Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.4, 2024

 

Complementary Negotiation and Overseas Translation of Science Fiction Literature: Focusing on the Paratext of English Translation of The Three Body Problem Trilogy

(Abstract)

 

Ren Sirui

 

Research on the English versions of The Three-Body Problem trilogy often concentrates on Ken Liu’s translations while overlooking the role of Joel Martinsen. In fact, they each began their work separately at different times and ultimately collaborated to create an effective translation mechanism for Chinese science fiction literature. The English annotations of The Three Body Problem trilogy are not merely extensions of the main text, but represent a space for the expression of the translators’ subjective cultural consciousness, from which we can explore the internal driving forces and evolutionary paths of the “complementary negotiation” in the translation process. The concepts of “complementarity” and “negotiation” developed and are superimposed upon one another, forming a composite cultural translation path of multiple complementarities, as well as growth and negotiation.