On A Pluralistic Model For Assessing The Quality Of Literary Translation-From The Perspectives Of Reception Theory

Translation quality assessment constitutes a major part in literary translation studies. Traditional translation studies is mainly concerned with the comparison between the original and translated texts while paying no attention to the translator and the target reader, who undoubtedly affect the quality of translation. We also see that some Western translation theories go to extremes by overemphasizing the target reader and culture, arguing that in the process of translation, translated text should be adjusted or transformed to cater for the taste of the target reader. In order to make clear the nature of literary translation, the author of the thesis applies reception theory to literary translation studies and aims at constructing a pluralistic model for assessing the quality of literary translation.The rise of reception theory in 1960s and 1970s marked a shift of attention from the author and the text to the text—reader relationship. Reception theory sheds light on translation studies in that it reveals translators' subjectivity in translation process and aesthetic expectations of target readers. The limitations of the application of reception theory to literary translation studies are also dealt with.The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One is an introduction to the background and the framework of the thesis. Chapter Two gives a brief account of traditional translation assessment models and some Western translation assessment models, and points out their deficiencies. Chapter Three explores the new ideas of reception theory about literature and analyzes the validity and limitations of its application to translation studies. At the end of the chapter, the author of the thesis suggests a pluralistic model for literary transition assessment. Chapter Four makes a comparative study of two well-received English versions of Hong Lou Meng. By comparing the chapter titles in the two versions, the author of the thesis seeks underlying causes for their distinct translation strategies and points out that the different cultural inclinations in the two versions make us to rethink about the model for assessing the quality of literary translation. Chapter Five serves as a summery of the thesis.