On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s <i>The Moon and Sixpence: </i>From the Perspective of the Paratext

Juan Zhou

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15

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On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext

Juan Zhou

Published in International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 8, Issue 2)

Received: 13 June 2022 Accepted: 24 June 2022 Published: 30 June 2022

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Abstract

Since its first introduction to China in the era of the Republic of China (1912-1949), William Maugham’s masterpiece The Moon and Sixpence has been translated into Chinese in more than sixty versions, most of which are accompanied by rich paratexts. However, little attention has been attached to the translation of the work. This study takes two Chinese versions of The Moon and Sixpence, namely, Fu’s version and Chen’s version, as its objects and delves into the hermeneutic function of the respective paratexts of the two Chinese versions. It is found that paratexts of both versions have the potential to destruct, play down, and even suppress the meaning of the translated text to some degree. The former version features a cooperative interpretative relationship between the main text and the paratexts, with intertextuality achieved among those different types of paratexts. In contrast, the latter version features unbalanced multi-voice interpretations of the text with various paratexts constructed by different agents. The result of the study reveals that the paratext is not subservient to the main text. It offers insights into how the type and number of paratexts may have a negative effect on the interpretation of the translated text, which has been overlooked in translation studies.

Published in	International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 8, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15
Page(s)	71-76
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

The Paratext, Translated Literary Works, Hermeneutic Value, The Moon and Sixpence, Translation

References

[1]	Ji, Chunyan. (2018). A Comparative Study of Two Chinese Versions of The Moon and Sixpence from the Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory. MA Thesis, China University of Geosciences (Beijing).
[2]	Zhang, Baihua & Yang, Liu. (2017). Stylistic Transmission of Literature Works from the Perspective of Stylistic Marker Theory: A Case Study of the Chinese Version of The Moon and Sixpence, Journal of Hunan University of Technology Social Science Edition, 22 (2), 91-94.
[3]	Zhang, Yiting. (2019). An Analysis on the Two Translation Versions of The Moon and Sixpence from the Perspective of Register, J. Changchun Inst. Tech. (Soc. Sci. Edi)., 20 (2), 68-71.
[4]	Zhai, Wenhui. (2022). An Interpretation of the Paratexts of a Chinese Version of The Moon and Sixpence, Journal of Hubei University of Economics (Humanities and Social Sciences), 19 (3), 114-117.
[5]	Yan, Hongfu. (2019). Integration of Literary Translation across the Taiwan Strait: A Case Study of Maugham’s Translation, Foreign Languages and Translation, 2, 19-24.
[6]	Genette, Gerard. (1997). Paratexts: The Thresholds of Interpretation. Jane E. Levia. (Trans).. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1, 2, 4-5.
[7]	Genette, Gerard. (1988). The Proustian Paratexte. Amy G. McIntosh. (Trans).. Substance, (56): 63-67.
[8]	Kovala, U. (1996). Translations, Paratextual Mediation and Ideological Closure. Target, 8 (1), 119-147.
[9]	Baker, Mona. (2006). Translation and Conflict: A Narrative Account. London and New York: Routledge.
[10]	Tahir-Gurcaglar, Sehnaz. (2002). What Texts Don’t Tell: The Uses of Paratexts in Translation Research. Theo Hermans. (eds).. In Crosscultural Transgressions. Research Models in Translation Studies 2: Historical and Ideological Issues. Manchester: St Jerome Publishing, 44–60.
[11]	Tahir-Gurcaglar, Sehnaz. (2011) Paratexts. Yves Gambier. & Luc van Doorslaer. (eds). Handbook of Translation Studies Volume 2. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 113–116.
[12]	Batchelor, Kathryn. (2018). Translation and Paratexts, London and New York: Routledge, 142.
[13]	Xiao, Li. (2011). The Significance of Paratexts to Translation Studies, Shanghai Journal of Translators, 4, 17-21.
[14]	Jin, Hongyu. (2014). Around the Text: on the Paratexts of Modern Chinese Literature, Wuhan: Wuhan University Press.
[15]	Eco, Umberto. (1997). Interpretation and Overinterpretation. Wang Yugen. (Trans).. Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 30.
[16]	Maugham, William S. (2016a). The Moon and Sixpence/ Fu Weici. (Trans).. [月亮和六便士], Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 3, 79, 83, 140, 234, 214, 219, 228.
[17]	Maugham, William S. (2016b). The Moon and Sixpence, Shanghai: Shanghai World Publishing Corporation, 72, 75, 128, 219, 199, 204, 213.
[18]	Maugham, William S. (2016c). The Moon and Sixpence/ Chen Yixuan. (Trans).. [月亮与六便士], Shanghai: East China Normal University Press, 84, 18, 149, 247, 18, 231, 240.
[19]	Yao, W. & Yao, Junwei. (2013). Multiple Functions of Translator’s Notes in Literary Translation, Foreign Languages Research, 139 (3), 73-76.
[20]	Gadamer, Hans-Georg. (2013). Truth and Method. Joel Weinsheimer & Donald G. Marshall (Trans).. London: Bloomsbury, 404.

