Translation and Reconstruction of the Chinese Image in The Painted Veil from a Postcolonial Perspective

Yuqian Wang

doi:10.54097/4rj0bw07

Authors

Yuqian Wang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/4rj0bw07

Keywords:

Postcolonialism, The Painted Veil, Image of China, Translation Reconstruction

Abstract

This study, grounded in the theoretical framework of postcolonialism and employing discourse analysis and comparative translation studies, systematically investigates the contradictory image of China as portrayed in Somerset Maugham’s novel The Painted Veil and its reconstruction mechanisms across three Chinese translations from different historical periods. The research reveals that Maugham’s original work employs Orientalist narrative strategies to construct China as a binary opposition between the “barbaric Other” and a “spiritual utopia.” Through a dynastic comparison of the three translations by Liu Xianzhi (1988), Ruan Jinglin (2006), and Wang Jinhua (2021), this paper delineates the dynamic evolution of China’s image from an object of gaze to a process of subjective reconstruction. Translation practice emerges as a critical arena for cultural power negotiation, where translators engage in differentiated reconstructions of China’s image through vocabulary selection, shifts in narrative perspective, and ideological adjustments within specific historical contexts. This research not only deepens the understanding of postcolonial translation theory but also provides theoretical insights and practical pathways for deconstructing Western cultural hegemony and fostering equitable intercultural dialogue in the era of globalization.

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References

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