A Comparative Analysis Of Two Chinese Translations Of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland From The Perspective Of Fusion Of Horizons

Translation is a philosophic dialogue in practice, a recreation made by translator interacted with the text under a specific historical situation. It focuses on the meaning and understanding of the text, which is correspondent to the basic goal and task of hermeneutics. After modern philosopher Gadamer have brought language into the system of hermeneutics, interpretation and understanding are regarded as a process of a constant fusion between the interpreter’s horizon and the text’s horizon. As to translation, it is also by means of interpretation and understanding to grasp the intrinsic meaning in the original text, so it can be guided by the theory fusion of horizons proposed by Gadamer, which is a new perspective and thought.This thesis applies the hermeneutic concept fusion of horizons into translation study, by comparing different Chinese translation versions of Alice Adventures in Wonderland in order to explore the reasons behind the differences in the perspective of hermeneutics. First of all, the thesis briefly introduces the hermeneutic concept fusion of horizons, its relationship with translation, and the text Alice Adventures in Wonderland. Then the literature concerning fusion of horizons and translation study will be reviewed. Chapter Three will compare Yuan-ren Chao’s translation and Wu Juntao’s translation in the aspect of phonetics, word, syntax, context and rhetoric, explaining their differences with examples illustrated. In Chapter Four, the reasons between the two versions in the view of fusion of horizons are to be analyzed. Because Yuan-ren Chao is the first translator of Alice Adventures in Wonderland, living a hundred years ago, his life must have a distance with the contemporary translator Wu Juntao. Their translation of culture-loaded words or time-loaded words are certain to be different owning to the changed horizon caused by the history and time factors. Since every translator is independent in thought and their horizons are with their own consciousness, the two translators are bound to adopt different methods. What is more, there is no absolute equivalence between two different languages, it is essential for the translator to play subjective initiative to deliver the nature of meaning, then the translator can reach an agreement with the author in spirit after comprehend the text. A full understanding ought to be the creative fusion of the translator’s horizon and the text’s horizon, and the newly fused horizon will surpass either of the two.Gadamer’s hermeneutics has played an important effect on translation study. It properly deals with historical limitations, protrudes the subjectivity of the translator, and gives enough creative space for translation. The translator is required to fuse his horizon with the text’s horizon, endow a new life and a new round of interpretation of the original text according to the need of time and history.