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Translating children’s literature for death education

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Abstract
Despite the significance of death as a theme in children’s literature, few studies examine how it is translated across cultures. Drawing on death education and censorship studies, this article analyzes the English translation of Chen Jiatong’s White Fox series, a Chinese anthropomorphic adventure story. Through comparative textual analysis and interviews with the translator, this study reveals that the translations omit or soften violent death, as a result of censorship from the translator and editor. At the same time, the translations amplify the emotional impact of loss on the protagonist Dilah. While the source texts describe the inevitability of death, the translations foreground Dilah’s resilience in facing death and place greater emphasis on helping target readers develop an appropriate understanding of death, particularly its emotional and value-laden dimensions. This article highlights the importance of achieving a delicate balance between shielding young readers from graphic depictions of death and normalizing discussions of mortality as part of their emotional and cognitive development. Censoring the sensitive topic of death in the translation of children’s literature reflects a complex negotiation between protection and empowerment, cultural differences, and universal experiences.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Children’s literature and death education
  • 3.Sensitive topics and censorship in the translation of children’s literature
  • 4.Textual analysis
    • 4.1Deleting or softening violent deaths and suicide
    • 4.2Retaining necessary depictions of death while adopting a more hopeful tone
    • 4.3Foregrounding the protagonist’s resilience in relation to death
  • 5.Translating children’s literature for death education
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Note
  • Reviews cited
  • References
References (77)
Reviews cited
Goodreads. 2025a. Reader responses to White Fox. Accessed September 20, 2025. [URL]
. 2025b. Reader responses to White Fox in the Forest. Accessed September 20, 2025. [URL]
Amazon. 2025a. Reader responses to White Fox (British version). Accessed September 20, 2025. [URL]
. 2025b. Reader responses to White Fox (American version). Accessed September 20, 2025. [URL]
. 2025c. Reader responses to White Fox in the Forest (British version). Accessed September 20, 2025. [URL]
. 2025d. Reader responses to White Fox in the Forest (American version). Accessed September 20, 2025. [URL]
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