Lin Shu did his translated works without basic knowledge of foreign languages. He collaborated with his friends who had first-hand knowledge of foreign languages and orally relayed the original to him. As stated, he used a rather unique approach to translation. Therefore, translators and critics from both Chinese and foreign have criticized his works for sinicizations. This is because most of translators today follow the principles of translation as “faithfulness” and “equivalence”, which emphasizes that the target language (TL) have to be truthful to the source language (SL). It can be confirmed that Lin Shu preferred readers’ reception to linguistic equivalence. Therefore, in order to adequately recognize Lin Shu’s achievements in translating and transforming culture in China’s modernity, it’s insufficient to judge them from a narrow linguistic analysis. Giving that reason, I will study Lin’s translated works from the perspective of target culture and reception. The approach adopted in the paper is significant. Firstly it introduces a theoretical framework that precisely targets the cultural surroundings which contributes to more balanced judgment and evaluation of Lin Shu’s translated works. Secondly, it presents new findings by studying the case of Lin Shu’s contemporary translation theory. 

2. Literature Review

 Since target/culture-oriented translation theories attach importance to the role, function, influence and significance of the translation in the target culture, it is necessary to examine scholars’ judegements to Lin Shu’s translations since he first began his translation in 1899. Kang Youwei also praised Lin Shu: “ The two talents for translation in the world are Yan Fu and Lin Shu.”(Aying 26) Guo Moruo admitted that Lin Shu’s translated novels had a decisive influence on his literary inclination (Han 43), which paid more attention to the impact of Lin Shu’s  translation on a reader. However, Liu Bannong claimed that Lin Shu’s literary translations could only be seen as “lighting readings” rather than literary works.(Xue, Zhang 149) In Mr Lin Qinnan, Zhen Zhengduo articulated that Lin Shu’ conservative view should not be the reasons for neglecting his contributions and influence in literary translation and writing. He stated that most of Lin Shu’s translated works were loyal to the originals’ spirit and genres. It gave a relatively fair judgment of Lin Shu文献综述

 Qian Zhongshu’s Lin Shu’s Translation initiated the reassessing of Lin Shu and his translated works, which is the most important criticism on Lin Shu’s translated works since 1949. He maintained that a translation should be faithful to the original, but it should not read like a translation. (Qian 9) However, it’s an ideal. Hence, Qian also admitted that it is inevitable that infidelity occurs in a translated work. (Qian 18-20) In Qian Zhongshu’s opinion, Lin Shu’s “target language” is sometimes better than the original author’s “source language”. Though he touched on some principal translational facts, e.g., the creativity of a translator, a reader’s preference for the translation to be original ,a better use of a the target language than that of the source language and so on, he did not study them in terms of cultural translation.

3. Theoretical Basis

This study is informed by translation theories that can offer an insight into the translational phenomenon of Lin Shu. The aim is to reevaluate Lin Shu’s translated works. It will make comprehensive use of target-oriented translation theories as a basic theoretical framework for evaluation. The thesis is studied through target-oriented and culture-oriented translation theories. The current dominant evaluation of Lin Shu’s translated works is mainly based on various linguistic criticisms; therefore, it’s inevitable to avoid negative attitudes towards Lin’s translated works. While target-oriented/culture-oriented translation theories offer a theoretical base for reevaluating Lin’s translated works on the basis of another framework.来!自~优尔论-文|网www.youerw.com