Science stage---the difference and connections between languages. (6) Communication stage---the aspects of information’s functions and linguistic application are put in an important position. (7) Target stage---the stress is put on the target text’s function in target language, the function does either obey or violate the standard. (8) Cognition stage---probing the realizing mechanism which makes the translator make decision. [10] These translation memes’ changes and evolution are the result of their coping and spreading. From the diachronistics perspective, the appearance of a kind of meme, on one hand, is a reproduction and succession of former meme；on the other hand, is a response to the variation in the meme complex. From the synchronistics perspective, former memes can all be found in meme complex of a particular period, only they differ in status. Meme’ reproduction is not a horizontal transfer, but succession and mutation. Meme varies during spread and develops in variation, and is likely to increase in value, which is like A→A+A′ [11]. In other words, translation memes is a dynamic system.