Utilizing a Chinese-English parallel corpus, this paper examines the English translations of Ming and
Qing dynasties furniture terms in A Dream of Red Mansions, adopting Toury's translation norms theory to analyze
the approaches by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang, and by David Hawkes and John Minford. The analysis reveals
that both translations predominantly use foreignizing strategies, demonstrating a preference for adequate translation,
yet they differ in specific translation techniques due to their adherence to different translation norms. The study
suggests that for translating Chinese classical furniture terms—whether generic terms without distinct cultural
features, specific terms not present in the target culture, or collective terms—translators should consider the context
thoroughly and choose appropriate methods such as transliteration, omission, or adaptation. This approach aims to
promote the international recognition and understanding of Chinese classical furniture and its cultural significance.
WANG Yu
. A Study on the English Translation of Ming and Qing Dynasties Furniture Based on the
Chinese-English Parallel Corpus of A Dream of Red Mansions[J]. Journal of Chaohu University, 2024
, 26(5)
: 107
-114
.
DOI: 10.12152/j.issn.1672-2868.2024.05.015