A Comparative Study of the Paratext in English Versions of the Romance of West Chamber

Abstract

In cultural translation, translators often need to adjust the expression of the original text according to the culture of the target language, so as to make it easier to understand and spread. However, due to the lack of relevant cultural background knowledge of some readers, such changes will often lead to readers' misunderstanding, and even make readers lose interest in reading. In this case, thick translation is needed to supplement the information that cannot be provided in the translation but will affect understanding. The Romance of West Chamber is one of the four famous dramas in China, which contains rich knowledge of traditional culture, which greatly tests the translator's language skills, and at the same time has high requirements for the choice of sub-texts. Therefore, this paper takes The West Chamber as the research object, studies the paratext in three versions of The West Chamber (S. I. Hsiung’s translation, Xu Yuanchong’s translation and Stephen H. West and Wilt L. Idema’s translation), and explores the translation motivation, ideas and methods that influence translation by studying and analyzing the paratext in the translated versions. This paper is expected to contribute to the translation and introduction of Chinese opera, better enhance the confidence of Chinese culture and introduce Chinese culture to the outside world.