From Fengshen Yanyi to Hongsin: An Analytical Study of the Chinese Literature Translation

Abstract

This research is to study the translation of a Chinese literary work by comparing Fengshen Yanyi, a Chinese original story, with Hongsin, a Thai version in terms of the similarity and difference of writing style and expression, including analyzing the causes of such differences. The main issues of studying are 1) style modification, 2) translation of participants, 3) translation of numbers, measurement and time, 4) translation of proverbs and idioms, and 5) translation of cultural terms.
The research found that Fengshen Yanyi and Hongsin are different in both writing style and expressions. The discrepancies between the two versions derive from two key factors. First is the differences in language and culture between Chinese and Thai. Second is the limitation of translation methods and the ways of Chinese literary translation in the early Rattanakosin period. The above factors are important reasons resulting in the various strategies used for text translation, focusing on the methods of translation making the Thai cultural background readers understand.