Poetological Factors in Goldblatt’s Translation of Sheng Si Pi Lao

This chapter explores poetological manipulation in Goldblatt’s translation of Sheng Si Pi Lao. The chapter analyses in detail how the translator rewrites a selected sample of the novel’s poetological features, including its unique linguistic, stylistic and narrative features, to produce a translation which is accessible to the intended audience. On the basis of this analysis, the chapter identifies three characteristics of Goldblatt’s poetological rewriting: (1) macro-stylistic consistency with the ST, i.e., overall stylistic conformity with the original work; (2) simplification principle; (3) typical features of contemporary American English. Analyses reveal poetic manipulation in the translation process, from which we determine that rewriting in favour of the target poetological currents is an effective way to achieve reader acceptance.