A Study on the Motivation of Translating and Introducing Journey to the West from the Perspective of Cultural Turn PDF Free Download
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Volume 8, Issue 4, 2025 ISSN: 2617-9938
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31058/j.ad.2025.84023
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A Study on the Motivation of Translating
and Introducing Journey to the West from
the Perspective of Cultural Turn
Zulin Song1*
1School of Foreign Studies, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
Email Address
Received: 12 May 2025; Accepted: 30 May 2025; Published: 15 June 2025
Abstract:
As one of the Four Great Classical Chinese Novels, Journey to the West contains rich
cultural connotations and philosophies, has profound cross-cultural communication
value, and has become an important carrier in Sino–Western cultural exchanges. The
complete English translation of Journey to the West by Anthony C. Yu is highly
influential in the field of translation. Its exquisite cultural interpretation and accurate
grasp of the essence of the original work provide a new perspective for the study of
cultural turn. By taking Journey to the West as the research object, this paper analyzes
the restrictive factors inside and outside the literary system, traces the motivation of
Anthony C. Yu’s translation and introduction, and discusses his translation motivation.
Studying Anthony C. Yu’s English translation of Journey to the West from the
perspective of cultural turn is not only helpful to deepen the understanding of the
translation of Chinese classics but also can provide a case study for the interaction
between Chinese and Western cultures.
Keywords:
Anthony C. Yu’s English translation of Journey to the West, Cultural Turn,
Motivation of Translation and Introduction, Translation Strategies
1. Introduction
Literary classics are representatives of Chinese culture, and their translation is an
essential process for Chinese culture to go global [1]. Since the late 19th century and
early 20th century, with the increasingly frequent cultural exchanges between China
and the West, the English translation and introduction of Journey to the West have
gradually unfolded. The emergence of Journey to the West also opened a magnificent
400–year academic research history around it [2]. In the early stage, there were many
abridged versions and selected translations. However, due to the massive compression
of the original content, the communication value of Chinese culture was greatly
reduced.
At present, the two most influential complete English translations of Journey to the
West are: one is the four-volume The Journey to the West translated by the Chinese–
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American scholar Anthony C. Yu and published by the University of Chicago Press
from 1977 to 1983; the other is Journey to the West translated by the British sinologist
Jenner and first published by Foreign Languages Press from 1982 to 1986 [3]. From
1977 to 1983, the University of Chicago Press published the single volumes of the
English translation of Journey to the West by the Chinese–American scholar Anthony
C. Yu in four volumes, entitled The Journey to the West. This is the first complete
English translation of Journey to the West and is generally regarded as the best
English translation of Journey to the West currently [4]. The publication of Anthony C.
Yu’s complete translation of Journey to the West has attracted extensive attention and
in-depth research in the academic circle, bringing new vitality and breakthroughs to
the dissemination of Journey to the West in the English-speaking world.
In the field of cultural studies, the rise of the cultural turn has promoted translation
studies from the traditional linguistic level to the cultural level. This turn emphasizes
that translation is not only a conversion of languages but also a process of cultural
exchange and negotiation. Factors such as the translator’s cultural stance and the
interactive relationship between the target language culture and the source language
culture have become the focus of research. In this context, the study of the English
translation of Journey to the West also needs to be re–examined from the perspective
of cultural turn to comprehensively evaluate its role and influence in cross–cultural
communication.
This study mainly focuses on the following two questions: In terms of the choice of
translation and introduction motivation, how did Anthony C. Yu’s own Chinese
cultural roots and academic growth experience in the West stimulate his interest in
translating Journey to the West? Faced with the complex and diverse long and
difficult sentences and colloquial expressions in the original work, what methods did
Anthony C. Yu use for English reconstruction? How to deal with the differences
between the unique syntactic logic of Chinese and English grammatical norms, find a
balance between retaining the style of the original text and conforming to English
expression habits, and ensure the fluency and readability of the translation?
