Analyzing the English Version of The Three-Body Problem(Santi) from the Perspective of Reception Theory开题报告

Thereis no doubt that for centuries, Chinese-English translation has been animportant means of communication between Chinese and western people onculture and value system. We can hardly ignore the fact that a great deal ofwestern literature has been translated into Chinese and has had aconsiderable impact on our culture and values. On the contrary, only a fewChinese works have been introduced to western countries, let alone theirinfluence on western society is quite limited. Therefore, the successfultranslation of the Three-Body Problem needs a wide attention oftranslation researchers. The success of Ken Liu''s translation is reflected inthe following two aspects. The first is the 2015 Hugo Award for best novel,which shows its broad impact on the western sci-fi world. Secondly, judgingfrom the comments and comments of western critics and ordinary readers, thetranslation is also quite popular in western society. Therefore, consideringthese facts, it is an indisputable fact that Ken Liu has done a good job andhas showed a strong professional ability. The significance of this study liesin the enlightenment of cross-cultural communication and the exploration of anew perspective of translation studies, namely in the form of sciencefiction. The book itself represents all the best Chinese science fiction withexciting stories and thought-provoking themes. In addition, Chinese elementsmay be the key of inspiring western readers to explore our culture andhistory, thus promoting cultural export. Ken mentioned in a public speechthat the Three-Body Problem is just a beginning. More excellent Chinese science fictions will surely goglobal and impress western readers with our splendid culture.

On the basis of three core concepts ofReception Theory, namely the horizon of expectations, the fusion of horizons,aesthetic distance, this paper tries to prove Ken Liu’s consideration fortarget language readership during the process of translation and how hemanages to achieve the reception and comprehension of the translated textamong target audience.

The essay is divided into four parts. Chapter one is mainly about theintroduction of the research including its background, objectives andsignificance. Chapter two tells us what is reception theory, including aintroduction of reception theory and its main notions. Chapter three servesas a introduction of the studies of the Three-Body Problem at home and abroadand the language style of the English version. The fourth part, guided by thereader-centered theory, makes a detailed analysis of the translation of thethree-body problem, focusing on Ken Liu’s actual treatment of the originaltext and how he tries to facilitate readers'' acceptance of Three-BodyProblem. Chapter five is a summary of the thesis.

At present, there are few researches on thetranslation of The Three-Body Problem. Foreign studies mainly focus on bookreviews and reader reviews, and focus on the novel itself rather than the translationof the novel. This indicates that it is necessary to investigate thetranslation of The Three-Body Problem under the guidance of reception theory.In domestic studies, most papers analyze the problem of the three-bodyproblem from the literary value of The Three-Body Problem and its impact onthe development of Chinese science fiction. There are also a few paperstrying to analyze the translation of The Three-Body Problem and the reasonsfor its success in foreign countries. According to CNKI, about 100 articlesabout the novel have been published so far.

When ken Liu translated the book, he made manychanges to the main plots of the original text. Therefore, there are manyscholars study the translation of the three body problem from the perspectiveof translator’s subjectivity. Lian Wenjing(2018) studies the Englishtranslation of the three body problem from the prospective of translator’ssubjectivity. Her thesis tries to display that the translator’s applicationof his subjectivity is the reason of the success of the book. Zhang Fei(2018)study the translation of culture-loaded words in the three body problem fromthe perspective of translator’s subjectivity. According to Zhang, intranslating the culture-loaded words, the translator have chosen suitabletranslation strategies, which reflects the impact of the translator’ssubjectivity, and have attained a success.

In addition, some scholars try to explore thestrategies used by the translator to enhance the positive image of women andweaken gender discrimination, expressing a strong feminine colors. KangShuo(2017) study the English version of three body problem under the guidanceof feminist translation theory and explore translation strategies to promotethe development of feminist translation theories and practices in china.

Although the researches on the three-body problemis steadily increasing, there are not many scholars who make systematicanalysis on the translation of this book based on the reception theory, whichmakes the research of this paper very necessary.

1.Introduction

1.1Research background

1.2Research objectives and significance

1.3Structure of the thesis

2.Theoretical basis of the study---Reception Theory

2.1 Anoverview of Reception Theory

2.1.1 Reception Theory in the Field of Translation Abroad

2.1.2 Reception Theory in the Field of Translation at Home

2.2 Key notions of ReceptionTheory

2.2.1 The Horizon of Expectations

2.2.2 The Fusion of Horizons

2.2.3 Aesthetic Distance

3. Studies on the Translation of the Three-Body Problem at Home andAbroad

4.Translationstudies on the Three-Body Problem based on Reception Theory

4.1

4.2

4.3

5. Conclusion

5.1Findings

5.2Limitations

6. Reference

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