A Study of the Dissemination of Jin Yong's Novels in the English-Speaking World
Abstract
The translation and dissemination of Jin Yong's martial arts novels in the English-speaking world provide a significant case study for examining the pathways and effects of Chinese literature's global circulation. Based on the OCLC WorldCat database, this study systematically investigates ten English translations of Jin Yong's novels published between 1996 and 2021. It analyzes the dissemination patterns and strategic evolution of these translations in the English-speaking world from three dimensions: publication information and library holdings distribution, cover design, and abstracts and keywords. The findings reveal that, first, the nature of the publishing entities has undergone substantial change, with a sharp increase and high concentration of library holdings; second, cover design has experienced a profound transformation from imitating the source culture to adapting to the target market; and third, the discourse of abstracts employs domestication strategies and vigorously presents an exotic oriental culture, while simultaneously exhibiting tendencies to simplify and tokenize Chinese literature.
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