2. Literature Review and Research Gaps
As a brilliant pearl in Chinese classical literature, the English translation of Journey
to the West has attracted much attention in the context of cultural exchanges. Many
scholars have carried out in-depth research from different perspectives and achieved
fruitful results, but there are also some areas that need to be improved and expanded.
At the level of translation strategies, Wang Zhen emphasized the key role of
Chinese-translated Sanskrit words in conveying the essence of Buddhist culture in
“On the Embodiment and Translation of Chinese-translated Sanskrit Words in the
English Translations of Journey to the West” [5]. Through a detailed analysis of the
complete English translations of Journey to the West by Jenner and Anthony C. Yu, a
series of targeted translation methods were sorted out, such as applying Sanskrit
transliteration words, “translating according to the nature”, and reconstructing by
combining English and Sanskrit transliteration words. For example, for the Sanskrit
sinicized word “Xingzhe” (行者) with profound cultural connotations, it is suggested
to return to its Sanskrit transliteration form “Dhuta” to restore its original meaning in
the Buddhist cultural context; while for words like “Lian” (莲) with similar images in
Eastern and Western cultures, direct English translation can be adopted to ensure the
conciseness and comprehensibility of the translation. Su Yan explored the core of
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Anthony C. Yu’s translation concept, revealing that Anthony C. Yu firmly adhered to
the translatability theory and actively practiced foreignization and full translation
strategies in translation practice [6]. It was pointed out that Anthony C. Yu mostly
used transliteration in handling proper nouns, such as translating “Rulai” ( 如来) as
“Tathāgata” and “Zhen” ( 真) as “Nirvāna”, striving to present the unique charm of
Chinese culture in its original form and opening a window for Western readers to
understand Oriental culture.
From the perspective of cultural communication, Li Wenting conducted a
comprehensive and in-depth study on Anthony C. Yu’s translation from the unique
and key perspective of audience awareness [7]. It elaborated on the translation
techniques of Yu’s version in many important aspects such as poetry, terminology,
rhetorical techniques, and symbolic meanings, as well as the strategies of attaching
great importance to and actively responding to audience feedback. In poetry
translation, Anthony C. Yu overcame many difficulties to fully translate the poems,
enabling Western readers to appreciate the rhythmic beauty and cultural charm of the
original work; in terminology translation, through the method of literal translation in
the text plus endnotes or transliteration in the text plus annotations, he effectively
helped readers understand the profound connotations of Buddhist and Taoist terms,
enhancing the readability and acceptability of the translation. Chang Hongjing
systematically analyzed the core links of Anthony C. Yu’s translation, such as the
subject, content, channels, audience, and effect of translation and introduction in the
United States [8]. The study found that Anthony C. Yu, as a Chinese–American
scholar, his unique identity has high affinity and recognition among Western readers.
The successful experience of his translation in the choice of publishing channels and
promotion with the help of mass media provides a valuable reference for the external
translation of Chinese classics and lays a solid practical foundation for subsequent
research.
However, there are still some obvious deficiencies in the current research. In terms
of language selection, the research on the specific language selection strategies of
translators at different levels such as vocabulary, syntax, and discourse and the
underlying reasons behind them is not systematic and comprehensive enough. At the
vocabulary level, for some characteristic words with rich cultural connotations, such
as “Jingubang” (金箍棒) and “Jinguzhou” (紧箍咒), the specific translation choices of
translators in different contexts and their impact on cultural communication have not
been deeply explored; at the syntactic level, the research on the specific methods and
considerations of translators in the process of English conversion and reconstruction
of the unique long and difficult sentence structures and colloquial expressions in the
original work is relatively scarce; at the discourse level, the research on how to deal
with the narrative rhythm and textual coherence of the original work is also
insufficient, lacking an overall research perspective.
In terms of cultural strategies, although existing studies have involved the
translation of some cultural elements, a complete, systematic, and universally
applicable cultural strategy framework has not been constructed. For the rich cultural
connotations contained in Journey to the West, such as multicultural elements of
Buddhism, Taoism, and folk myths, more in-depth, detailed, and multi-dimensional
research is needed on how to conduct comprehensive, accurate, and culturally
appealing transmission in the translation process, as well as the acceptance and
communication effects of these cultural elements in different cultural contexts.
