Strategies for Constructing Liu Bei’s Image in English Translations of Sanguo Yanyi

Abstract

Sanguo Yanyi, an eminent and impactful ancient historical novel, has achieved considerable recognition and holds perpetual allure. Currently, there exist three English translations of Sanguo Yanyi, originating from different historical periods. In this paper, we focus on the character image of Liu Bei, employing it as a case study to analyze and compare the translation methods employed in these three translations. The aim is to scrutinize the translation strategies that effectively convey the portrayal of character images.