Article published In:
BabelVol. 64:5/6 (2018) ► pp.671–691
From a “pornographic” book to a classic
Paratexts of Chinese translations of Lolita
This article aims to investigate the relationship between paratexts and the translation product with a case study of Lolita translations in China. Since Lolita has been one of the most frequently retranslated literary works in China over the past three decades, it can serve as a bellwether of the changes that have taken place in the translation field as well as those in the social, cultural and historical context. Therefore, a comparative study of the paratextual elements of Lolita translations acts as a reflection of the negotiations between the translation activity and the changing socio-political context. The analysis of paratexts locates translation as a social activity in which many agents are involved other than simply the translator and the source text. Through their organic integration with the translation products, the paratextual elements, functioning as genre indicators, work to promote the translation while potentially predicting its target readership. In the translation and retranslation of the same source text, a discussion of the paratexts may provide new insights into understanding the relationship between translations and retranslations as well as the evolution of the translation field in relation to Chinese society.
Article outline
- 1.Paratextual elements and the translation of Lolita in China
- 2.Methodology
- 3.
Lolita as a “pornographic” book
- 4.
Lolita in transition
- 5.
Lolita as a classic
- 6.Conclusion
- Note
-
References
References (34)
Alvstad, C.; and Rosa, A.
2015 “
Voice in Retranslation: An overview of some trends”. In
Voice in retranslation (Special Issue of Target 27:1), ed. by
C. Alvstad; and
A. Rosa, 3–24. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Berger, J.
1972 Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bourdieu, P.
1993 The Field of Cultural Production: Essays on Art and Literature, ed. by
R. Johnson, 112–141. New York: Columbia University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Chen, Xiaoping 陈晓萍
2014 一部情 色禁书的中国遭遇 (
Yī bù qíngsè jìnshū de Zhōngguó zāoyù) [
An Erotic Book in China].
[URL]
Diao, Qiwu 刁其武
2005 “
20世纪90年代中期以来中国出版业改革回顾 (Èrshí shìjì jǐushí niándài zhōngqī yǐlái zhōngguó chūbǎn yè gǎigé huígù) [A Review of the Revolution in Chinese Publishing Industry in Mid-1990s]”. In
第五届国史学术年会 (
The 5th Annual Academic Meeting of Chinese History), 520–528. Wuxi: Economic Science Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Freud, S.
1920 A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis. New York: H: Liveright.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Genette, G.
1997 Paratexts: Thresholds of Interpretation. Cambridge: CUP.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Huang, Lin 黄霖
2008 金瓶梅讲演录 (
Jīnpíngméi jiǎngyǎn lù) [
On Chin Ping Mei]. Guangxi: Guangxi Normal University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jakobson, R.
2000 “
On Linguistic Aspects of Translation”. In
The Translation Studies Reader, ed. by
L. Venuti, 113–118. London: Routledge.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jiang, Fang 姜 芳
2005 “中国当代文艺与政治的同构––浅议”文革“时期的文学和艺 术 (
Zhōngguó dāngdài wényì yǔ zhèngzhì de tónggòu – qiǎnyì wéngé shíqī de wénxué hé yìshù) [The Cohesion of the Art and Literature and Politics in Contemporary China – A brief Discussion of Art and Literature during the Cultural Revolution]”.
党 史 博 采 (
Extensive Collection of the Party History) 111: 4–5.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Liu, Hongping 刘 洪 平
2011 改革开放以来中国出版业市场化道路的探索研究 (
Gǎigé kāifàng yǐlái zhōngguó chūbǎn yè shìchǎnghuà dàolù de tànsuǒ yánjīu) [
The Marketization of Chinese Publishing Industry after the Reform and Opening up Policy]. Master thesis. Hefei: Anhui University.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Liu, Moran 刘茉然
2013 文化变异下的洛丽塔风格演变初探 (
Wénhuà biànyì xià de Luólìtǎ fēnggé yǎnbiàn chūtàn) [
The Exploration of Lolita Style in the Background of Cultural Change]. Master thesis. Hangzhou: China Academy of Art.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Liu, Shusheng 刘树晟
2010 “当代”萝莉“文化解读 (
Dāngdài Luólì wénhuà jiědú) [Analysis of the Contemporary Luoli Culture]”.
