An analysis of the image positioning and literary characteristics of Burton Watson’s English translation of Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji)

Abstract

The Shiji (史記 or Records of the Grand Historian) is a treasure trove of Chinese language and culture with complex, multifaceted textual images that are truly difficult to completely recreate in translation, requiring translators to make tradeoffs. Burton Watson's 華茲生 translation of the Shiji clearly positions it as a literary text and he regards his main task as conveying the literary charm of the work. He chooses to translate chapters that are highly literary in nature and focuses on molding literary images in the text of the Shiji. Watson's specific translation strategy favors continuity over annotations and avoided covering up the work's literary characteristics with academic characteristics. This effectively promoted the spread of the Shiji among ordinary Western readers. Watson paid meticulous attention to the readability of his English translation and made great achievements in language, literature, and art. Even though the textual images in the translation are only a partial reflection of those found in the original text, they blended images of the self and other and successfully established an undying literary image of the Shiji in the context of the English-speaking world.