1.2 Significance of the study
In this day and age, according to statics issued by National Bureau of Statistics of China, the population of children(0-14years old) hits 223 million, more than a quarter of the gross population. With the implementation of the Reform and Opening policy, children have been exposed to foreign cultures for a long time. However, relevant researches on the translation of children’s literature are far from adequate.It is high time that importance be attached to the translation in order that children can absorb the genuine spirit and fun of the children’s literature.Fairy tales is a typical representative of children’s literature.The roles fairy tales play in children’s growth are listed as follows: firstly, they fill children with joy, using peculiar imagination, vivid plots, funny languages and persified art forms; secondly, they cultivate children’s spiritual outlook and moral trait; thirdly, they also encourage children’s imagination and pergent thinking.
Chapter Two Translation of Children’s Literature
2.1 Children’s Literature
2.1.1 Definitions of Children’s Literature
Children’s literature is one form of literature. Like many other literature forms,children's literature shares many commonalities with other literary forms and at the same time keeps its own characteristics. Children’s literature often tells stories and legends more often than not with exaggeration or personification, in order to develop the plots into interesting and absorbing ones. Chen Bochui, also known as China's Hans Christian Anderson, once said that an accomplished writer is always willing to stay with children, see the world from children’s eyes, feel the world with child innocence, and his or her works can thus be popular among the children. Children’s literature is the literature of children. Therefore, it should take the target reader, children, into full consideration.Children's literature is far from Adults' Literature in many aspects. Firstly, it should be simple in its gist. Secondly, it should be educational. Such education should be indirect: it educates the children unconsciously by telling children many stories and at the same time sending messages they want children to know. Thirdly, it should give free rein to children’s imagination. In a word, Children’s literature should be simple, attractive and positive to be easily accepted, and contain absorbing, educational stories and vivid characters with various personalities. 来!自~优尔论-文|网www.youerw.com
2.1.2 Potential Obstacles of the Translation
As a form of literature, Childen's Literature share commonalities with other literary forms and at the same time keeps its own features. These works are written by adults for children to read, which requires authors to stand in the shoes of the target readers, children. Similarly, the translator should put himself in the shoes of children when translating Children's Literature. And in this process, the most difficult task is to make the translated work agree with children in terms of logic, understanding ability, and reading comprehension, and, in the final analysis, to make his work popular among children. Therefore, the translator need to take into consideration the distinctive characteristics of children in order to choose appropriate translation strategies and methods to choose the right word, make appropriate sentences, and keep the style desirable. Diction requires to use simple and understandable words to attract the attention of the target reader. And pictographic characters and mimetic words are good examples. Long sentences can be pided into several short ones so as to avoid misunderstanding or reading difficulty. Oral languages should be applied in order to let the work make sense to children. In conclusion, as long as the translator take the distinctive characteristics of children can a good translation be made.