On Language Innovation in Literary Translation

Translation is,and always has been,an important pathway for language development.Fostering language innovation is one of the great values of translation,but it is not easy to achieve language innovation in translation,for the introduction of neologisms and new expressions in translation is to meet with resistance from the target language.The more original they are,the greater resistance they encounter in translation.In order to maintain the possibility of language innovation while sustaining the impact of translation,we need to pay enough attention to the translation-resistance of literary language,refraining from "smoothing out" the qualities of the original language in the name of smoothness and fluency.And we also need to well understand and reconcile "translationese" and "linguistic foreigness",trying to preserve the heterogeneity in lexicon,syntax,narrative and other aspects of the original work,so as to help translation fulfil its mission of conveying differences,opening up space for language innovation,reproducing the literariness of the original work,and enriching the culture.