On The Paratexts Of James Legge's Translations Of Shijing

Paratext was proposed by Genette in his French work Seuils in 1987.It was translated into English in 1997 and then started to be applied in the translations studies.Paratext refers to the marginal information around the text like the author's name,title,epigraph and preface,and etc.The proposition of the term Paratexts has enriched and even interpreted the meaning of the translation and provided a new perspective for translation studies.James Legge published three versions of The She King respectively in 1871,1876 and 1879,each including long prolegomena and exegetical notes.They were important for the study of James Legge as a translator,his translations and the social context at that time.This thesis attempts to analyze the purposes and reasons of Legge's application of paratextual elements through the comparative study of the paratexts in the three versions.And it has three chapters.Chapter One focuses on the paratexts in the three versions.It is analyzed from two aspects.The first aspect is the types of paratexts,mainly including three kinds: the prefaces,postscripts,and notes.And the second aspect is the functions of the paratexts,mainly discussing its functions of guiding the readers and offering the explanations.Chapter Two explores the purposes of the application of the paratexts.It is composed of three aspects: the 1871 version transmitting the Confucian thought,the 1876 version emphasizing the aesthetic value of The She King and the 1879 version integrating Christian thought.Chapter Three probes into the reasons for the application of the paratexts.It consists of three factors: indication of the translator's ethics,catering to the readers' preference and consideration of the demands of the commissioner.The conclusion of the thesis is reached based on the three chapters above.With the combination of the paratexts and the three translated versions,it is of help to reveal the translator's translation thoughts,the cultural context and the translation norms and deepen the understanding of Legge's translations,including its textual value,aesthetic ideas,and fusion translation thoughts etc.