University of Massachusetts Dartmouth,USA

[Abstract]In the compilation of A Companion to American Literature,the first comprehensive dictionary of a foreign national literature in China,while careful attention was being paid to the mainstream critical opinions in America,efforts were made to observe the principle“From our perspective and for our ends”so as to reflect the concerns and to meet the needs of the Chinese users.From the perspective of the compilers,the paper discusses the problems arising from the dictionary compilation of foreign literature such as objectivity and cultural context,the localization of interest and the problems of translation.Such discussion incorporates many examples taken from the actual practice of the compilation to serve as illustrations,including evaluation,selection of entries,format of presentation,standardization of translated terms,and critical reference.

[Keywords]American Literature;A Companion to American Literature;lexicography;sense of autonomy

Bionote

YU,Jianhua,Ph.D.from University of East Anglia,is currently professor of literature in Shanghai International Studies University.His is recipient of The Sino-British Friendship Scholarship(1987),The University Press Association Academic Book Award forSurvey of New Zealand Literature(1995),The State Council of China Special Achievement Award(1997),The Rockefeller Foundation Humanities Fellowship Award(1997),The J.William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship(2002),Shanghai Municipality Special Recognition Award(2006)andChina National Award of“Teacher of excellence”(2014).He is the author ofAn Introductory Analysis of 20 Best-Known American Novels(1989),A Survey of New Zealand Literature(1994),American Literature,the Second Flowering of(2004),Jack London,a Critical Analysis of his Fiction(2008),Short Stories in English:A Reading Course(2010).His is also the chief editor of A Concise Dictionary of American Literature:Authors and their Works(2005),Culture Studies:A New Spectrum(2014)andA Companion to American Literature(2015).Professor Yu has translated several novels of American authors and has published over 50 research papers in academic journals.

(Email:yujianhua@shisu.edu.cn;mobile phone:86-13611890110.)