On English Translation Of Rhetorical Devices In Chinese Tourist Texts From The Perspective Of Reception Aesthetics

With the boom of the tourism industry in China, there is greater significance in thetranslation of tourist texts. Rhetorical devices, as an indispensable part of tourist texts, make thetexts more appealing and produce a sense of beauty in reader’s mind. The translation ofrhetorical devices decides, to a large extent, the realization of the ultimate goal of tourismtranslation: to serve the target readers and persuade them to take the tour. However, translationof rhetorical devices in tourist texts remains a big difficulty. More and more attention has beengiven to the issue. Translators are faced with the task of accurately translating the rhetoricaldevices in tourist texts and at the same time retaining their rhetorical effect and aesthetic sense.Reception Aesthetics, represented by Hans Robert Jauss and Wolfgang Iser, focuses uponreader’s reception. It breaks the bondage of traditional translation theories which put author ortext before everything. The main concepts in Reception Aesthetics such as “horizon ofexpectations” and “the text’s appealing structure” put more emphasis on the reader. It is hisacceptance that determines whether the translation is successful or not. Therefore, the authorbelieves that Reception Aesthetics provides the translation of rhetorical devices in tourist textswith a new angle and that translating the rhetorical devices in tourist texts under the guidance ofReception Aesthetics will better serve target readers and achieve the realization of culturalcommunication.This thesis, taking the most frequently used rhetorical devices in Chapter13of SavouringLocal Zhejiang as examples, tries to propose three strategies for translating rhetorical devicesunder the guidance of Reception Aesthetics. The three strategies are retention of rhetoricaldevices, cancellation of rhetorical devices, and compensation of rhetorical devices. For thetranslated versions to be accepted and appreciated, translator, in the light of ReceptionAesthetics, should adopt appropriate translation strategies according to the reception degree ofthe reader in the actual practice of translating rhetorical devices.