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In terms of the translation details of culture-loaded words, although existing studies
have involved some culture–loaded words such as Buddhist terms, the discussion on
translation strategies for some obscure words or words with special meanings in
different cultural contexts is not in-depth and detailed enough. For example, the
cultural connotations of words such as “Sanmei Zhenhuo” ( 三 昧 真 火 ) and
“Qishierbian” (七十二变) are rich and unique, and the specific methods and effects of
different translators in dealing with these words need more detailed comparative
analysis to reveal the cultural considerations and translation decision-making
mechanisms behind them.
In the research on the relationship between translator style and translation purpose,
although some studies have mentioned the impact of translators’ backgrounds on
translation, there is a lack of systematic and in-depth research on the specific
embodiment of translators’ personal styles in language selection and cultural
strategies, as well as the dynamic relationship between such styles and translation
purposes. For example, how the different academic backgrounds and cultural
experiences of Jenner and Anthony C. Yu specifically affect their language use and
cultural transmission strategies in the translation process, and how their respective
translation purposes are reflected and interacted in these choices, still need to be
further explored to clarify the specific mechanism of the translator’s subjectivity in
the translation process.
In terms of audience feedback research in cross-cultural communication, although
existing studies have paid attention to some audience reactions, there is a lack of
comprehensive and in–depth analysis on the specific acceptance differences of
audiences with different cultural backgrounds, different age groups, and different
reading purposes towards the English translation of Journey to the West, and how
these differences react to the adjustment of translation strategies. For example, the
differences in concerns and understanding difficulties between Western teenage
readers and professional sinology researchers when reading the English translation of
Journey to the West, and how to optimize translation strategies according to these
differences, the current research is not sufficient, and the breadth and depth of
research need to be further expanded to enhance the adaptability and effectiveness of
the translation in cross-cultural communication.
In view of the above research gaps, through the perspective of cultural turn, this
paper will systematically analyze the translation examples of Anthony C. Yu’s
English translation of Journey to the West, deeply explore the translation motivation
choices shown in his translation, and further reveal the cultural shaping and historical
inheritance functions of Anthony C. Yu’s English translation of Journey to the West
in the history of translation.
3. Analysis of the Causes of Translation and Introduction Motivation
and Translation Examples
The success of Anthony C. Yu’s English translation of Journey to the West is
inseparable from his choice of translating Journey to the West in the 1980s and
adopting the translation strategy of balancing domestication and foreignization, with a
slight emphasis on foreignization. The emergence of Anthony C. Yu’s complete
translation of Journey to the West at a specific time is not only closely related to the
historical context at that time but also closely linked to the translator’s own qualities
and strong translation motivation [9]. Combined with the restrictive factors inside and
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outside the literary system shown in Figure 1, this paper traces Anthony C. Yu’s
translation motivation and choices from the aspects of patronage, mainstream poetics,
and the translator’s cultural stance.
The content of translation and introduction, i.e., “what to say”, refers to both the
original work chosen by the translator for translation and the translation strategies
used in the translation. The choice of translation content and translation strategies is
the embodiment of the translator’s subjectivity and can directly affect the
communication effect of the text [8]. Lefevere pointed out in his book Translation,
Rewriting and the Manipulation of Literary Fame that translation can only have a
certain function within the literary system, and the literary system is subject to two
main factors: (1) professionals within the literary system, who to a certain extent
determine the mainstream poetics; (2) patronage outside the literary system, which to
a certain extent determines the ideology [10]. The relationship between these two
factors can be shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Control Factors inside and outside the Literary System.
