The Narrative Construction of Wang Xifeng's Character in the English Translation of “A Dream of Red Mansions”

Abstract

The English translations of "A Dream of Red Mansions" by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang, as well as by David Hawkes, almost completely replicate the original work, holding significant positions both domestically and internationally. Both versions vividly portray the characters, but there are deficiencies in the depiction of the classic character Wang Xifeng. Based on Mona Baker's narrative construction theory, this paper studies the portrayal of Wang Xifeng in these two translations, revealing that in some translations, the depiction of Wang Xifeng's beauty, brashness, dignified elegance, and cunning charm is somewhat diminished.