Visual paratexts in literary translation: Intersemiotic issues in the translation of classical chinese literature

Robert John NEATHER*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    4 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This essay examines the use of visual paratexts such as book illustrations in literary translation. It first considers the nature of visuals as paratexts to verbal texts, and reviews ways of categorizing verbal-visual interactions, such as intersemiotic translation. The essay then examines how these issues relate to an interlingual translation setting. When a literary work is translated into another language, a complex set of intertextual relations is set up between the source and target texts and their respective paratexts, with the whole verbal-visual configuration of the source text being reinterpreted through such factors as selection and physical positioning of illustrations. Two case studies from traditional Chinese literature demonstrate how visual paratexts can be creatively used to bring out new meanings and to connect with the reading experience of the source text reader.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationA Companion to Translation Studies
    PublisherWiley-VCH Verlag
    Pages504-515
    Number of pages12
    ISBN (Electronic)9781118613443, 9781118613504
    ISBN (Print)9780470671894
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2014

    Publication series

    NameBlackwell companions to literature and culture
    PublisherWiley-VCH Verlag

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Arts and Humanities(all)

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Chinese
    • Illustration
    • Intersemiotic translation
    • Literary translation
    • Lu you
    • Pu songling
    • Visual paratexts
    • Word-image interaction

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