A Polysystem Approach To Chao Yuanren's Chinese Translation Of Alice's Adventrues In Wonderland

Polysystem theory was proposed by Israeli scholar Itamar Even-Zohar in 1976.According to Zohar, literature, including translated literature and some other culturalactivities should be treated as an open and huge polysystem. The economic, politicaland cultural elements are key components of this polysystem, and they are alsoimportant influential elements to translators and translated literature. What's more, hegives three situations in which translated literature, as a part of target literary, canoccupy the central (primary) position, hence, Zohar mentions that it is necessary toadopt different translation strategies and methods according to the different positionsthat translated literature occupies.Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the earliest foreign children'sliteratures that have been introduced into China, and is a translated literature ofChinese literature. As the first translator of Chinese version, Chao Yuanren, by meansof his mastery of profound Chinese and English and high cultural quality,accomplishes this version with plain and vivid language. Chao's version is full ofexcellent use of wisdom and pleasant words and is regarded as the best one by bothsome scholars and readers. This thesis will have study on Chao's version on the base ofpolysystem theory. Firstly, an analysis was given to the great influence of economic,political and cultural elements within polysystem theory on the birth and success ofChao Yuanren's Chinese version Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Secondly, thethesis will have a further study on Chao's translation strategies and methods which areused in his version, in order to illustrate the influence of polysytem theory ontranslators.Through the discussion it can be seen that, the economic, political and culturalelements within target literary polysystem have a strong influence on the birth of translated literature. Translator should consider various elements within thepolysystem and recognize clearly about the position that his/her translation work willoccupy in target literary polysystem before and in the process of translation, so as toselect proper translation strategies and methods. The success of Chao Yuanren'sversion of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland owes to his full consideration of hiscontemporary social elements and his choice of proper translation strategies andmethods. Therefore, it can be found that, polysystem theory can not only help peopleto broaden the research horizon of translated literature, but also can provide guidancefor the practice of translation.