An Imagology-based Study On The Image Of China In Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio

In the study of imagology,the “image of foreign countries” in literary works have been researched for a long time.In terms of translating Chinese classics into foreign languages,the image of China in the target culture and the influencing factors of its construction are worthy of discussion.Liaozhai Zhiyi by Pu Songling is a collection of short stories in classical Chinese,loved by the public for its unique perspectives and vivid characters.Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio(2006)is an outstanding English version translated by John Minford,a renowned British sinologist.The translation was published in Penguin Classics in 2006,and soon receiving wide admiration.Taking the image of China as the research object and theories of Daniel-Henri Pageaux as the framework,the thesis intends to explore the image of China in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.To be specific,the thesis will conduct the research from three aspects: lexicon,hierarchical relationship,and plot.Besides,the thesis will also analyze the influencing factors in the construction of the image,as well as the translator’s attitude towards the Chinese culture.To conclude,it is found that John Minford has presented English readers with such an image of China: a country where people are mostly virtuous and kind,but meanwhile superstitious;where life is usually rich and well-organized,but somewhat routine.It is also found that construction of the image of China is influenced by historical and cultural contexts,Minford’s personal selection,cultural stance and translation notion,concluding that he adopts an amicable attitude towards Chinese culture(the other)in his translation.By exploring the ancient image of China in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,the thesis aims to provide new perspectives for tasting translated Chinese classics,and inspiration for objectively constructing a comprehensive image of China.