On Reconstruction of Cultural Images in the Translation of The Republic of Wine

Abstract

Nobel laureate Mo Yan’s novel The Republic of Wine is notable for its distinctive Chinese rural language. The richness of cultural images renders this novel splendid, but also poses a huge challenge in its translation. From the perspective of the Variation Theory of Comparative Literature, this research analyzes the variation phenomena like transformation, deformation, loss and intentional mistranslations of typical Chinese rural cultural images in Goldblatt’s English version. It aims to describe the deconstruction of meaning and reconstruct Chinese rural cultural images during the cross-cultural journey and therefore aims to provide references and inspiration for Chinese translated literature transmitted abroad.