Modern Social Science Research

This study examines Lu Xun’s fairy tale translation practice through text analysis, aiming to reveal his methodological approaches, audience targeting, and cultural motivations. The findings indicate that at the methodological level, Lu Xun’s translations adhere to literal translation as the fundamental principle but employ strategic variations in terminology. For instance, botanical terms are rendered through transliteration, free translation, or retention of Japanese names. Although Little Peter claims to prioritize "free translation," it strictly mirrors the source text’s syntactic structure, reflecting Lu Xun’s rigorous standards for "literal translation." In terms of audience selection, while his translations ostensibly target children, they are actually directed at intellectuals, using the fairy tale form for social critique and ideological enlightenment—such as exposing national flaws through allegories and adapting class struggle narratives to the Chinese context. Culturally, Lu Xun’s translations serve both critical and linguistic reform purposes, embedding humanitarian echoes and philosophical explorations aligned with his "humanization" ideology, reflecting the intellectual anxieties of the May Fourth era. The study concludes that Lu Xun’s approach to fairy tale translation transcends conventional practice, constituting a significant cultural endeavor in China’s 20th-century modernization project.

Lu Xun; Fairy tale translation; Method; Audience; Motivation