In jauss’s view, the aesthetic value of works of art does not exist objectively but it has inseparable relationship with the readers’ value experiences. The readers’ active participation process exist in it and the readers are explored as the main body of literary activities. Similar to Jauss’s opinion, Iser also holds that works of art and the author can not complete the construction of aesthetic subject but only by the readers’ understanding can complete it. That is to say, the full meaning of the text is the result of the readers’ participation. Therefore, in the process of the understanding of the text, the position of the text readers cannot be ignored. In this process, the readers are not passively accepting the text meaning, but actively participating in and penetrating the construction of the text meaning.
2.2 The Application of Reception Aesthetics in Translation Study
Reception Aesthetics was applied in translation studies in the west in the late 1970s. In the late 1980s, it came into translation studies in China. The first related paper was published by Yang wu in 1987. From then on, other related papers were published in succession in our country, to discuss the topic from different angles, different approaches and different levels. For instance, by using Reception Aesthetics, Qiao Guojiang (1988) emphasizes the position of reading in the translation process and the impact of translation on the process of literature, etc. Wu Chizhe (1989) demonstrates that “Translation is Recreation” again in combination with phenomenology and fuzzy linguistics, etc. He also clearly points out that Reception Aesthetics is beneficial to explore the horizon of literary translation. Qin Hongwu (1999) values Nida’s Readers’ Response Theory by using Reception Aesthetics. Cao Yinghua (2003) emphasizes reader-orientation between Reception Aesthetics and literary translation.
The above analyses is enough to show that Reception Aesthetics is closely linked with translation studies.
2.3 Enlightenment of Reception Aesthetics