Między egzotyzacją a udomowieniem : wyzwania dla polskiego tłumacza klasycznej chińskiej powieści na przykładzie postaci kobiecych w "Śnie Czerwonego Pawilonu"

The present paper analyzes the possibility of finding a balance between foreignization and domestication in translation, using the author’s own Polish translation of several fragments from the famous 18th century Chinese classic Honglou Meng (The Dream of the Red Chamber). In the first part of my paper, the terms “foreignization” and “domestication” are explained together with a brief introduction to the debate in the field of translation studies. Subsequently, several examples of three types of problems a translator may face while translating this novel are given, including translating descriptions of women’s looks, exotic clothing and women’s behavior. To each fragment a foreignized solution and a domesticated one are given for the readers to compare. The paper ends with observations on the pros and cons of two strategies, concluding that there is hardly a fixed balance point for a translator to stand on. The translator has to make (sometimes rather difficult) decisions based on the expected target and purpose of translation.