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Conformity and resistance

Dualistic strategies in English translation of Chinese red novels

ORCiD logo with link | Lanzhou UniversityLanzhou
Published online: 31 August 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/forum.25001.xu
Abstract
The translation of red novels initiated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) serves dual purposes: literary exchanges and overseas visibility. However, limited scholarly attention has been given to this topic due to the dismissal of red novels’ literary value and ideological sensitivities. This article examines four representative red novels through both quantitative and qualitative analyses to reassess the translation strategies employed. It also explores the underlying reasons for these choices within the framework of Lefevere’s rewriting theory. Challenging the view that these translations primarily employ foreignization, it argues that translators employ a nuanced fusion of domestication and foreignization to balance reader acceptance and political messaging. The domestication strategy seeks to align the translations with the target language’s poetics to engage readers, while the foreignization strategy aims to convey Chinese discourse and imagery. This article illuminates the intricate interplay between poetics and ideology in literary translation.
Résumé
La traduction des romans rouges entreprise par la République populaire de Chine (RPC) répond à un double objectif : les échanges littéraires et la visibilité à l’étranger. Cependant, ce sujet a reçu une attention académique limitée, en raison de la remise en cause de la valeur littéraire des romans rouges ainsi que des sensibilités idéologiques qu’ils suscitent. Le présent article examine quatre romans rouges représentatifs au moyen d’analyses quantitatives et qualitatives afin de réévaluer les stratégies de traduction mises en œuvre. Il explore également les raisons qui sous-tendent ces choix dans le cadre de la théorie de la réécriture de Lefevere. Remettant en question l’idée selon laquelle ces traductions recourent principalement à l’étrangéisation, il soutient que les traducteurs adoptent une combinaison nuancée de stratégies de domestication et d’étrangéisation afin de trouver un équilibre entre l’acceptation par les lecteurs et la transmission du message politique. La stratégie de domestication vise à aligner les traductions sur la poétique de la langue cible afin de susciter l’intérêt des lecteurs, tandis que la stratégie d’étrangéisation cherche à transmettre le discours et les images chinois. Cet article met en lumière l’interaction complexe entre poétique et idéologie dans la traduction littéraire.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
  • 3.Background of red novel translations
  • 4.Materials and data
    • 4.1Materials
    • 4.2Data collection
  • 5.Dualistic strategies for translating red novels
    • 5.1Domestication as conformity
    • 5.2Foreignization as resistance
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgment
  • Notes
  • References
References (43)
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