The Reception of Mo Yan’s Novel Thirteen Steps （《十三步》） in Spanish speaking Regions from the Perspective of Variation Theory

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mo Yan’s novels were first translated into Spanish in 1992. But the direct translation of his works from Chinese into Spanish instead of from English or French didn’t start until 2012.This essay will focus on the latest direct translation (Chinese to Spanish) of the novel Thirteen Steps （《十三步》）, and try to discuss its reception in Spanish-speaking regions from two aspects: one is the reviews and comments from the local Spanish critics; the other is the analysis on variation caused by literary misreading and cultural filtering from the levels of language translation and cultural transmission. The translation and interpretation of Mo Yan’s works could offer us a glimpse of the reception of contemporary Chinese literature in Spanish-speaking regions more generally, while inspiring some new ideas for Chinese literature to “go global.”