Rewriting Heroes In The Translations Of Chinese Classical Novels

Under the background of“telling the Chinese stories and spreading China’s voice to the world”,the relation between translation and the formation of the image of China overseas has been brought to the fore in translation studies.Sinology as a perspective of“the other”is naturally connected with the image of China,for the Chinese image overseas was initially established by the sinology community.The China Review（or Notes and Queries on The Far East）is an English sinology journal founded in Hong Kong from 1872-1901 and served as an outlet for writings and translations on China by Western sinologists and scholars in the late 19^th century.As one of its main columns,the translation and introduction of Chinese classical novels abound in the Chinese images,among which Chinese hero images occupy an essential part.The thesis,taking the translations of Chinese classical novels in The China Review as the research object,describes Chinese classical heroes in the translations and analyzes the similarities and differences between hero images in the original and translated texts,which intends to show how this sinology journal rewrites Chinese heroes through translation.Accordingly,research questions are posed:1.What hero images are introduced in The China Review?How are those hero images rendered?2.What are the similarities and differences between hero images in the original and translated texts?How do we perceive the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western hero cultures based on the previous analysis of hero images?To answer the above questions,this thesis adopted a descriptive and comparative method.At the analytical level,this thesis combined“commentary”in narratology with the translator’s commentary as the descriptive framework to collect translators’comments on heroes.At the explanatory level,the thesis used comparative method in comparative literature to explain the similarities and differences between hero images in combination with sinology in the 19^th century.The thesis finds that:1.The China Review has introduced three types of Chinese classical heroes:monarchs,ministers/generals,and folks,including Hwan of Ts‘e,Wan of Tsin,K’ung-ming,and Lo Tat.Hero images in the journal belong to Chinese classical heroes,and translators examine the communication and collision between Chinese and Western hero concepts through translation.Due to the journal’s limitation on length,the incommensurability of genre between“小说”and“novel”,and sinologist’s annotated translation,translators tend to adopt translation plus commentary as the translation strategy to render hero images.2.The thesis,based on the classification of heroes,selects Hwan of Ts‘e and Wan of Tsin,K‘ung-Ming,and Lo Tat as representative figures for imagological analysis.The thesis finds that the journal tends to compare Western knights with Chinese heroes,and emphasize common characteristics shared by both Chinese and Western heroes,such as Hwan of Ts‘e’s leadership,K‘ung-Ming’s wisdom and loyalty,and Lo Tat’s strength and kindness,and weaken the differences.This is because The China Review wandered between religion and science in the late 19^th century.On the one hand,the sinology community began to have academic consciousness,viewed China with a more objective attitude and sought the similarities between Chinese and Western cultures;on the other hand,sinologists,mainly missionaries,were still influenced by their religious culture.They began to adopt a more moderate attitude and weaken the differences between the two cultures.The thesis puts the study of hero images in the context of ideas of history,and explores different religious beliefs,moral values,and cultural expectations behind Chinese and Western hero cultures,which intends to provide inspiration for the current cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilizations.