Author: 陳韻琴
Chan, Wankam Janice
Title: 福爾摩斯偵探小說文言譯本研究 (1896-1916): 懸念和人物塑造
Fu'ermosi zhen tan xiao shuo wen yan yi ben yan jiu (1896-1916) : xuan nian he ren wu su zao
Other Title: A study of early translations of Sherlock Holmes in literary Chinese (1896-1916) : suspense and characterization
Degree: M.Phil.
Year: 2001
Subject: Holmes, Sherlock (Fictitious character)
Detective and mystery stories -- Translations into Chinese
Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations
Department: Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies
Pages: vi, 152 p. ; 30 cm
Language: Chinese
Abstract: Detective story is one of the first literary genres to be introduced to China during the late Qing and early Republican periods. In the twenty years from 1896 to 1916, thirty-two titles of Sherlock Holmes stories were published in Chinese, including the versions by important literary figures like Lin Shu, Liu Bannong and Zhou Shoujuan. These translations, with their omissions and changes, were a long way from what we would call "faithful" renditions. A careful analysis of these versions will reveal that the omissions and changes were systematic and intentional. This thesis deals with early classical Chinese translations of Sherlock Holmes stories. Focusing on the issue of "suspense", the most important component of Western detective stories, and the topic of characterization, it will discuss the translation strategies adopted by early Chinese translators and to try to identify the motives behind the surface changes made to the originals. As this study indicates, the early Chinese translations of the English popular fictions are not "detective" stories in the English sense of the word, but a hybrid form of Western plots mixed with elements of Chinese gongan xiaoshuo, or "stories of court cases".
Rights: All rights reserved
Access: open access

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/4573