Exploring the Relationship Between Translators’ Styles and Translation Competence: A Case Study of English Translations of The True Story of Ah Q

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between Translators’ Styles and Translation Competence (TC) by examining five English translations of The True Story of Ah Q. The five translators are George Kin Leung, Chi-Chen Wang, Yang Xianyi & Gladys_Yang, William Lyell, and Julia Lovell. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research utilises the Multidimensional Analysis Tagger (MAT) for quantitative analysis and the PACTE model framework for qualitative analysis. The key competencies of TC—bilingual, extralinguistic, strategic sub-competence, and knowledge about translation—are evaluated to understand their impact on stylistic choices in the translations. MAT’s quantitative analysis provides insights into the lexical density, syntactic complexity, and narrative techniques, while the qualitative analysis explores cultural transmission and rhetorical strategies used by the translators. The findings reveal significant variations in translator style, influenced by their competencies. Translators with higher bilingual and knowledge about translation demonstrate greater linguistic flexibility and accuracy, whereas strategic and extralinguistic sub-competence impact cultural adaptations and rhetorical fidelity. This research contributes to expanding the PACTE model’s application to literary translation, offering empirical support for how TC manifests in stylistic choices. The study highlights the value of combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to advance the understanding of translator style and competence in translation studies.