Representation Of Fantasy In The Translation Of The Lord Of The Rings

Tolkien was known as father of fantasy novel.His The Lord of the Rings is a classic in the history of western fantasy novel,with much influence on subsequent fantasy novels.In 2013,Deng Jiawan published the latest version,which absorbs the advantages of the previous versions and can be seen as the best one.It conveys the solemn and elegant tone of the source text to a great extent,representing a fantastic and magnificent style.This essay focuses on the representation of fantasy in the translation of Deng Jiawan’s version.The fantasy in the source text is reflected in two aspects:the settings and characters.Tolkien created a secondary world in the novel,which is full of imagination and simulation of the real world.It has its inner logic.The characters are complicated and vivid.All of their names,appearances,speeches and magic powers reflect fantastic features.Reception Theory provides the theoretical frame for this essay.Some concepts are introduced to translation such as horizon of expectation,indeterminacy,fusion of horizons.Horizon of expectation refers to the pre-structure before readers read a text,while indeterminacy means ambiguous blanks that the author does not express clearly.Only when there is more fusion of horizon can comprehension and reception happen.Apart from Reception Theory,other related theory will also be applied,such as Hermeneutics,which emphasizes the subjectivity of translators and the center part translators play.This essay will analyze the version from three perspectives:horizon of expectation,indeterminacy,fusion of horizons.It will discuss whether the version satisfies readers’ horizon of expectation.Although there are still some shortcomings,this version has done a better job in meeting readers’ horizon of expectation.It will discuss from two aspects:names and speeches.Furthermore,this essay will explore whether to maintain or to concretize the blanks.As a fantasy novel,there must be many obscure details to create mysterious atmosphere.However,too many blanks will mislead readers owing to the culture gap.Finally,it will focus on the fusion of horizons on lexical and syntactic level.