A Study of the Dream Translation in Chapter 5 of A Dream of Red Mansions from the Perspective of Cultural Translation

Chapter 5 of A Dream of Red Mansions, “Jia Baoyu’s Soul Visits the Land of Illusion”, integrates Taoism, Buddhism, folk beliefs, and literati traditions into a complex system of cultural symbols. From the perspective of cultural translation, this paper examines the two English versions by David Hawkes and the Yangs (Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang), analyzing three dimensions: core concepts, mythological images, and allusions. The study reveals that the two translators’ strategic choices do not conform to a simple “domestication vs. foreignization” dichotomy; rather, they exhibit complex strategic fluidity across different cultural elements. Hawkes demonstrates creative domestication for “Maiden’s Tears” but tends toward literal translation in the fortune poems. The Yangs lean toward foreignization in core concepts but adopt domestication for terms like “Goddess”. Both strategies have merits and limitations, reflecting the structural dilemmas of cultural translation. This paper advocates transcending the reductive domestication/foreignization labels and reinterpreting the significance of translating cultural elements in the dream episode of A Dream of Red Mansions from the perspective of cultural dialogue.