The Propagation And Acceptance Of Dickens In China In The 20～(th) Century

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is a world famous writer and one of the most effective novelists in British literary history, whose works were introduced into China early in the 20^th century. Chinese readers got the first chance to learn about Dickens as well as his works under the efforts of Lin Shu, a translator without knowing any foreign language. Then came the interaction between the great writer and Chinese literature. As a representative of British literary work, Dickens became a focus of Chinese-English cultural communication, and his works were translated into Chinese and propagated widely in China. What's more, his works had profound impacts on the literary criticism and creation for many Chinese literati, especially for Laoshe. More research achievements about Dickens have come into forth since the foundation of New China. Therefore, it is necessary to have a systematic analysis on the propagation and acceptance of Dickens in China in the 20^th century. Analysis on its effects and functions on Chinese literary creation and criticism is of great significance for the development of Chinese literary creation, the renovation of aesthetic values, and the reconstruction of critical discourse, and it will enrich the worldwide research about Dickens.The whole thesis consists of three parts. The first .part is concerned with the propagation and acceptance of Dickens in modern China. It mainly expounds the opportunities of the introduction of the Dickens' works, and the different stages of the propagation and acceptance of his works in modern China. There are four stages included: 1) 1907-1919, Lin Shu's viewpoint on Dickens; 2) 1920-1929, Dickens as a portraitist of the social reality; 3) 1930-1939, Dickens as a spokesman of nonentities; 4) 1940-1949, Dickens as an advocator of humanistic emotion. The second part deals with the propagation and acceptance of Dickens after the foundation of New China. It mainly introduces the acceptance of Dickens in the mainland of China during 1949-2000. Three stages involved in this part are: 1) 1949-1966, studies concerning the analysis of his works and thoughts; 2) 1966-1976, intermission of the studies on Dickens; 3) 1977-2000, a study pattern of multiple coexistence. The third part is regarding to the problems encountered during the course of propagation and acceptance in China, and suggests the directions for future study.According to the above discussion, it is found that the studies on Dickens in the mainland of china have got great achievements, but some limitations are also exposed. Summarizing the experiences from the problems proposed, the thesis attempts at exploring the new directions for the propagation and acceptance of Dickens in China in the 21^st century.