Hybrid Strategies and Cultural Negotiation:Untranslatability in the Chinese Translation of Harry Potter
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Fantasy literature translation, characterized by dense cultural references and invented lexicons, presents unique challenges beyond conventional paradigms. This study examines untranslatability in Chinese versions of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, integrating Venuti's domestication/foreignization (1995), Nida's dynamic equivalence (1964), and theories from cognitive translatology (Halverson, 2017) and postcolonial studies (Spivak, 2013). Through comparative analysis, corpus data (Zhang, 2021), and ethnographic insights (Pérez-González, 2021), it demonstrates how hybrid strategies—foreignizing iconic terms (e.g., "Patronus" with footnotes) while domesticating wordplay (e.g., Chinese homophone puns)—balance fidelity and readability. Technological tools (e.g., AI glossaries) and interdisciplinary collaboration are highlighted for mitigating cultural-semantic gaps. Departing from binary approaches, the study proposes a "third path" emphasizing creative negotiation to reconcile source-text authenticity with target-culture resonance, advancing ethical and equitable frameworks for global fantasy translation.
Author: Xu Chen
Institution: Shanghai University of Political Science and Law
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412813194