San guo yan yi in translation and its parallels with western literature

Abstract

This paper identifies a number of parallels drawn by translators and critics between the classic Chinese narrative San guo yan yi and related western literary works and traditions, with particular focus on three aspects: genre, character and plot. The paper discusses a number of full and partial English translations of the text, including two full-text translations by C. H. Brewitt-Taylor and two excerpted translations by Hawks Pott and Carl Arendt, as well as several other translators who attempted to bring the book to a western readership. Using comparisons with western literature made by these translators, the paper addresses the following questions: What happens when a text of this sort is translated into a language like English? Where does it fit in the western genre system? What similarities, according to the translators, can be identified between San guo yan yi and related western literary works? This paper argues that the translators’ commentaries suggest that they were not familiar with the specific modes of characterization and narration of classic Chinese novels, and therefore failed to identify the stylistic features of San guo yan yi as those belonging to the genre of zhanghuiti. From the perspective of comparative literature, the book can be categorized as an example of a relatively new form—the ensemble historical narrative—that combines both Chinese and western literary traditions. The discussions in this paper not only allow us to extend the scope of genre theory, but also contribute to a better understanding of Chinese literature overall.