A study on the subjectivity of a translator and the functions of literary theories in literary translation from hermeneutic translation theory

The four steps of translation in George Stainer's hermeneutic theory are trust,aggression,incorporation and enactment of reciprocity.These four steps project a translator's subjectivity,which is manifested more clearly in translating literary works than in translating other kinds of texts.However,whether the subjectivity can be given full play depends on many factors.One of the important is whether the translator is equipped with enough literary theories.This paper first illustrates the embodiment of subjectivity in the translating process.Based on this,it further explores the functions of literary theories for a translator to make reasonable use of his/her subjectivity during the course of literary translation.