The inner circle represents professionals within the literary system, including critics
and reviewers (whose comments affect the acceptance of works), scholars and
teachers (who often decide whether to study a certain work), and translators
themselves who determine poetics and sometimes affect the ideology of the
translation. The outer circle represents patronage outside the literary system,
reflecting the power exercised by power carriers (people, institutions) that can
promote or hinder the interpretation, creation, and rewriting of literature [11].
In the process of translating and introducing Journey to the West, Anthony C. Yu
adhered to the view of faithfulness that recognizes differences, considers readers, and
faces the original text as a whole. This concept made him pursue the principle of
seeking truth and being pragmatic, which is different from other translators: at the
style level, he sought the truth of local style and aimed at the reality of being readable
with local customs; at the aesthetic level, he sought the truth of poetic form and aimed
at the reality of being readable with rhythmic beauty; at the meaning level, he sought
the truth of the original implication and aimed at the reality of being readable with the
original purpose [12]. The analysis of the relationship between thinking and behavior
reveals the necessity of the existence of the belief in faithfulness in translation and the
hierarchy and balance of pragmatic behaviors needed to achieve faithful translation.
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3.1. Translation Choices Under the Influence of Patronage
A patron is a sponsor or supporter of translation activities, referring to individuals
or institutions that provide financial support for translation or promote it through their
influence. Anthony C. Yu’s decision to translate Journey to the West was influenced
by Professor Kitagawa, then Dean of the Divinity School at the University of Chicago.
In 1969, while striving to complete his doctoral dissertation, Yu was asked to present
a finished paper at a retreat for faculty members of the University of Chicago Divinity
School. Inspired by Professor Kitagawa, he began researching China and, upon being
hired by Professor Herrlee Glessner Creel—senior Chinese historian, sinologist, and
then chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the
University of Chicago—became a full-time joint faculty member in the department.
There, he immersed himself in Chinese classics, devoting himself to researching and
translating Journey to the West. Starting in 1970, Yu spent 13 years completing a
four-volume full English translation, which was published by the University of
Chicago Press—one of the oldest and most prestigious university presses in the U.S.,
having published works by over 20 Nobel laureates [8].
As one of the Four Great Classical Novels, Journey to the West blends classical and
vernacular Chinese, incorporating numerous vivid dialects, proverbs, and idioms. This
gives the text its unique character, as Lu Xun noted: “Though Journey to the West
tells tales of illusory transformations, it is interspersed with amusing remarks,
endowing gods and demons with human emotions and spirits with worldly wisdom...”
[13]. Translating these alternating classical and vernacular expressions is crucial not
only for recreating Chinese secular cultural scenes in the target country but also for
shaping the images of deities and Buddhas and conveying the novel’s comedic effects.
In translating the colloquial language of the original, Yu strived for full translation
and fidelity to the local style, skillfully employing methods such as addition,
transliteration, and literal translation with annotations to allow readers to appreciate
the original’s blend of elegance and popularity. Examples include:
Source Text 1:
三年不上门，当亲也不亲。(Wu Chengen 2013: 536)
Yu’s Translation:
As the proverb says, three years not showing at the door, a relative is one no more.
(Anthony C. Yu 2012I: 377)
Source Text 2:
就把吃奶的气力也使尽了，只绷得个手平。(Wu Chengen 2013: 291)
Yu’s Translation:
Even when I summoned up the strength of my milk-drinking days! We are evenly
matched. (Anthony C. Yu 2012II: 189)
Source Text 3:
糟鼻子不吃酒 —— 枉担其名。(Wu Chengen 2013: 523)
Yu’s Translation:
A red-nose who doesn’t drink? He bears his name in vain. (Anthony C. Yu 2012II:
353)
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Source Text 4:
尖担担柴 —— 两头脱。(Wu Chengen 2013: 757)
Yu’s Translation:
Hauling firewood with a pointed pole: you lose at both ends. (Anthony C. Yu
2012III: 169)
Analysis of these examples reveals that Yu often used introductory phrases and
literal translation when rendering proverbs, highlighting their colloquial nature while
preserving the original’s local imagery. For instance, in Source Text 1, the informal
colloquial phrase “不 上 门 ” (not visiting) is translated as “not showing at the door,”
retaining both meaning and oral style. Crucially, the rhyme between “door” and
“more” enhances the translation’s rhythm, emphasizing its folksy charm. In Source
Text 2, “吃奶的气力” (strength of infancy) is translated as “the strength of my milk-
drinking days.” Source Text 3 and Source Text 4 are “歇后语” (two-part allegorical
sayings), where the first part (the riddle) is vivid and the second (the punchline) is
concise. Yu mirrored this structure in translation, rendering images like “糟鼻子” (red
nose) and “ 尖 担 ” (pointed pole) to recreate the original’s secular flavor. By
prioritizing the authenticity of local imagery, Yu ensured readers not only understood
the meaning but also felt the cultural essence, embodying the principle that “seeking
truth is fundamental, and practicality is essential” [16].
