The Making Of A Canon-a Case Study Of Zhu Shenghao’ Translation Of Shakespeare

The word "canon" has a long history, but it was not until the1970s that it attracted academic attention. As one part of the canons, literary translation canon has already aroused more and more academic concerns.There’s no doubt that the works of Shakespeare is a canon in the world. It became a canon of China too largely due to translation. Literary translation canon is not only a translation practice but an art creation, which is different from the original one. Whether it can be a canon or not is subject to various factors. In China there are many translators of Shakespeare’s plays. Only Zhu Shenghao’s version stood out and was regarded as a canon. Why can his works be a canon among so many translation versions? What elements does his literary translation canon have? What characteristics does it have? What reference can it provide? These issues are worthy of studying. The research demonstrates that general factors influencing literary canon’s construction and translator factors influencing the making of literary translation canon all contributed to the making of a canon. Proposals are made to future translation practice. On the basis, this thesis discusses how a canon of another country attained its current position of a canon in Chinese literature, and realizes the universal significance of the study.The paper first introduces background, purpose, significance, and methods of research, providing foundation for the topic of this paper.The second chapter of the paper summarizes previous studies and sorts out the research direction. With the challenges of doubt about canon, researches on canons arouse more attentions. Discussions on canon concept, canon judgment, canon formation, canon construction have become hot topics. As a pioneer of Chinese translator of Shakespeare’s works, Zhu Shenghao made great contributions to spreading Shakespeare in China. This chapter presents research on canon construction, literary canon construction, literary translation canon construction and Zhu Shenghao’s translation and finds that there’s no systematic research on the canon formation of his works.Chapter three introduces definition of canon, literary canon, literary translation canon, types and criteria of literary translation canon. Shakespeare’s works is a canon in the west. In numerous translated Chinese versions, Zhu Shenghao’s translation of Shakespeare’s works is regarded as a translation canon.The last chapter is the key section of the paper. The canon formation and influence of Zhu Shenghao’s works are discusses in the section. By analysis of aesthetic value of the works, ideology, culture, critical discourse, propagation, patron and reader, the section probes into their influence on literary translation canon construction.This paper tries to draw a conclusion: aesthetic value of the works, ideology, times, critical discourse, propagation, patron, reader, and translator factors all play a role in literary translation canon construction. They should be given full consideration. We hope to provide reference for the future translation practice and research through this study, and encourage more people to engage themselves in translation practice research so that more factors can be sorted out in the making of canons.