A Comparative Study of Lu Gusun’s and Liu Xuming’s Translations of The Death of the Moth from the Perspective of Translator’s Subjectivity

Abstract

Because different translators have different understandings of translation and translation methods, the translator’s subjectivity has been paid more and more attention in contemporary translation studies. With its wide range of expression possibilities and distinctive stylistic features, prose is particularly important for the translator’s subjectivity in the process of translation. This study focuses on Virginia Woolf’s The Death of the Moth, which combines a world woven by delicate emotions with profound philosophical thinking about life and death. It examines Lu Gusun’s and Liu Xuming’s translations from four aspects: lexical selection, syntactic structure, semantic transformation and stylistic reproduction. The results show that Lu gives priority to accuracy, syntactic fidelity, depth of meaning and comprehensiveness in conveying literary value, and strives to reproduce the rhythm of Woolf’s stream of consciousness and the philosophical depth of her works. In contrast, Liu Xuming prioritizes plain language, smoother readability, clearer meaning, and more restrained style to enhance emotional immersion and reading comfort. These differences originate from the translator’s educational background, translation views and aesthetic preferences, which reflect the diversity of translation.