本书对19世纪以来的《三国演义》的英译历程做了全面深入的描述性研究，把这部经典名著近两百年的英译史划分为三个时期，描述了各个时期翻译活动的主要特征，揭示了该小说在英语世界翻译和传播的历史趋势。本书重视史料和语料相结合：一方面，在围绕译本产生和传播的社会文化背景层面着墨甚多，并非用当今读者的眼光和标准去衡量上百年前的译本，而是注重对翻译活动的历史性考察；另一方面，不止于抽象的理论探讨，而是援引确凿的译例对译本特征进行微观层面的具体分析。本书可以作为同领域后来研究者的可靠分析依据。

本书适合对古典文学有研究兴趣的读者、翻译研究工作者阅读，对研究中文的学者也会有一定帮助。

Preface In 1820, The Asiatic Journal published the very first translated excerpt of Sanguo yanyi; a work entitled ¡°The Death of the Celebrated Minister Tung-cho,¡± translated by P. P. Thoms. A Historical Survey of Sanguo yanyi in English Translation is the first attempt to make an overall descriptive study of the English translation history of Sanguo yanyi. The translation history is divided into three periods: the early period (1820¨C1924), the middle period (1925¨C1975) and the late period (1976¨C ). The description of each period encompasses all types of paratexts attached to the versions (the preface, afterword, acknowledgements, annotations and titles, etc.) and a variety of docume...