A Stylistic Study On The English Translation Of Shui Hu Zhuan

Shui Hu Zhuan ( 《水浒传》 ), written by Shi Nai'an (施耐庵 1296-1370), is considered as a great classic in Chinese literature, and as the first novel to explore the subject of peasant uprisings in feudal China. It is a work of timeless philosophical and artistic value. It tells the epic story of the birth, rise and decline of a rebel peasant array during the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), thus outlining the general progress of peasant revolts from their initial inception to their eventual defeat, and illustrating the tensions inherent in Chinese feudal society. It occupies an important position in the history of the development of Chinese literature.Literary stylistics emerged as an independent discipline of literary theory in the early 20^th century. Unlike linguistic analysis, which analyzes texts from a solely linguistic point of view, literary stylistics combines analysis of language, culture and content, thus providing a fuller and more accurate interpretation of literary texts. It is also an important development in modern literary theory. This thesis attempts to study the application of literary stylistics assisted by New Criticism in the translation of Shui Hu Zhuan.The novel makes use of many literary styles, including narratives, dialogues, poems, antithetical couplets, nicknames, folk adages and practical writings. The thesis analyzes the features of each style in the translation of Shui Hu Zhuan and compares one style with others. The methods used to translate the various styles are analyzed and evaluated in order to serve as a guide to literary translation, especially of fiction. This thesis also aims to draw the attention of translators of literature to the theory and practice of literary stylistics. Besides introduction and conclusion, the thesis consists of six chapters.The introduction offers a review of the study on English translation of Shui Hu Zhuan, and a brief account of the theme, the theoretical basis and general structure...