Translation Criticism from the eco-translation perspective : a case study of two Chinese versions of Jack London’s Love of Life

Abstract

Ecology has become a prominent scientific discipline specifically dedicated to the research of the survival and sustainability of human civilization, cultures and languages. The rise of eco-critical theories has provided translation scholars with new ways of thinking through the relation between ecology and translation activities. From an eco-translation perspective, translation is viewed primarily as a means of information communication that contributes to the interplay between humanity and natural ecology. Informed by this framework, we used the textual analysis methods under the theoretical underpinnings of ecocriticism to examine the two Chinese translations of Love of Life by Jack London. By comparing the two translation versions in the three eco-dimensions of ecological holism, anthropocentrism and ecological aesthetics, we found that the ecological thoughts of the author and original work were to a large extent rewritten in the translation process. It is suggested that the eco-critical perspective can help to enrich the theory and practice of translation studies.