A Study on the Translation of Bashu Culture in Yu Fanqin and Hu Zhihui’s English Version of Ripples Across Stagnant Water
School of Foreign Languages, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China
| Abstract: | Guided by the theory of translation studies, this paper takes the English translation of Ripples Across Stagnant Water as the research object, focusing on five dimensions: Sichuan-Chongqing dialect, traditional customs, regional cuisine, vernacular architecture, and traditional clothing of the Bashu region. This study adopts the research method of textual contrastive analysis to systematically examine how this English translation mediates and disseminates Bashu regional culture, and explores the strategic logic employed by the translators to balance the transmission of cultural connotations and the comprehension of target readers. The findings reveal that, across the aforementioned five dimensions, the translators utilized translation strategies such as literal translation, free translation, and imagery conversion. While making every effort to reproduce the distinctive features of Bashu regional culture, they fully adapted to the cognitive habits of English readers, effectively promoting the cross-linguistic dissemination of Bashu culture. This translation is not only an important vehicle for the overseas dissemination of Ripples Across Stagnant Water but also has become a representative translation for the international dissemination of Bashu regional culture, providing practical references that can be drawn upon for the overseas translation and introduction of Chinese regional literary works. |
| Keywords: | Ripples Across Stagnant Water; Bashu Regional Culture; Translation |
| DOI: | 10.57237/j.cll.2025.04.001 |
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Received: 26 May 2025
Accepted: 29 September 2025
Published Online: 27 October 2025
Funding
| 1. | 四川省哲学社会科学重点研究基地文化产业研究中心: 巴蜀地域文化的文学记忆与译介传播: 以李劼人的“大河小说“英译为中心 (立项编号: WHCY2024B34) |
| 2. | 四川省巴蜀文化国际传播研究中心: 李劼人“大河小说”的巴蜀地域文化记忆与译介传播 (立项编号: 2024YB02) |
| 3. | 四川省认知语言学会: 巴蜀小说《死水微澜》在英语世界的传播与接受研究 (立项编号: SCRY2024GJ02) |
| 4. | 四川省哲学社会科学规划项目对外传播研究专项课题: 李劼人法国文学汉译对其巴蜀文化记忆书写的影响研究 (立项编号: SC25BS032) |
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