A Diachronic Study Of Six English Versions Of Liao Zhai Zhi Yi－a Descriptive Translation Studies Perspective

Liao Zhai Zhi Yi, one of the classics of Chinese literature, marks the culmination of the art of fiction written in classical Chinese. It occupies a unique position in the history of Chinese literature and exerts a far-reaching influence. Up to 2009, more than twenty English versions of Liao Zhai Zhi Yi have been published with a historical period spanning about 130 years.Among them, six versions are rendered either by Chinese or foreign translators. These representative translations exhibit marked differences in terms of translation strategy, translation methods and aim of translation. Clearly inscribed with historical imprints, they merit serious scholarly inquiry. With six English versions published in different historical periods as the object of research, this thesis conducts a descriptive and diachronic study of the multiple versions by qualitative and quantitative means. First of all, the stylistic features of six English versions are explored. Then the translation strategies of story titles are analyzed and finally, the translation strategies of culturally-loaded items that appear in the three shared short stories are investigated. Accordingly, this thesis aims to identify different styles of translators and to identify the reasons for these translators'choice of diverse translation methods.Since there has been scanty research concerning the translation of Liao Zhai Zhi Yi within the framework of Descriptive Translation Studies or from the perspective of diachronic study, the present research will enrich the study of translation of Liao Zhai Zhi Yi, deepen the understanding of literary―translation theory and practice‖and hopefully can be of immense value in choosing appropriate strategies for Chinese-English translation of cultural elements.