Translation of Journey to the West

This chapter begins with an overview of the cross-cultural travel of the Chinese classic Xiyou Ji to the West, which justifies the selection of Arthur Waley&s;s abridged translation, Anthony Yu&s;s abridged translation, and Julia Lovell&s;s retranslation as the primary objects of study. Then it elaborates on the theoretical/conceptual framework employed in this research, involving the concepts of (re)canonisation, (re)translation, style and genre. It also elaborates on a mixed-method approach employed in the study, combining qualitative interpretation of the (re)canonisation of the Chinese classic and its translation and retranslation, along with a quantitative stylometric analysis of the styles of the translators and their translations as well as an explanation of sociocultural factors contributing to genre changes. The chapter concludes with a summary of the book&s;s structure.