3.2. The Influence of Dominant Poetics on Yu’s Translation
In translation studies, dominant poetics subtly shape a translator’s work. Yu’s
research and translation of Journey to the West were profoundly influenced by the
University of Chicago’s interdisciplinary academic culture and Western New
Criticism [17]. The University of Chicago pioneered interdisciplinarity: during World
War II, its top mathematicians, physicists, and chemists collaborated to build the
world’s first uranium-graphite atomic reactor and develop the first atomic bomb. The
university also established interdisciplinary committees and annual cross-college
graduate workshops, encouraging students and young faculty to explore multiple
disciplines and deepen academic breadth and depth. This unique interdisciplinary
environment inspired Yu’s cross-disciplinary scholarship, which evolved from
Western history and English literature to religious and literary studies, eventually
embracing Sino-Western comparative research. Before translating Journey to the West,
Yu conducted in-depth academic research, focusing on its epic dimensions. He argued
that Journey to the West resonates thematically with Homer’s Odyssey and Dante’s
Divine Comedy as “pilgrimages” or “spiritual journeys of adventure.” Through
comparative analysis, Yu highlighted the novel’s epic and allegorical dimensions,
framing the journey as a path to personal redemption and enlightenment, embodying
the synthesis of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—thus deepening readers’
understanding of this classical work. Yu also studied during the late period of New
Criticism, which emphasized textual close reading and semantic analysis. Though he
rejected viewing texts as self-contained worlds, New Critical methods of close
reading and metaphor analysis profoundly influenced his work [18]. Yu became the
first to fully translate all 750 poems in Journey to the West; in appendices to each
volume, he cited Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist classics, annotated the metaphorical
meanings of Taoist terms (e.g., alchemy and the Five Elements), and provided
detailed notes on culturally rich proverbs and idioms. This approach enabled target—
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language readers to grasp the source culture’s essence and facilitated academic
research.
Yu respected China’s classical narrative forms, striving to preserve the original’s
“multimodal” stylistic diversity to achieve formal authenticity and make Chinese
poetics accessible. Due to differing origins and developmental paths, Chinese
classical narratives differ sharply from Western models [19]. Unlike Western prose
narratives, classical Chinese novels intersperse prose with diverse rhymed texts—
Journey to the West alone contains over 750 such pieces, including poems, “ 词”
(lyrics) and “ 赋” (rhapsodies) [20]. To honor this stylistic richness, Yu not only
retained the alternation of prose and rhyme through full translation but also used
Western poetic techniques to mimic the distinctive features of each genre, creating
structural parallels with the original. Examples include:
Source Text 5:
清和天气爽，池沼芰荷生。
梅逐雨余熟，麦随风里成……(Wu Chengen 2013: 1242)
Yu’s Translation:
The weather is pleasant and bright,
With pond-lotus coming into sight.
Plums ripen after the rains,
Wheat in the wind its height attains... (Anthony C. Yu 2012IV: 629)
Source Text 6:
金丸珠弹，红绽黄肥。
金丸珠弹腊樱桃，色真甘美；
红绽黄肥熟梅子，味果香酸……(Wu Chengen 2013: 8)
Yu’s Translation:
Golden balls and pearly pellets,
Red ripeness and yellow plumpness.
