A Polysystematic Approach To Cheng Xiaoqing’s Translation Of The "Canary" Murder Case

S. S. Van Dine (1888-1939) is a celebrated American detective novelist. Hisworks—Philo Vance series contains11novels, in which The “Canary” MurderCase ranks the second. It was first introduced into China by the outstanding novelistand translator—Cheng Xiaoqing (1893-1976) in1932. Cheng is of great attainmentin creating detective novels, yet his achievement in translation has been ignored.Actually the influence of his translation exerting on the dissemination anddevelopment of detective novels in China is significant, which deserves our furtheracademic inquiries.This thesis investigates Van Dine’s The “Canary” Murder Case and ChengXiaoqing’s《金丝雀》[Jinsique] from the perspective of polysystem theory.Detective novel translation in the late Qing and early Republic of China is oftenhastily accused of having violated the source text, but this phenomenon is closelybound up with the special historical period. According to polysystem theory, thethesis first puts Cheng’s translated work Jinsique in the social context of the lateQing and early Republic of China, examining the then political chaos, economicdevelopment and cultural permeation from the West. It is found that the thentranslated literature was highly valued and widely promoted, which, together withthe social context, determines the translation norms of that time accordingly. As atranslator, Cheng Xiaoqing obeyed the then translation norms while he wasrendering the detective novel into Chinese. In addition to the then translation norms,however, Cheng Xiaoqing’s translation purpose, his position as a novelist, and hisintended readership also shaped his translation strategies and translation methods,such as foreignization, domestication, reduction, addition and rewriting, which isundoubtedly helpful in how to have a better understanding of such translations asJinsique of the late Qing and early ROC.