On The Translation Of Drama Dialogues From The Perspective Of Reception Aesthetics

Reception Aesthetics, as a new model, points to the great shift of research interest from the author and the work to the reader. Based on Interpretative Literary and the modern Hermeneutics, Reception Aesthetics reconstructs the relationship between literature and history by using the concepts of ―indeterminacy‖, ―horizon of expectation‖, ―fusion of horizon‖. Meanwhile, it connects the writer, the reader and the translator closely. The reader is no longer a passive appreciator and receptor. Instead, his/her personal qualities, literary appreciation and aesthetic taste determine that he/she is also an initiative creator. In other words, the vitality of a literary work can only maintain by its interaction with the readers. In drama translation, the translator should make every effort to take the horizon of the source text and that of the target readers into full account so that the horizon of the source text and that of the readers can be fused together to the largest extent. However, the unique linguistic features of Kunqu opera add difficulties to the translation work.The Peach Blossom Fan is based on the real history of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It reflects the rise and fall of the nation through the love story between Hou Fangyu and Li Xiangjun. The author Kong Shangren achieved the highest reputation with another contemporary playwright Hong Sheng. Taking Reception Aesthetics as the theoretic foundation and Xu Yuanchong‘s version and another version translated by Chen Shixiang, Harold Acton and Cyril Birch as the research objects, this thesis will compare their translation of dialogues, especially how they dealt with the cultural elements in the dialogues, and then explores how to translate the cultural elements in Chinese classics. This thesis will make a comparative study on the two versions by using the two basic concepts of Reception Aesthetics, namely ―indeterminacies‖ and ―fusion of horizons‖. Examples concerning the language style, emotional expression, modal particles, and rhetorical devices are illustrated. Through analysis, it is found that the two versions seem to follow different translation strategies. Generally speaking, Xu Yuanchong tends to adopt domestication strategy and his work is closely associated with the context. In contrast, Chen, Acton and Birch tend to adopt foreignization strategy to preserve the exotic flavor. In terms of cultural elements, each version has its strong points. Xu Yuanchong‘s version has preserved the original form and rhyme while delivering the aesthetic experience. Chen, Acton and Birch‘s keeps the traditional Chinese way of address terms. In addition, when it comes to emotional factors, the latter has delivered more vivid image through finding equivalent expressions in the target language.