Golden balls and pearly pellets are the cherries,
Their colors truly luscious.
Red ripeness and yellow plumpness are the plums,
Their taste a fragrant tartness... (Anthony C. Yu 2012I: 17)
Source Text 5 and Source Text 6 illustrate “诗” (shi, poetry) and “赋” (fu, rhapsody),
two dominant classical Chinese rhymed genres with distinct poetic features. Shi
emphasizes rhythm, adhering to strict rules of meter, tone, and rhyme; fu, though
rhymed, uses irregular, parallel structures for descriptive effect [12]. In translating shi,
Yu prioritized semantic fidelity while recreating rhythmic effects: for the five-
character regulated verse in the Source Text 5, he used iambic tetrameter to mimic the
original’s concise cadence, with end rhymes (bright/sight, rains/attains) echoing the
Chinese rhyme scheme.
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For the fu in the Source Text 6, Yu mirrored the original’s structure—four-character
lines paired with alternating seven- and four-character lines—and replicated the
anadiplosis (repetition of end words) in lines 1 & 3, 2 & 5. This preserved the fu’s
cumulative, repetitive style, recreating its defamiliarizing effect in translation.
Faced with 750 poems of diverse genres, Yu was a firm advocate of translatability
[7]. He sought to preserve the original’s overall aesthetic, distinguishing between
subgenres of rhymed text, and used Western poetic elements to mimic their unique
features, thereby recapturing their distinct beauty.
3.3. The Influence of the Translator’s Cultural Position on Translation Strategies
Early abridged translations of Journey to the West were produced by missionaries
and sinologists from dominant Western cultures, who adopted domestication to cater
to Western readers’ curiosity about Chinese myths. Arthur Waley’s 1942 abridgment
Monkey—the most influential partial translation—introduced Journey to the West to
Western audiences but was criticized for excessive cuts that destroyed the original’s
prose-rhyme structure.
As a Chinese-American scholar, Yu’s choices were more personal: driven by his
love for Chinese classical literature, cultural consciousness as a Chinese descendant,
and mastery of Western literary language, he balanced source and target cultures,
prioritizing foreignization while incorporating domestication. His full translation, with
comprehensive introductions and detailed annotations, stood out for its completeness,
fidelity, cultural depth, and academic rigor, becoming a landmark in Anglo-American
translation studies.
Unlike earlier translators who oversimplified the original’s meaning to ensure
readability, Yu strove to faithfully reproduce its deeper allegories. Drawing on
Western exegetical traditions, he used paratexts (prefaces, endnotes) and flexible
techniques (literal and free translation) to reconstruct these allegories, rationalizing
the surface narrative and clarifying the underlying message—enabling target readers
to grasp the hidden meanings behind obscure expressions and enhancing overall
readability. Examples include:
Source Text 7:
樵夫道：“不远不远。此山叫做灵台方寸山，山中有座斜月三星洞……”(Wu Chengen
2013: 11)
Yu’s Translation:
...the woodcutter said, “This mountain is called the Mountain of Mind and Heart,
and in it is the Cave of Slanting Moon and Three Stars...” (Anthony C. Yu 2012I: 25)
Source Text 8:
八卦炉中逃大圣 / 五行山下定心猿 (Wu Chengen 2013: 77)
Yu’s Translation:
From the Eight Trigrams Brazier the Great Sage escapes; Beneath the Five Phases
Mountain, Mind Monkey is still. (Note: The phrase “The Monkey of the Mind and the
Horse of the Will (xinyuanyima)” is a metaphor common in Buddhist writings.)
