Xiuying Gao, Fengling Gao

Xiuying Gao

30 December, 2024

Couplets in “A Dream of Red Mansions”, Translation, Feminism, Comparative analysis.

In the context of globalization, the cross-cultural transmission of literary works has become a bridge connecting different cultures and ideas. “A Dream of Red Mansions”, as a pinnacle of Chinese literature, features couplets expressed in a unique literary form and profound emotional expression, serving as an important entry point for research. The article, based on feminist translation theory, analyze the translation strategies and the presentation of female images in the translations by Yang Xianyi and David Hawkes. The study finds that, despite differences in translation strategies and expressive techniques, both translators’ works demonstrate attention to the female images and fates within the text, while preserving the cultural and societal nuances of the original work, aligning with the core principles of feminist translation theory. It is important to note that the application of feminist translation theory in practice also requires translators to adapt flexibly according to specific circumstances. This study addresses a new perspective and theoretical framework for classical literature translation in an aim to offer a certain reference value for the English translation practice and related studies of the couplets of “A Dream of Red Mansions”.

© 2024, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license