20230630 final exam 06

202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)

The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature

Abstract

Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

Keywords

Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = =

摘要

中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。 尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。 在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。 为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。 该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

关键词

中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

Introduction

The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.

Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling": "Her consciousness is clear and strong, She finds salvation in her work, She gets a reward for all she did: Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina) However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features. In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.

To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55) Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60) The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285) The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

Summary of the Chapter I

As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95) The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever. One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor. When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous, Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. " (Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied. Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated. All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored. On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted. Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow, How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?... You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot. How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone; First, she married one, and now she has picked another.... And before their husband's graves are dry They set aside their mourning for new clothes.... Where is the woman whose tears for her husband Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait. Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

Conclusion of Chapter II

The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6). Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

Conclusion

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

Reference

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