(Anthony C. Yu 2012I: 156)
Both Source Text 7 and Source Text 8 reflect the novel’s core theme of “cultivating
the mind,” framing the pilgrimage as a journey of spiritual refinement. This theme is
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conveyed through wordplay on “心” (heart/mind) and character epithets. The name of
Subhuti’s cave—“灵台方寸山” (Mountain of 灵台 and 方寸) and “斜月三星洞” (Cave
of Slanting Moon and Three Stars)—uses synonyms and wordplay to emphasize “心”:
“灵台” (spirit platform) and “方寸” (square inch) are classical metaphors for “heart”
(from Zhuangzi and Liezi, respectively), while “斜月三星” (slanting moon+three stars)
visually represents the Chinese character “ 心” ( 心, with a slanting stroke and three
dots). Yu translated “灵台方寸” as “Mind and Heart” to reinforce the “heart” motif; he
rendered “斜月” as “slanting moon” to preserve the visual association and explained
the connection in his introduction.
In the Source Text 8, “心猿” (Mind Monkey) and “意马” (Will Horse)—metaphors
for Sun Wukong and the dragon-horse—symbolize the journey from Wukong’s
rebellion to his taming via the golden fillet, embodying “the metaphor of reclaiming a
wandering mind”. Yu translated “心猿” as “Mind Monkey” to clarify that “ape” refers
to Wukong, and added a note linking “Mind Monkey and Will Horse” to the theme of
spiritual cultivation.
Thus, at the level of meaning, Yu refused to sacrifice fidelity for accessibility,
unlike earlier translators. He prioritized the original’s allegorical truth, enabling
readers to grasp the hidden themes behind obscure language, and achieved fidelity by
balancing truth-seeking with practical comprehensibility.
4. Analysis of Contributions and Limitations in the Target Country
4.1. Contributions
Translation effect—“with what effect”—is a key measure of a translated work’s
success in the target culture. Journey to the West, a masterpiece of Chinese novels of
gods and spirits, reached Eastern countries much earlier than Western ones. Yu’s
translation is hailed as “one of the great humanistic achievements of the twentieth
century” [21] for its fidelity, completeness, and detailed annotations. It made indelible
contributions to target-country research on Chinese traditional culture and academic
discourse surrounding Journey to the West.
4.1.1. Cultural Value
As a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures, Yu’s translation allowed
English readers direct access to Chinese classical literature, enabling them to
appreciate Journey to the West’s stories and deepen their understanding of Chinese
history, philosophy, religion, and ethics. His full translation of poems and explanation
of Buddhist-Taoist culture, in particular, earned academic acclaim, fostering deeper
insight into the complexity of Chinese religion and philosophy.
4.1.2. Academic Value
Yu’s translation stands out for its academic rigor. His strategies reflect in-depth
research and a commitment to translatability, making it a model of scholarly
translation. By contextualizing the text through annotations, he embedded it in a
richer cultural and linguistic framework, enhancing its research value and providing a
blueprint for foreign readers to engage with Chinese classics.
4.2. Limitations
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4.2.1. Length and Complexity Diminish Reader Engagement
Given limited overseas familiarity with Chinese culture, full translation is a double-
edged sword [22]. To preserve authenticity, Yu retained the “huaben” (storyteller’s
script) features of Journey to the West—including plot recapitulations (common in
oral storytelling to refresh audiences’ memory over extended performances)—which
Western readers may perceive as redundancy or padding. The prose-rhyme structure,
unfamiliar in Western literature, risked semantic distortion or cultural gaps, increasing
readability challenges. Western readers, unaccustomed to such forms, struggled to
appreciate the multimodal beauty of classical Chinese literature, often criticizing the
poems. Additionally, paratexts citing Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist texts to explain
the novel’s core and contextualize Xuanzang’s ( 玄 奘 ) real pilgrimage introduced
obscure religious philosophy that diverged from popular taste, discouraging general
readers.
4.2.2. Inaccessible Distribution Channels Hinder Reception
Despite its success, many interested readers lack access to Yu’s translation. On
overseas platforms, users expressing interest in his version often struggle to find
purchasing channels [23]. Poor accessibility undoubtedly alienates potential readers.
