Anthropophagy beyond anthropology : a Cannibalistic view of Jiu Guo in translation

Abstract

How might cannibalistic translation allow for the critical reassessment of Chinese literature around the world? Drawing from a broad spectrum of perspectives from translation studies and other relevant disciplines, this thesis examines cannibalistic translation both in and of Mo Yan’s novel Jiu Guo 酒國 (1992) and as translated into English by Howard Goldblatt as The Republic of Wine (2000). The strengths and limitations of cannibalism as a notion become clear when the term is seen in Brazilian and Chinese contexts. This thesis engages with these paradoxes of cannibalism by looking at the ideological implications of translational principles and procedures alongside Mo Yan’s critical distance from Lu Xun (1881-1936). The emphasis is on juxtaposing the various forms of cannibalism and weighing the possibility and quality of translating cannibalism into and from the Chinese context. The introductory Chapter 1 reviews the fundamental strands of contemporary translation studies and current debates in the field, and succinctly presents and discusses cannibalism beyond anthropological frames and particularly in terms of translation and translation studies. Chapter 2 is dedicated to the various and at times conflicting instances of cannibalism in Lu Xun’s writings and translation theories. Chapter 3 discusses how cannibalism has been developed by Mo Yan not only in his literary output but also in his attitude towards literary creation. Chapter 4 centres on the translation with a comparative analysis of illustrative text pairs, assessing their virtues and potential shortcomings. Chapter 5 concludes by rethinking cannibalism, with suggestions for future study and practice of cannibalistic translation.