A Study on the Translation of the Myths in Hongloumeng from the Narrative Perspective

Abstract

There is a tradition of incorporating myths into literary works in Chinese literature, and Hongloumeng, the central book in the canon of Chinese literature, is no exception. The whole mythological narrative of the novel is composed of three myths, which contain religious and mythological concepts, such as Buddhist terms and mythological names of the place, as well as ancient Chinese titles of nobility. According to Mona Baker’s socio-narrative theory, translation is conceived as a form of re-narration. The present study approaches the translation of the myths in Hongloumeng by David Hawkes and John Minford from the narrative perspective and finds that the translation deviates from the original narrative in two ways. The narrative about Buddhism and Taoism is suppressed, while that about Christianity is accentuated. The narrative about ancient Chinese nobility is weakened while that about European nobility is highlighted. It is found that the framing of the translated narrative is realized through selective appropriation. The reason for the deviation is the translators’ intention to facilitate the understanding of target readers, as well as their consideration of the relevant existing narratives in English-speaking countries.