On The Role Of The TL Reader In Literary Translation

The subjects and objects in translation process include the source text, the original author, the translator, the target text, and the TL readers. The whole process of translation can roughly be divided into two stages: the translator's interpreting of the source text and the TL readers' interpreting of the target text. Between these two stages, there exists an internal connection: the target text. It is this connection that enables the TL readers to understand and appreciate the source text.However, for a very long time, people's concentration is only on the subjects and objects of the fist stage, namely the source text, the original author, the translator, and their inter-relations. Little attention was paid to the subjects of the second stage, the TL readers and their influence on translation activities.Meanwhile, Reception Aesthetics studies the reception of a text centering on readers. Thus based on this theory, this thesis tries to analyze the status and role of the TL readers in literary translation.As an indispensable subject in translation activities, the TL readers are different in cultural traditions, life experience, ideology, etc., which will influence the translator when he is making various decisions in translation. This kind of influence is not only reflected synchronically in the translator's translation practice, but also diachronically in the translator' choice of the original text and his continuous efforts to improve the translated version. Meanwhile, different horizon of expectations and reception abilities of different types of readers will also influence the translator's choosing of translation strategies.This paper is divided into seven chapters. Chapter One offers a brief introduction to the background and significance of the study. A general survey of previous studies on the TL readers in translation is also included in this chapter. Chapter Two introduces the reception theory which contributes to this thesis. Though it cannot be considered as perfect, it is very helpful for us to reconsider the status and role of the TL readers in literary translation. Chapter Three applies Reception Aesthetics to literary translation to redefine the TL reader's function and influence in translation. In Chapter Four, detailed...