A Study On The English Translation Of Xi You Ji By Julia Lovell From The Perspective Of Medio-Translatology

The success in the translation,dissemination and reception of the Chinese classical masterpiece Xi You Ji can provide significant implications and valuable insights for the global promotion of Chinese culture.Under the guidance of Professor Xie Tian-zhen’s Medio-translatology,this study chooses Julia Lovell’s latest translation of the novel,entitled Monkey King: Journey to the West as the research object,aiming to address the following questions:(1)What variations can be observed between Lovell’s translation and the original work? To what extent do these variations exhibit the creative treason nature of literary translation?(2)How does Lovell’s interpretation differ from previous translations and what are the underlying reasons?(3)How well has Lovell’s translation been disseminated and received in the English-speaking world and what implications does it provide for the future translation and dissemination of Chinese cultural materials abroad?To answer the questions mentioned above,this study employs both traditional closing reading and new digital humanities research methods such as the Python-based NLTK sentiment analysis toolkit to measure the sentiment scores of massive book reviews collected on Goodreads,so as to examine the reception effects of Monkey King from the literary,translation,and communicative dimension.The major findings are as follows:Firstly,Lovell’s translation follows the model of “Translation initiated and published by Western commercial presses with recruited sinologists”.This approach often results in the translator having multiple identities and striving to balance the original work with the target readership.However,this can also lead to objective deviations in the translation.The translator’s creative treason is usually shown through individualized translations,mistranslations,and abridged and edited translations.Secondly,despite respective similarities with the translations of Yu and Waley in source text and basic narrative structure,Lovell’s translation has exhibited distinct differences with them in terms of narrative completeness,plot selection,and chapter arrangement,which can be attributed to the female insights and translation thoughts of the translator,along with position of the retranslation.Thirdly,Lovell’s translation falls within the categories between professional and popular literature,targeting common readers as the primary readers.Nevertheless,through analysis on book reviews from both common and professional readers,as well as library collections,it has been proven to enjoy a favorable reception.Thus,it can reflect the practical demands in the English-speaking world for re-translating and updating complete translations of Chinese classics,and shed new insights on its translation and dissemination through the joint efforts of all participants both in China and abroad.In essence,this study centers on the translation and dissemination of classical Chinese literary works.Through the utilization of a blend of qualitative and quantitative research methods,it aims to offer guidance for enhancing the overseas dessemination and reception of Chinese culture.