Chinese Classical Prose In France:Translation,Reception And Criticism (1919-2019)

Chinese classical prose exists as one of the major literature styles since the first recorded dynasty and it has been extended thousands of years in China.In the history of Chinese classical literature,prose is not only covering a wider range of contexts but also rising a higher impact compared to poems,novels,dramas,and other styles.However,Chinese classical prose has been introduced and anthologized into France as a literary category only starting from the 20 th century.In this period,the translation,research,and reception of Chinese classical prose in France have been promoted and fused,besides of illustrating a clear historical context and characteristics in the process of translation and transmission,it also shows a "historical" research value.Based on substantial and authentic first-hand references,this thesis attempts to diachronically survey the translation and reception of Chinese classical prose in French from 1919 to 2019.Considering French as a carrier in the cultural system,the core content in this thesis is presented as three parts.First to study how the categories and texts of Chinese classical prose are defined,selected,interpreted,accepted,and disseminated in France,then to analyze the historical context and eventually to explore the operating mechanism they present.The thesis is outlined as follows:The introduction mainly explains the background of the topic,the research objective,the literature review of related research in China and abroad,and also the research methods.In the first core part of the body,"Historical Changes: Chinese Classical Prose in France",the discussion is explained into two chapters.The first chapter,"Definition and Category of 'Chinese Classical Prose' in France",expounds the ambiguity,vagueness and complex historical evolution of the concept "Chinese Classical Prose" in China,following the definition by French scholars and mainly its negative influence to the reception of Chinese classical prose in France.Chapter Two,“The History of Chinese Classical Prose Translation in France”,is divided into three stages:the translation prologue,the flourishing translation boom,the continuation and the innovation of translation tradition.Additionally,the development context of classical prose in French translation is discussed in detail diachronically,and its staged development characteristics and situation are presented.In the second core part,“Translator Research: Strategies and Choices for the Translation of Chinese Classical Prose”,case studies are presented that taking Georges Margouliès,Martine Valette-Hémery,and Stéphane Feuillas as the most representative translators of classical Chinese prose since the 20 th century,respectively.By analyzing their translation functions,translation status,translation strategies under different historical conditions,their perspectives on translation is revealed in this part.Specifically,the first chapter takes Georges Margouliès' s “Le Kou-wen chinois” as the main entry point,and analyzes his translation compromises restricted by historical context.The second chapter examines travel notes and analects translated by Martine Valette-Hémery,then discusses her market-oriented and reader-oriented translation strategies.The third chapter uses “Un Ermite reclus dans l'alcool,et autres rhapsodies de Su Dongpo” and “Les Commemorations de Su Shi”as examples to explain Stéphane Feuillas' s viewpoint of academic translation and its translation work mode in which academic research promotes academic translation and academic translation assists academic research.In the third core part,“Reception Research: Chinese Classical Prose in the Perspective of Scholars and the Public”,two chapters are explored.The first chapter,“Research on Chinese Classical Prose by French Scholars”,focuses on the French scholars' research about Chinese classical prose from the aspects of their historical writings,academic papers,and book reviews.The second chapter,“French public's acceptance of Chinese classical prose" covers the feedback of Chinese classical prose among the French public from three ways: publishing houses,universities' libraries,and bookstores.Finally,the main points of each part are summarized,after that the main issues of translation critics on the translation and acceptance of Chinese classical prose in France are revealed.By attempting to make an overall study,it is expected that more illuminations would derive for the output of the research of Chinese classical prose patronized by domestic institutions.