2.3 Current Researches on A Dream of Red Mansions 8

Chapter Three Methodology 10

3.1 Research Question 10

3.2 Research Subjects 10

3.3 Research Methods 10

3.3.1 Descriptive Translation Studies 10

3.3.2 Comparison 11

Chapter Four Results and Discussion 11

4.1 Analysis of the Misplacement in the Translation of Words with Cultural Images 11

4.2 Analysis of the Loss in the Translation of Words with Cultural Images 12

4.3 Analysis of the strategies of Translating Words with Cultural Images 14

4.3.1 Image Retention and Notes 14

4.3.2 Image Addition 14

4.3.3 Image Replacement 15

Chapter Five Conclusion 17

5.1 Major Findings 17

5.2 Implications 17

5.3 Limitations and Suggestions 18

References 19

中文参考文献 19

An Analysis of the Strategies of Image Translation in the English Versions of A Dream of Red Mansions from the Perspective of Cultural Translation

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 General Description of the Research 

Translation of Classics has a great significance in promoting a country’s culture and international communication. According to UNESCO, “the cultural persity of human beings is as necessary as the biological persity of nature.” Translation, being the foundation of multilingual and multicultural coexistence, plays a crucial rule in opening up and cross-cultural communication. The translation of Chinese Classics into the international common-used language – English, is clearly one of the magnificent ways to engage Chinese culture into the global cultural interaction. 

English translation of Chinese Classics is one of the topics of general interest in the current academic world in China. However, since the strategies adopted in the translation process by Chinese translators and foreign translators differ in several ways, the production and acceptance in other countries have a lot of differences, too. 

A Dream of Red Mansions is a literature masterpiece as well as a cultural encyclopedia. The cultural images in this novel varies in many different ways. Study of this significant novel and its translations can help researchers have a better understanding of how to use different image translation strategies in different content. 

1.2 The Significance of the Present Research 

According to the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works, the number of significant groups of works translated from Chinese to English is only 30, comparing to the number of Japanese to English being 92. The Chinese culture has a history of over 5000 thousand years, giving birth to thousands of classical literatures. Why is that there are only 30 translated works? Based on this, we can see that China has not done enough in external translation and international promotions. The reality alerts us the necessity and urgency of Translation of Chinese Classics and promotion of Chinese culture. However, the academic researchers in China are now in dilemma of the proper strategies used in ETCC. Some believe we should keep the features of Chinese language, and use more of domestication. Some believe we should respect the target language readers’ persity, using more of foreignization.