Selecting Translations for Young Readers: An Educational Framework for Reading Foreign Literary Works

Abstract

Background and Aims: Selecting suitable translations of foreign literature for young readers requires attention not only to textual fidelity but also to accessibility, aesthetic quality, age appropriateness, and educational purpose. However, teachers often lack a systematic basis for comparing editions. This conceptual article proposes an educational framework for selecting Chinese translations of foreign literary works and reinterprets translation principles for literary education.

Methodology: The framework was developed through pedagogical reflection, illustrative comparison of Chinese translations, and engagement with scholarship on translation, children’s literature, and literary education. Chinese versions of The Little Mermaid, The Happy Prince, and The Little Prince were used as illustrative cases rather than as an empirical sample.

Results: The proposed framework comprises three stages: preliminary screening of translators and editions, professional educational evaluation, and reader-oriented validation. Yan Fu’s principles of faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance are reformulated as knowledge, language, and aesthetic engagement. The illustrative comparisons demonstrate how textual completeness, lexical choice, readability, imagery, rhythm, tone, and literary style can shape educational suitability. The framework encourages teachers to consider both source-text relationships and young readers’ experiences.

Conclusion: Translation selection should be treated as an educational judgment rather than a choice based solely on reputation, availability, or literal accuracy. The framework offers teachers a conceptually grounded and applicable process for selecting translated literature. Future empirical studies should examine its reliability, classroom usability, and effects on reading comprehension, engagement, and literary development across age groups and educational contexts.