English translators play an important role in promoting contemporary Chinese literature worldwide. Mo Yan’s 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature owes, in part, to Howard Goldblatt, his English translator. The “faithfulness vs. rebellion” debate in literary translation has always been ongoing, with the “creative treason” theory providing a solution. Based on the theory of creative treason in comparative literary translation, the article analyzes Howard Goldblatt’s translation of Mo Yan’s novella Radish, to argue that the translator purposefully and creatively develops the expression of the original text. The analysis covers personalized translation, mistranslation, and omission, highlighting how creative treason exists in literary translation. The thesis also explicates Howard Goldblatt’ s personalized translation style, and provides reference values for literary translation.
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