Lotus Blossoms In The Sunshine ——A Study Of The Paratexts In The English Translations Of Fu Sheng Liu Ji In Light Of Cognitive Schema Theory

Classical Chinese literature contains abundant Chinese cultural information.The translation of classical Chinese literature plays a very important role in disseminating Chinese culture.With the help of paratext,literary "texts" become "books".In this sense,paratext is indispensable and crucial in transmitting classical Chinese literary works.The relationship between paratext and text is like that of the sun and flowers.Flowers thrive more in the sunshine;classical Chinese literary works can better complete the cultural exchange mission with the help of paratext.Taking the translations of Fu Sheng Liu Ji as an example,the thesis studies and analyzes the paratexts in different versions of the translations of Fu Sheng Liu Ji,compares and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of different versions,generalizes the functions of paratexts in translation in light of cognitive schema theory and tries to set up an ideal paratext pattern so as to provide suggestions for the translation and introduction of classical Chinese literary works.Paratext can be divided into two categories—peritext and epitext.The author does not discuss the epitext in the thesis because epitext refers to the paratext that does not participate in the publication of a book,such as the letters of the author or the translator,interviews with the author or the translator and the advertisements for the promotion of the book.The thesis mainly studies and analyzed the peritext of the four versions including the publisher’s peritext,preface and postscript（which is the name of a type of paratext）and supporting paratext.In order to make the analysis more comprehensive and objective,the thesis selects four versions of three translations so as to take into consideration such influencing factors as different translators and overseas and domestic publishers.The translations selected are Lin Yutang’s translation,Leonard Pratt and Chiang-Suhui’s translation and Shirley Black’s translation.The publishers of the four versions are Yilin Press,Penguin Books,Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press and Martino Publishing Press.The thesis employs qualitative research method and probes into the functions of the paratext from the concrete to the abstract,from the individual to the general.Descriptive and explanatory methods are applied to the elaboration and analysis;induction,deduction and generalization are used for the logical reasoning of the thesis;besides,literature research method,interpretation method,case study method,and comparative study method are all employed.Chapter One is introduction,which introduces the research purpose,significance and methodology.Chapter Two is literature review.The content of Fu Sheng Liu Ji and its translations are introduced;the previous studies of the English translations of Fu Sheng Liu Ji and the previous studies of paratext are reviewed and analyzed;and the originality of the thesis is thereupon pointed out.Chapter Three introduces the definition and categories of paratext,the relations between paratext and translation,and the paratexts in the four versions.Chapter Four and Chapter Five are the focus of the thesis.In Chapter Four,publisher’s peritext,preface and postscript and supporting paratext in each version and their specific functions are analyzed in detail,and the advantages and disadvantages of the paratext in each version are analyzed.In Chapter Five,the functions of paratext,namely,emphasis of exotic schema,addition of default schema and establishment of new knowledge schema,are studied in light of cognitive schema theory.To perform these functions well,an ideal paratext pattern is put forward,which is the significance of the thesis.Chapter Six summarizes the whole study and points out the problems to be further studied.