• ISSN: 2382-6282 (Print); 2972-3108 (Online)
    • Abbreviated Title: Int. J. Lang. Lit. Linguist.
    • Frequency: Quarterly
    • DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL
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HOME > Archives > 2026 > Volume 12 Number 3 (2026) >
IJLLL 2026 Vol.12(3): 192-196
DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL.2026.12.3.656

The Translator as Culture Identity Constructor: A Comparative Study of Yang Hsien-yi and Julia Lovell’s English Translations of The True Story of Ah Q

Yiwen Li and Long Yang*
School of Foreign Studies, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China
Email: monikacies@gmail.com(M.C.); clairefbonilla@gmail.com(C.F.B.); carolode@alumni.uv.es(C.O.-L.A.)
*Corresponding author

Manuscript received June 3, 2026; accepted July 3, 2026; published July 30, 2026

Abstract—This paper compares Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang’s 1953 translation and Julia Lovell’s 2009 translation of The True Story of Ah Q to examine how translators construct Chinese cultural identity in cross-cultural communication. Drawing on the cultural perspective in translation studies and narrative construction theory, this study examines how translators’ identities and historical contexts inform their strategic choices. Findings show that Yangs’ version employs cultural amplification and foreignization, emphasizing the depth and scholarly value of Chinese culture, in line with the nation’s early cultural diplomacy. Lovell’s version favors reduction and domestication, prioritizing readability and literary appeal within a globalized market. The study demonstrates that translation is not merely linguistic transfer but a vital practice of cultural identity reconstruction.
 
Keywords—cultural identity construction, narrative construction, The True Story of Ah Q

Cite: Yiwen Li and Long Yang, "The Translator as Culture Identity Constructor: A Comparative Study of Yang Hsien-yi and Julia Lovell’s English Translations of The True Story of Ah Q," International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 192-196, 2026.

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).


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