Translation Activities Of The Literature Research Society (1921-1932)

This thesis is a systematic study of the translation activities of the Literature Research Society (LRS) from 1921 to 1932 and its influence on Chinese literature and culture in an attempt to explore the interaction between translation activities and the target culture based on Lefevere's manipulation theory.The thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter One is a brief introduction to the research, including its objectives, the rationale, theoretical basis, and methodology. Chapter Two begins with a general introduction to the translation activities of the LRS and historical background, followed by a literature review on the previous studies on its translation activities. Chapter Three is a detailed analysis on the translation practice of the LRS. In terms of its selection of the source text, it focused on the literature of Russia and other oppressed nations, realistic literature, and modern literary works. In terms of translation strategies, it advocated literal translation and Europeanized language.Its translation activities are manipulated by its literary view of "literature for life" and by the need of creating a new literature.However, it is noted that the LRS's translation activities were constrained by the readers'reception as well as ideological and poetological factors. Chapter Four analyzes the LRS's discussions on translation issues, including translatability, the purposes and functions of translation, Europeanization, and indirect translation. The LRS was the first society to carry out such large-scale discussions in the 1920s. These discussions threw some theoretical light on translated literature, deepened people's understanding of translation, and provided guide to translation practice. Chapter Five explores the influences of its translation activities on translated literature, Chinese literature, Chinese culture, and the whole society. It is pointed out that its overall introduction to foreign literatures and thoughts and theoretical discussions on translation promoted the development of translated literature. Meanwhile, its advocacy of Europeanized language helped enrich the vernacular Chinese.It imported new literary genres, concepts, and writing techniques, which had a great impact on the literary creation and the construction of a new Chinese literature.Furthermore, it translated proletarian revolutionary works, introduced the ideas of individualism and freedom of marriage, and fostered the readership that had a new literary conception and taste. Chapter Six is the conclusion, which summarizes the major findings and the limitations of the research.Limited by space and time, we have not been able to further explore issues like the translator's subjectivity and the patron's influences on the translation activities of the LRS, which need to be done in order to shed more light on the activities of this academic society.