doi: 10.18178/ijlll.2026.12.3.667
An Analysis of Huang Bikang’s Translation of The Peony Pavilion from the Perspective of Paratext Theory
Ruping Fang
,
Yi Zhang *
- School of Foreign Languages, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China
- Manuscript received July 27, 2026
- accepted August 27, 2026
- published September 23, 2026
Abstract
As a celebrated Chinese classic, The Peony Pavilion has seen multiple translations, with recent focus shifting to paratextual framing. Huang Bikang’s Shakespearean-style translation provides a valuable case for examining paratext in cross-cultural transmission, an area still underexplored. Using Gérard Genette’s paratext theory, this study analyzed both peritext (cover, preface, notes) and epitext (interviews, media, reviews) of Huang’s translation. Findings show these elements work together to contextualize the text, clarify translation strategies, and mediate between the source and the readers. The Shakespearean style is reinforced through the preface and notes, while visual design aids readability. Epitexts further shape public reception and interpretation. Overall, paratext plays a key role in cultural negotiation and reader engagement. Huang’s integrated paratextual design represents an innovative effort to globalize Chinese classical drama, underscoring paratext’s importance in effective cross-cultural communication.
Keywords
- paratext
- English translation of The Peony Pavilion
- Huang Bikang
- drama translation
How to Cite
Ruping Fang and Yi Zhang, "An Analysis of Huang Bikang’s Translation of The Peony Pavilion from the Perspective of Paratext Theory," International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 243-247, 2026. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijlll.2026.12.3.667
Copyright & License
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).