Study on the Narrative Variations in the English Translation of Yu Hua’s China in Ten Words

Jie LI

Abstract


Yu Hua’s non-fiction, China in Ten Words, was translated into English by American sinologist Allan Hepburn Barr and released by Random House in 2011. The translation stirred considerable discussion among English-speaking audiences. Utilizing a parallel Chinese-English corpus, this study employs a narrative stylistics framework to conduct a comparative analysis of the original and translated texts, examining narrative variations and their effects. The research highlights significant alterations in narrative time, frequency, perspective, and distance in the translation. Most changes—particularly in time, frequency, and perspective—tended to diminish the narrative’s impact, thereby detracting from the literary quality of the work. However, adjustments in narrative distance positively affected the narrative, subtly enhancing the translated text compared to the original.


Keywords


Allan Hepburn Barr; Narrative stylistics; Narrative variation; Narrative effect; China in Ten Words

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/13431

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