1. Introduction

Ming and Qing novels were the earliest Chinese literary works to be translated into France, and the introduction of vernacular short stories began in the 18th century. In the 19th century, classical novels gained attention due to the rise of Sinology, but for various reasons, translation work often appeared in the form of abridged translations. In the second half of the 20th century, the Four Great Classical Novels were fully translated into French. The French translation of "Dream of the Red Chamber" began with diplomats and international students, and the full translation was published in 1981. Studying the translation process and norms of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in France can help improve the translation and dissemination of Chinese literature outside the country.

2. The Translation and Introduction Process of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in France

The translation and introduction of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in France went through three stages. At first, the translation of ancient Chinese novels in the French sinology community was relatively lagging behind. In the 17th and 18th centuries, missionary sinology was on the edge of Chinese studies. After the establishment of professional sinology in the 19th century, sinologists began to pay attention to literary works. However, due to distance and translation policies, French sinologists find it difficult to fully understand the literary system of the source language country, resulting in slow progress in translation work. In the 19th century, Britain's political and economic aggression against China was even faster, resulting in multiple English section translations of "Dream of the Red Chamber". The earliest evaluation of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in France appeared in the late 19th century, but the evaluation is not accurate. At the beginning of the 20th century, France began to translate "Dream of the Red Chamber" in abridged form, such as the introductions of Moran and Escala, but had limited understanding of the original work. In the 1920s, with the rise of the "Redology fever", students studying in France began to study "Dream of the Red Chamber". The translation and research of Xu Zhongnian, Guo Linge, Lu Yuehua and others promoted the understanding of this work in the French academic community. In the mid-20th century, Gellner translated the rewritten version by German sinologist Kuhn into a French version, which presented the main story relatively completely, but had limited academic value. It was not until 1981 that the complete French translation of Li Zhihua and Yage was released, which truly presented the content and style of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in its entirety.

3. French full translation of "Dream of the Red Chamber" based on the original text standards

In the mid-20th century, with the recovery of the French economy and the prosperity of cultural undertakings, the translation of literary classics became a key focus of work in the field of Sinology. The French translation of "Dream of the Red Chamber" was one of the earliest translation projects initiated. Li Zhihua, a graduate of Sino French University in Beijing, went to Lyon, France to study in 1937. Due to his family background being similar to the Jia family in "Dream of the Red Chamber", he had a close relationship with the work and was invited to translate "Dream of the Red Chamber". In 1954, Li Zhihua and his wife collaborated with sinologist Dortmund and signed a translation contract with UNESCO, adopting a three person cooperation model. Li Zhihua was responsible for the initial translation, Yage polishing, and Dortmund proofreading.

4. Conclusion

The French translation process of "Dream of the Red Chamber" is complex, from abridged translation to full translation, influenced by the times, translator choices, and reader expectations. Translation needs to consider the integration of cultural output and input to improve effectiveness. Chinese literary classics have entered world literature through translation, showcasing new brilliance.