On The Applicability Of Reception Theory To Translation Of Children's Literature

The translation of large numbers of foreign excellent works of children's literature (CL) plays an important role in the development of children and CL in China. However, compared with translation of adults'literature, the domestic CL translation still hasn't been paid enough attention to, and has occupied a peripheral position within the literary polysystem for a long time. The principle of"child-orientation"prevailing during the May 4th Period is still the most universal topic in this field.To provide a wider perspective for CL translation studies, the thesis attempts to apply reception theory to the practice of English-Chinese translation of CL in the hope of testifying its applicability to CL translation. As a new-typed paradigm, reception theory brings a fundamental change to the trend of literary studies and shifts the focus from author authority and text authority to text-reader relationship. It holds that only through the understanding and the reception of the reader can the value of a literary work be fully actualized. Reception theory not only develops the room of literary studies, but also exerts a profound influence on translation studies. It changes the traditional view of the absolute"text-centeredness"and emphasizes the active participation and creation of target language (TL) readers and translators whose status and roles are greatly promoted in the process of reading and translation. The enlightenment we gain from reception theory is that in the process of translation, translators should respect not only the source language (SL) text and author, but also the TL reader, so as to fuse the horizon between the translator and the SL text, and between the TL reader and the TL text. The thesis holds that the major viewpoints of reception theory can also illuminate translators in CL translation studies and practice.Being one of the world's CL classics, Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows has become more and more favorable since its publication, and it has been republished for many times in different languages. However, previous studies on it seldom touched upon its translation. Therefore, the author of the thesis carries out a tentative study of its five Chinese versions, and divides them into complete ones and non-complete ones. The thesis does not aim to make a final judgment among these five versions, but to uncover the reader-oriented translating awareness. Translators of these five versions have, to different extent, shown their consideration for child readers, and only the one who realizes the communication with the original text as well as the communication between the translated text and the child readers can produce a version most adored by children. Besides, the reason of the existence of the two different kinds of versions lies in that the translators select different translation strategies in view of children's different reading characteristics at different ages. All of these are the very manifestations of the major viewpoints of reception theory.At last, the thesis concludes that the application of reception theory to CL translation is feasible and reasonable, thus translators can adopt the major viewpoints of reception theory to guide their CL translation practice, that is, to fully consider the horizon of expectations of children while grasping the spirit of the original text and the intention of the original author. Only in this way can their translations be accepted and enjoyed by children.