Variation in the Translation of Jin Ping Mei

ABSTRACT World literature has been defined as translated literature in circulation. Jin Ping Mei, the 16th-century Chinese classic novel, has been translated into dozens of foreign languages. It is through translation that Jin Ping Mei could circulate widely in the English-speaking world. Therefore, it is of significance to investigate Jin Ping Mei’s journey into the English-speaking world and the variation phenomena that appeared in the process. Professor Cao Shunqing developed the variation theory in his book The Variation Theory of Comparative Literature, in which he emphasized that the variation theory is an applicable framework for studying the dissemination and reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world. This paper aims to provide a general picture of the variations shown in the translated texts of Jin Ping Mei in terms of the literary and cultural differences between the East and the West. The author argues that The Golden Lotus translated by Clement Egerton is a deeper variation of literary translation, which realizes Jin Ping Mei’s literary domestic appropriation. Egerton’s The Golden Lotus has become an organic part of English literature, while David Roy’s translation still has a long way to go before being integrated into the English culture.