Study on translation deviation of labor class ethnic cultural words and cultural communication loss in different Chinese versions of Martin Eden
Xiang Zhang
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University/Hunan University of Information Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/pmcs.v8i3.15448
Keywords: Martin Eden; Chinese translation; labor class; culture-specific items; cultural communication loss
Abstract
This article examines how labor class ethnic cultural words in different Chinese versions of Jack London's Martin Eden shift when translators recode class identity, ethnic naming, political tension, and colloquial register for Chinese readers. Translation deviation is treated as a layered cultural event: A word carries working-class experience in the source narrative, passes through a translator's interpretive frame, and becomes a social image in the receiving culture. By comparing literal retention, cultural substitution, register smoothing, and explanatory compensation, the article argues that cultural communication loss appears when translated wording preserves plot information while weakening class antagonism and group memory.
References
[1] Khazzaaleh A H M, Moindjie A M, Ganapathy N M. The Translatability of Culture-Specific Items in the Novel Season of Martyrdom[J]. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2025, 16(2):406-414.
[2] Zhang J. Research on the Necessity of Considering Cultural and Textual Features in Literary Translation from English to Chinese[J]. Forum on Research and Innovation Management, 2026, 4(4).
[3] Yang Y, Wang X. Conveying cultural content in literary translation: a comparative analysis of translation strategies in Yu Hua's works for a Portuguese-speaking audience[J]. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2026, 13(1):719-719.
[4] Li X. Exploring the psychological and cognitive mechanisms of literary translation: A multilevel moderation perspective on cultural context[J]. Acta psychologica, 2026, 263:106215.
[5] Xiao P. Cultural adaptation in literary translation projects a practical exploration of Chinese novels translated into English[J]. Probe - Media and Communication Studies, 2025, 7(4).