The feminist space in the interlingual and intersemiotic translation of science fiction: a case study on San Ti by Liu Cixin

• Main Author: Zhang, Wanying
• Other Authors: Cui Feng
• Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Arts and Humanities
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/178476
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Feminism, as a transformative ideology, has influenced diverse academic disciplines, including translation studies, sparking interdisciplinary exploration into the intersection of translation and gender politics. While feminist translation has thrived in Western academia, its exploration in China has been relatively delayed and has largely focused on linguistic-level analyses of feminist translation within traditional literature. This research aims to address this gap by examining feminist translation within the realm of science fiction—a genre that has received less attention in Chinese feminist translation studies. Utilizing San Ti, the acclaimed sci-fi novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin, along with its interlingual translation The Three-Body Problem by Ken Liu and Joel Martinsen, as well as its intersemiotic adaptation Three-Body, a television series produced by Tencent Video, as case study materials, this paper endeavours to explore the gender dynamics inherent in the translation processes of this renowned sci-fi trilogy. Through comparative analysis, it seeks to elucidate the divergent presentations of gender elements across the translations and identify the gender space available for further exploration. The findings reveal that despite the pervasive gender stereotypes and biases in the original novel's narration and character development, both the interlingual and intersemiotic translations have made notable strides in addressing gender factors in their respective ways. Moreover, there exists untapped potential for more proactive utilization of the gender space within both translation processes. Overall, this paper aims to integrate intersemiotic translation into the study of science fiction translation and offer a fresh perspective on the feminist translation of science fiction within the Chinese context. By bridging the gap between gender studies and translation studies, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersectionality between these fields.