Modern Social Science Research

As a pinnacle of classical Chinese literature, A Dream of Red Mansions portrays a vast cast of characters ranging from central figures to marginal roles. Among them, minor characters represented by Granny Liu, though situated on the narrative periphery, embody unique cultural charm and narrative functions. Her rustic language, marginal identity, and unaffected behavior make her an ideal sample for examining how translators handle language in translation. Drawing on the concept of “habitus” from Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological theory, this paper takes the Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang’s translation (A Dream of Red Mansions) and David Hawkes’ translation (The Story of the Stone) as research objects. Focusing on the representation of Granny Liu in the English context, it analyzes in detail the specific methods employed by the translators in rendering this minor character, attempting to effectively interpret the strategic differences between translator habitus and translation methods as well as their underlying motivations. The study aims to reveal the behavioral mechanisms behind translation and provide useful insights into balancing cultural fidelity with reader accessibility.

Translation strategy; Translator' s habitus; A Dream of Red Mansions; Minor character; Granny Liu