Genre changes in translation and retranslation

This chapter conducts a comparative analysis of genre changes in Arthur Waley&s;s Monkey and Julia Lovell&s;s Monkey King . It argues that the genre of a translation might be related to the historical context in which it is produced, influencing the text&s;s function and subsequently shaping its linguistic features and translation strategies. Through corpus-based multidimensional analysis, the study identifies Waley&s;s translation as closely aligned with imaginative narrative, while Lovell&s;s translation corresponds more to general narrative exposition. The analysis reveals that Waley&s;s translation is characterised by more frequent use of linguistic features such as independent clause coordination, public verbs, and direct WH-questions, reflecting his dual purpose of providing entertainment and expressing Chinese identity. Conversely, Lovell&s;s translation frequently employs past participial clauses, direct WH-questions, and other adverbial subordinators to an excessive degree, with the intent of creating a comic effect and deconstructing hierarchy and authority within Chinese culture.