Analysis of the Ugly Female Images in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" from the Perspective of Bourdieu's Sociological Theory

Abstract

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is a collection of classical Chinese short stories created by Pu Songling, a Qing Dynasty novelist in China. It is known as a representative work of ancient Chinese classical short stories. Since its inception, it has been loved by the public and subsequently translated into multiple languages, spreading overseas. The English version of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, translated by British sinologist Minford in 2006, was published by Penguin Publishing, a leading publishing house in the UK, and is listed as one of the Penguin Classic series. This article will analyze the unique translation behavior of Minford's translation from the perspective of Bourdieu's sociological theory. In Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Pu Songling portrays a series of ugly female characters, such as Lin Shi, Lv Wubing, Qiao Nu, etc. Although these women are not beautiful in appearance, they possess a beautiful mind of wisdom, kindness, and righteousness. Pu Songling used the method of comparing beauty and ugliness to describe them, greatly enhancing the artistic charm of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, while expressing his own ideals and reflecting his unique aesthetic pursuit of progressive women's views.