Study Of Reception For Yu Hua’s "Brothers" In French Context

At present, the issue—"Going abroad of Chinese Literature" has gained more and more attention in China. During this process, the translation and introduction of Chinese literature is the only way. As one of the most influential writers in contemporary China, Yu Hua has got attention from France and even from the Western world in recent years, and gained a number of literary awards with his10works introduced to France. In2008, the novel "Brothers" brought a hot topic after being published in France. Comments on this novel were given by a lot of medias, including《Le Monde》,《Liberation》,《Le Nouvel Observateur》,《La Quinzaine, litteraire》. The translation and introduction of Chinese literature has always been in a weak position. The phenomenon that this time "brothers" enters into the mainstream audience and brings a strong reaction is really rare in the process of Chinese literature’s translation and introduction. French medias highly praise this work and call it as Yu Hua’s greatest work. That’s in sharp contrast with the questioning voice from China.In the process of spread and acceptance between different contexts, media criticism of texts has a wide audience and reduces the distance between texts and readers with the characteristics of guiding, constructing, high efficiency and criticism, from which we can examine the reception problem of texts in a certain context. Therefore, with reference to50French media comments that we collect and to domestic criticism of "Brothers", according to cultural transition of translation studies, we try to elaborate the acceptance situation of texts in different contexts from ideologies and cultural tendencies and analyse the causes of their different fates. The paper is divided into three chapters in addition to the introduction and conclusion. The Introductory section firstly give a brief presentation for the translation and introduction situation of Chinese literature and Yu Hua’s works in France, then make a statement for this paper’s study object, research ideas and values.Divided into two parts, the first chapter makes a discourse on the translation and introduction process of "Brothers" in France and on its repercussions in France. The first part explains the reason of "Brothers"’s translation and introduction in France from the perspective of Yu Hua’s appeal, text’s attractiveness and press’s consideration, and affirms the translating work of the two translators from the requirement of translator’s qualities. The second part describes the positive responses of "Brothers" in France and raises the question of reception difference with reference to the questioning voice in China.Based on French media comments, the second chapter summerizes and analyses the French media criticism to "Brothers" from three angles by quoting critical articles and refering to Chinese criticism. The first part deals with the subject matter:"Brothers" puts the Cultural Revolution era and the rapid developping era of China-two eras which lead to a strong curiosity, into one novel. Relating to politics and economics,"Brothers" attracts the attention of French mainstream society. While in China, subject matter of this novel is accused of having meaningless repetition with no propulsion in depth and breadth for the background of Cultural Revolution in many books of Yu Hua’s previous creation. The second part deals with the novel style: Franch criticism thinks that the language and style of this novel are humorous. It’s the satire to grief history. While in China it’s regarded as a work with vulgar language and slack style. The third part relates to the content and plot of the novel:French reviews praise that it’s a epic masterpiece which covers a rich content, concentrates and contrasts the two eras. It worthes the read. While in China, it’s regarded as a book of kitsch, an excessive pile of plots. It’s even doubted for the authenticity of his plots.From three aspects, the third chapter gives a deep discussion for reasons of the contrast receptions above. The first reason is readers’perspectives:Taking the aesthetic perspective of politics during the lecture of Chinese contemporary literature, French readers have much favour to the works of political theme or Cultural Revolution narrative. They tend to read Chinese literature from a sociological point of view, and like the "suffering narrative" in novels. The second reason is the difference in aesthetics of the literature:"Brothers", approved to be vulgar, contrary to Chinese mainstream aesthetics and uninteresting for his simple writing style in China, is given another interpretation by French readers who accept simple writing style for the influence of their novelistic tradition and the impact of the Rabelaisian style. The third reason is the cognitive demands of other domain:Readers in different contexts have different sensibilities. Chineses are accustomed to plots of the novel. So the environment has weakened the impact of the story. But for French readers, the text offers the cognitive possibility. Due to cultural differences, searching psychology of other domain and pursuit of exotic, they are attracted by the plots.The conclusion makes a summary for various factors which affect the spread and acceptance of texts. By exploring a certain case, ma paper provides a reference to Chinese literature’s translation, introduction and reception, from which we can think about how to make Chinese literature go abroad better.