Comparison And Evaluation Of Three Translations Of The Classic Gothic Novel "The Collapse Of The Usher Mansion"

Nida's Dynamic Equivalence emphasizes the response of the readers and regards the equivalent effect as a valid standard for translation practices. Its great significance is in that it settles the long-standing debates between literal translation and free translation, and domesticating translation and foreignizing translation and provides important guidelines for translation. Nida's theory has always been a hotspot for translation study at home and abroad. There have been many studies on it that have given birth to a variety of academic views and schools of thought. However, due to the complexity and abstractness of Dynamic Equivalence, there still lies a relatively huge gap between theoretical studies and translation practice. Gothic fiction is a unique form of literature noted for its imaginative and horrific plots of suspense, dramatic and infectious form of expression, profound exploration of such themes as darkness, sin and death, as well as penetrating revelation of the dark side of society and human nature, and explosive impact on readers both physically and psychologically. Since its birth in England in the late18th century, it has a profound influence on the western literature and continues to inspire numerous fictional works intended for horrific and mythical effects. As in recent decades the genre has becomes popular in light literature and on movie screen, there is accordingly a sharp increase in the population of readers and in the volume of translation works. This thesis intends to explore how Nida's Dynamic Equivalence Theory can be applied in the evaluation of the gothic fiction translation through a comparative analysis on the Chinese translations of Edgar Alan Poe's classic short fiction "The Fall of the House of Usher", in order to give instructions to translation practice and help to better present to Chinese readers the artistic charm and value of gothic fiction.