First translation and retranslation in the historical, social and cultural context A case study of two Chinese versions of Tess of the D'Urbervilles

The case study examined in depth is a comparison analysis of the classical English novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, which has been translated into Chinese seven times, with seven versions preserving the novel form of the original. The present study will elaborate on the differences between two Chinese versions of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, one is Zhang Guruo's version translated in 1934, and the other is Sun Zhili's version translated in 1999, with regard to language style, literature, concept, acceptance of context, as well as the different translation strategies translators adopted in different historical, social and cultural contexts. The study also examines the special role played in the process by the two translations. The present paper thus contributes both to translation studies and to literary theory. The comparison is carried out by answering the following questions: - What are the social cultural impacts on the first translation and the retranslation? - What kind of selection tendencies do the two translators have? - What are the specific translation strategies adopted by the translators in the field of social customs, history and religion, literature and art, Bible and other allusions, literature and historical figures? Why?