A Study Of The Boom Of Children’s Literature Translation In China In The1980s And1990s

Children’s literature (CL), literary works specially created for children, is as important as other branches of literature, the former of which, to some extent, may have greater values. And the development of children’s literature is closely related to the introduction and translation of foreign children’s literary works. However, the focus of CL translation has always been on modern CL translation, and little attention is paid to contemporary CL translation.On the basis of previous research and studies within this area, this thesis combines the study of translating history and children’s literature. It makes a systematic research on the introduction and translation of foreign children’s literary works, and gives a brief introduction to the overall situation of the boom of introduction and translation of foreign children’s literary works in the1980s and1990s, trying to fill the blank in this period. After the embryonic stage of Chinese children’s literary translation from the late Qing Dynasty to the May Fourth Period, there was once another boom in the introduction and translation of foreign children’s literary works since the reform and opening up policy, especially since the1980s, which has enormously accelerated the general development of Chinese children’s literature. Under such background, this thesis summarizes the features of this boom and the reasons that have led to this, and analyses the influence of the introduction and translation of foreign children’s literary works on future Chinese children’s literature. The thesis also aims to draw more attention through this study to the research on the introduction and translation of foreign children’s literature in China, hoping that Chinese children’s literature would be stimulated and further developed in some respects.This thesis consists of five parts. The first part demonstrates the background information of this research, introducing briefly the definition and main role of children’s literature, followed by the significance, methods and procedures of this research.The second part is literature review, which systematically summarizes relevant existing studies of children’s literature its translation in both home and abroad, especially CL translation history in China.The third part introduces the theoretical basis of the thesis, namely the celebrated Spanish scholar and translator Pym’s multiple causation theory in studying translation history, and Andre Lefevere’s rewriting theory.The fourth part is the core of the whole thesis. First of all a concise summary of the boom of Chinese CL translation in the last two decades of twentieth century is provided. Then a comparison of CL translation is made between the late Qing Dynasty and May Fourth period and the1980s and1990s, analyzing their similarities in origin and genre, and differences in language and themes employed, from which, the features of CL translation in the1980s and1990s as well as the major translating methods frequently used in the CL translation. Finally the restricting factors and the causes that have led to this boom of CL translation in the1980s and1990s in China are analyzed and summarized by referring to cases and the multiple causation theory and rewriting theory and a summary is given on the influences of this boom on the creation and development of Chinese children’s literature.The fifth part gives a brief review and summary of this thesis and displays its value, problems to be solved and prospects of future development. It is found that a variety of causes including the selection of source texts, translating purposes, translating norms, translators and publishing houses and poetics have resulted in the boom of CL translation in the1980s and1990s in China. The translation foreign children’s literary works and introduction of them to China have injected vigor into CL translation in China, lessons and experience for the Chinese CL translators and writers to draw upon, and references for Chinese children to grow in a comprehensive way. Thus the boom of CL translation in the1980s and1990s in China has exerted profound influence on the creation, development, and research of CL translation in China, especially in providing references and new research perspectives.