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Juan Zhou. (2022). On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 8(2), 71-76. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15

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ACS Style

Juan Zhou. On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2022, 8(2), 71-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15

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AMA Style

Juan Zhou. On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2022;8(2):71-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15,
  author = {Juan Zhou},
  title = {On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {8},
  number = {2},
  pages = {71-76},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20220802.15},
  abstract = {Since its first introduction to China in the era of the Republic of China (1912-1949), William Maugham’s masterpiece The Moon and Sixpence has been translated into Chinese in more than sixty versions, most of which are accompanied by rich paratexts. However, little attention has been attached to the translation of the work. This study takes two Chinese versions of The Moon and Sixpence, namely, Fu’s version and Chen’s version, as its objects and delves into the hermeneutic function of the respective paratexts of the two Chinese versions. It is found that paratexts of both versions have the potential to destruct, play down, and even suppress the meaning of the translated text to some degree. The former version features a cooperative interpretative relationship between the main text and the paratexts, with intertextuality achieved among those different types of paratexts. In contrast, the latter version features unbalanced multi-voice interpretations of the text with various paratexts constructed by different agents. The result of the study reveals that the paratext is not subservient to the main text. It offers insights into how the type and number of paratexts may have a negative effect on the interpretation of the translated text, which has been overlooked in translation studies.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext
AU  - Juan Zhou
Y1  - 2022/06/30
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 71
EP  - 76
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15
AB  - Since its first introduction to China in the era of the Republic of China (1912-1949), William Maugham’s masterpiece The Moon and Sixpence has been translated into Chinese in more than sixty versions, most of which are accompanied by rich paratexts. However, little attention has been attached to the translation of the work. This study takes two Chinese versions of The Moon and Sixpence, namely, Fu’s version and Chen’s version, as its objects and delves into the hermeneutic function of the respective paratexts of the two Chinese versions. It is found that paratexts of both versions have the potential to destruct, play down, and even suppress the meaning of the translated text to some degree. The former version features a cooperative interpretative relationship between the main text and the paratexts, with intertextuality achieved among those different types of paratexts. In contrast, the latter version features unbalanced multi-voice interpretations of the text with various paratexts constructed by different agents. The result of the study reveals that the paratext is not subservient to the main text. It offers insights into how the type and number of paratexts may have a negative effect on the interpretation of the translated text, which has been overlooked in translation studies.
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Juan Zhou

School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Juan Zhou. (2022). On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 8(2), 71-76. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15

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ACS Style

Juan Zhou. On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2022, 8(2), 71-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15

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AMA Style

Juan Zhou. On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2022;8(2):71-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15,
  author = {Juan Zhou},
  title = {On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {8},
  number = {2},
  pages = {71-76},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20220802.15},
  abstract = {Since its first introduction to China in the era of the Republic of China (1912-1949), William Maugham’s masterpiece The Moon and Sixpence has been translated into Chinese in more than sixty versions, most of which are accompanied by rich paratexts. However, little attention has been attached to the translation of the work. This study takes two Chinese versions of The Moon and Sixpence, namely, Fu’s version and Chen’s version, as its objects and delves into the hermeneutic function of the respective paratexts of the two Chinese versions. It is found that paratexts of both versions have the potential to destruct, play down, and even suppress the meaning of the translated text to some degree. The former version features a cooperative interpretative relationship between the main text and the paratexts, with intertextuality achieved among those different types of paratexts. In contrast, the latter version features unbalanced multi-voice interpretations of the text with various paratexts constructed by different agents. The result of the study reveals that the paratext is not subservient to the main text. It offers insights into how the type and number of paratexts may have a negative effect on the interpretation of the translated text, which has been overlooked in translation studies.},
 year = {2022}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - On Two Chinese Versions of Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence: From the Perspective of the Paratext
AU  - Juan Zhou
Y1  - 2022/06/30
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 71
EP  - 76
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20220802.15
AB  - Since its first introduction to China in the era of the Republic of China (1912-1949), William Maugham’s masterpiece The Moon and Sixpence has been translated into Chinese in more than sixty versions, most of which are accompanied by rich paratexts. However, little attention has been attached to the translation of the work. This study takes two Chinese versions of The Moon and Sixpence, namely, Fu’s version and Chen’s version, as its objects and delves into the hermeneutic function of the respective paratexts of the two Chinese versions. It is found that paratexts of both versions have the potential to destruct, play down, and even suppress the meaning of the translated text to some degree. The former version features a cooperative interpretative relationship between the main text and the paratexts, with intertextuality achieved among those different types of paratexts. In contrast, the latter version features unbalanced multi-voice interpretations of the text with various paratexts constructed by different agents. The result of the study reveals that the paratext is not subservient to the main text. It offers insights into how the type and number of paratexts may have a negative effect on the interpretation of the translated text, which has been overlooked in translation studies.
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
ER  -

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