A Comparative Study Of Three Chinese Versions Of Wuthering Heights

This thesis is focused on the study of different versions of Wuthering Heights in the light of Gadamer's Philosophical Hermeneutic theories. The theoretical framework of this thesis is based on the combination of theories developed from both translation studies and philosophical hermeneutics. The aim lies in providing original perspectives for version comparison in translation studies.After a brief review of traditional translation theories and the development of Hermeneutics, the paper introduces Philosophical Hermeneutics put forward by the famous German philosopher Hans Gadamer, and then examines the central concepts that can be employed in this thesis, which include: prejudice, fore-understanding, tradition, dialogue, fusion of horizons, hermeneutic circulation, and others. Philosophical Hermeneutics provides translation with original perspectives and has been applied in translation studies since its birth. The main body of the thesis makes a detailed analysis of different versions of Wuthering Heights within the framework of Philosophical Hermeneutics. The conclusion indicates that although hermeneutic approach does not tend to give guidelines for translators, it provides a license, so to speak, for translators in terms of their choice of different translation strategies. Philosophical Hermeneutic theories are by no means flawless. And there is still much controversy as to some propositions he put forward, yet no one theory developed thus far has reached ultimate perfection. Assimilating the heritage with a dialectical eye will help to push forward the development of translation studies in the most desirable way.