当代青年研究 (
Contemporary Young Research) 101: 13–18.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ma, Xiong 马雄
2012 “仙妻与民众理想的高扬––浅谈满族人仙婚配故事中的仙妻情 结 (
Xiānqī yú mínzhòng lǐxiǎng de gāoyáng – qiǎntán mǎnzú rén xiān hūnpèi gùshì zhōng de xiānqī qíngjié) [Fairy Wife and People’s Ideal Life: a discussion of the marriage between mortals and fairies in Man People’s folk tales]”.
太原城市职业技术学院学报 (
Journal of Taiyuan Urban Vocational College) 21: 203–204.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Matthews, N.; and Moody, N.
2007 Judging a Book by its Cover. Aldershot: Ashgate Pub.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Meng, Fanhua 孟繁华
2005 21 “世纪初长篇小说中的知识分子形象 (
Èrshíyī shìjì chū chángpiān xiǎoshuō zhōng de zhīshi fènzǐ xíngxiàng) [The Image of Intelligentsias in the Novels of Early 21st Century]”.
文艺研究 (
Literature and Art Studies) 21: 5–12.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Munday, J.
2012 Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications. London: Routledge.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
2000 Lolita. London: Penguin.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
1989 Lolita. Transl. by
Huang, Jianren (黄 建 人). Guilin: Lijiang Publishing House.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
1989 Lolita. Transl. by Kong, Xiaojiong; and
Peng, Xiaofeng (孔小炯和彭 晓 丰). Hangzhou: Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
1989 Lolita. Transl. by
Mai, Sui (麦穗). Shanghai: Haitian Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
1989 Lolita. Transl. by
Yu Xiaodan (于晓丹). Nanjing: Jiangsu Literature and Art Publishing House.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
1995 Lolita. Transl. by
Ning, Geliang (宁戈良). Zhengzhou: Zhongyuan Nongmin Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
1997 Lolita. Transl. by Yu, Xiaodan; and
Liao, Siqi (于晓丹和廖思奇). Changchun: The Time Literature and Art Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
1999 Lolita. Transl. by
Wu, Yujun (吴宇军). Lanzhou: Dunhuang Wenyi Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
2000 Lolita. Transl. by
Yu, Xiaodan (于晓丹). Nanjing: Yilin Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nabokov, V.
2005 Lolita. Transl. by
Zhu, Wan (主万). Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Pei, Jieting 裴洁婷
2011 论新时期赞助系统对作品译介和传播的影响––以《洛丽 塔》为例 (
Lùn xīn shíqī zànzhù xìtǒng duì zuòpǐn yìjiè hé chuánbō de yǐngxiǎng yǐ Luòlìtǎ wéilì) [
The Influence of Patronage on Literary Translation in China’s New Epoch – A Case Study of the Translation of Lolita
]. PhD thesis. Shanghai: Shanghai International Studies University.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Pereira, N.
2008 “
Book Illustration as (Intersemiotic) Translation: Pictures Translating Words”.
Meta: Translator’s Journal 53 (1): 104–119.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Rose, G.
2012 Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials. London: Sage.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
SAPPRFT
2015 出版专业基础 (
Chūbǎ n zhuānyè jīchǔ) [
Introductory Publishing Specialty]. Beijing: The Commercial Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Xinhua, Net 新华网
2006 50岁的《洛丽塔》:解密中文版翻译历史 (
Wǔshí suì de Luòlìtǎ: jiěmì zhōngwén bǎn fānyì lìshǐ) [
The 50-year-old Lolita: to decode the Chinese translations of Lolita
].
[URL] [Accessed 14 Apr. 2016]
Xu, Jilin 许纪霖
2010 “
少数人的责任”:近代中国知识分子的士大夫意识 (
Shǎoshùrén de zérèn: jìndài zhōngguó zhīshi fènzǐ de shìdàfū yìshi) [“The Responsibility of the Minority": the spirit of the scholar officials among Chinese intelligentsias in contemporary China]”.
近代史研究 (
Modern Chinese History Studies 31: 73–90.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (2)
Cited by 2 other publications
Jiang, Mengying
2021.
Book cover as intersemiotic translation: between image, text and culture.
Asia Pacific Translation and Intercultural Studies 8:3
► pp. 219 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Lee, Sang-Bin
2020.
Reception and revision of women-related translation paratexts: South Korean cases.
The Translator 26:2
► pp. 176 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 june 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.