A Study on Cultural Translatability from the Perspective of Lefevere’s Constraints on Literary Translation—Take the Nickname Translation in Shuihuzhuan as Examples

Abstract

Cultural translatability has long been a hot but mysterious topic in translation academia. Lefevere, as one of the major figures of “cultural turn” in translation studies, investigated translation from socio-cultural perspective and stressed the extra-textual constraints on cultural translation. However, most studies have focused on the major four manipulations and neglected the other specific elements that hinder cultural translation. Nickname in Shuihuzhuan, originated from historical figures, anecdotes, legends, weapons, dialects, and other cultural elements, has revealed its research value in literary translation and cultural transmission. Therefore, this paper intends to take nickname translation in Shuihuzhuan as examples, analyzes those specific cultural elements, and carries out some translation strategies and cultural strategies to deal with them. Though the paper is aimed at discussing the cultural translation by using texts in Shuihuzhuan, the conclusion is applicable to all literature works.