Existing research on the translation’s reception has neglected groups with limited
information or access, overlooking the need to expand distribution.
5. Conclusions
This study examines Anthony C. Yu’s English translation of Journey to the West
from the perspective of the cultural turn, analyzing three influential dimensions:
patronage, dominant poetics, and the translator’s cultural position. Translation studies
should not disregard source texts and source cultures; in research on the English
translation of Journey to the West and classical Chinese novels more broadly,
attention must be paid to the connections between translations, academic history, and
the history of English translation. Such a foundation enables researchers to better
understand subsequent issues in translation history, such as translators’ motivations
and strategies [24]. Yu’s translation of Journey to the West stands as a significant
achievement in Sino-Western cultural exchange, with undeniable academic value and
cultural communication functions.
Against the backdrop of the cultural turn, the motivations behind Yu’s translation
reflect diverse and complex cultural interweaving. From the perspective of patronage,
the inspiration of Professor Kitagawa and the support of the University of Chicago
Press were not merely academic or publishing assistance but active engagement by
Western cultural institutions in introducing Eastern classics. This reflects Western
academia’s eagerness to explore and absorb foreign cultural resources amid trends
toward cultural pluralism. Influenced by this, Yu’s strategies for translating colloquial
language became a key means of micro-level cultural transmission, striving to embed
unique Eastern cultural expressions within Western linguistic systems and forge a
bridge for cross-cultural dialogue at the level of linguistic details.
The influence of dominant poetics on Yu’s translation profoundly embodies the
cultural turn. The interdisciplinary academic environment at the University of
Chicago and Western New Criticism represent evolving trends in Western academic
culture. By integrating these influences, Yu’s research and translation of Journey to
the West became a paradigmatic case of cross-cultural poetic fusion. Through full
Volume 8, Issue 4, 2025 ISSN: 2617-9938
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31058/j.ad.2025.84023
Submitted to Art and Design, page 217-220 www.itspoa.com/journal/ad
translation of poems, citations of classical texts, and detailed annotations, he did not
merely engage in linguistic conversion but reshaped the poetics of classical Chinese
literature within a Western cultural context. This promoted in-depth integration of
Eastern and Western cultures in literary aesthetics and cultural understanding,
breaking down barriers in traditional single-cultural poetic research.
In terms of the translator’s cultural position, Yu’s strategy of balancing source and
target cultures prominently demonstrates translator subjectivity from the cultural turn
perspective. In stark contrast to the domestication inclination of early translators, his
preference for foreignization supplemented by domestication strongly fulfills the ideal
of equal cultural exchange. By reconstructing the original’s allegorical meaning
through paratexts and flexible translation techniques, he aimed to fully present the
original significance and logical thinking of Chinese culture within Western cultural
fields. This provided Western readers direct access to the core of Eastern culture,
advancing the independent, complete, and in-depth integration of Chinese culture into
Western cultural systems.
Despite its achievements, the translation has notable limitations when measured
against the cultural turn’s emphasis on audience orientation and communication
effectiveness. The length of the text and complex religious-philosophical ideas create
reading difficulties, reflecting insufficient consideration of differences in audience
reading habits and cultural backgrounds in cross-cultural communication. In an era of
rapid cultural transmission and diverse audience needs, this limits the translation’s
impact in popular cultural communication. Inaccessible distribution channels
highlight weaknesses in the circulation of cultural products within global cultural
communication systems, hindering the breadth and depth of cultural dissemination
and restricting the translation’s reach across diverse cultural groups and regions.
Yu’s translation of Journey to the West has played a vital role in promoting Sino-
Western cultural exchange and enhancing understanding of China’s excellent
traditional culture in English-speaking countries. Its academic value and cultural
communication functions make it a crucial case study in research on the cultural turn
and cross-cultural exchange. Future research and translation efforts should maintain
academic rigor and depth while prioritizing readability and accessibility, fostering
deeper development in cultural turn-oriented translation studies.
Conflicts of Interest
The author declares that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of
this article.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public,
commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
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