| As an increasing number of Chinese literatures is introduced to the overseas market,many great translators stand out.Among them,Howard Goldblatt is an exemplar,having diligently translated over 50 pieces of contemporary Chinese literature,and his translation of Mo Yan’s fictions served as an important factor for Mo’s gaining the Nobel Laureate.Research pertinent to the topic has since been trending;however,most of the existing studies focus on the translated texts of the English versions of the novels,including translation strategies,rewriting methods,or the introduction modes and dissemination of the translation,and thus studies on the paratexts of the English translation remains to be explored.Paratexts are important components of the textual framework,and in whatever form they are presented,they reflect the literary and cultural affiliation of the novels in the English world.They create a “pre-textual” introduction,explanation and clarification for readers of the target language,regulate cultural distance,and lead readers to a closer reading of the text.The form and content of paratexts vary,and different paratexts in English translations of novels can open up the reading frontiers of target language readers and expand the interpretative space of the translated texts.Norms are the core of descriptive translation studies,liberating translation studies from the closed and static textual system and compensating for the limitations of prescriptive translation studies.The combination of the two can bring a new perspective to the study of Mo Yan’s fictions in their English translation,and provide certain enlightenment and ideas for the following related studies.This thesis takes the paratexts in Howard Goldblatt’s English translations of Mo Yan’s fictions as the object of study.Based on the theory of Toury’s translational norms and Genette’s definition and classification of paratexts,this study adopts qualitative analysis to describe the paratexts appeared in the eleven books of Mo Yan’s fictions,in which the paratexts mainly including the covers,translator’s notes,character lists,intext notes,and translator interviews and comments related to the translation.By analyzing the translation norms followed by the paratexts and the related texts,it can be drawn that 1)the translator follows the norms of the target language and adopts a domestication translation method;2)the choice of translated texts is determined by the publishing houses,the market and the translator’s personal preferences;3)and he uses such means as adding in-text notes,dividing paragraphs and rearranging chapters to optimize readers’ experience.These paratexts play as a mediator for cultures and attract readers,blending in the culture of the target language for translated fictions in the English-speaking world.This study enriches the research on literary translation and paratexts,and provides a new perspective for Chinese literature to “go out”. |
