From self-sacrifice to self-awakening: G. G. Alexander’s translation and adaptation of the story of Diaochan from Sanguo yanyi

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the 1860s, George Gardner Alexander translated the story of Diaochan from the Chinese classical novel Sanguo yanyi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) and then adapted it into a five-act play, Teaou-shin. This adaptation is the most typical example of textual transformation in the English transmission history of the novel over the past two centuries, showcasing how textual intervention can reflect and engage with contemporary social issues of the recipient society. Through an art form that was popular with the British audience at the time, the play made effective use of the British theatrical tradition. On the basis of adopting the general plot of the story of Diaochan, the play adapted to the social realities of Victorian England and remodeled the characters. By manipulating the theme of the story, Alexander showed solidarity with the women’s rights movement of the time. Through changes in form and content, the story adapted to the literary tradition of England and the gender ideology of the time, catered to the tastes and expectations of Victorian readers and audiences, and conveyed Alexander’s stance on the “woman question”.