Re-conceptualizing cultural dissemination in the lens of translational spaces: a case of the English dubbed Journey to the West

ABSTRACTThe Chinese classic TV series Journey to the West was dubbed into English by China Central Television in 2020. While it enjoys some popularity in the English-speaking world, many Chinese viewers learn English from this dubbed drama, aided by timely danmu dictionaries and back translations. This article delves into the directions of this dubbing’s dissemination by utilizing translational spaces, a conceptual tool substantiated by incorporating the concept of diaspora. It contends that the dubbing possesses a diasporic nature and is somewhat situated in the ‘third space’ through intercultural adjustments. There is no contradiction between the ‘outgoing’ of Chinese culture and the ‘inward’ flow for Chinese viewers learning English or seeking entertainment. The dichotomous ‘in-and-out’ mindset might be discarded, given the reality of multi-/non-/anti-directional dissemination. The perspective of translational spaces allows us to witness a collective online carnival sparked by cultural untranslatability, where multiple purposes and pursuits are celebrated. This challenges the notion of translation as a straightforward, single-directed practice and illuminates the mechanism of cross-cultural exchange through audiovisual translation in the current digital age.KEYWORDS: Journey to the Westtranslational spacesdubbingcultural disseminationdiaspora Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 https://www.cctv.com/2019/08/15/ARTIYw4TgEBWpxa1GY5zhpfT190815.shtml. Accessed on 18 January 2023.2 Nick Trites, a translator who worked in a literary translation agency in the UK and is currently working in Beijing, participated in the dubbing of Journey.3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SotS9KPFL0c. Accessed on 18 January 2023.4 https://www.imago-images.com/st/0069126312. Accessed on 18 January 2023.5 https://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2015/02/chinese-monkey-king-actor-visits-goldsmiths-college/. Accessed on 18 January 2023.6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3KNpyKILHM&list=PLOHG5PB2LOciGyGgdanH-whM_xscyTE0E. Accessed on 18 January 2023.Additional informationFundingThis research is funded by the 2023 Guangdong Philosophy and Social Science Foundation Youth Project (Project Code: GD23YWY01), the Guangdong Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science (Project Code: GD23XWY01), and the BNUHKBU United International College (Project Code: R202035).Notes on contributorsGe SongGe Song (宋歌) is Assistant Professor in the Programme of Applied Translation Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC), Zhuhai, China. He was educated or undertook research at Lingnan University, Shanghai International Studies University, National University of Singapore, University of Macao, etc. His research interest is the intersection of translation studies, linguistic landscape and cultural studies. He also studies Chinese culture in translation and museum translation. His articles have appeared in journals such as Babel, The Translator, Perspectives, Language and Intercultural Communication, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, Critical Arts, Asia Pacific Translation and Intercultural Studies, and Translation Quarterly, among others.Xuemei ChenXuemei Chen (陈雪梅) is an Assistant Professor in the Programme of Applied Translation Studies at BNU – HKBU United International College, Zhuhai, China. She obtained her doctoral degree from Lingnan University, Hong Kong. Her main research interests include translation in the digital age, translation of children’s literature, sociology of translation, and reception studies. Her articles have appeared in internationally peer-reviewed translation journals such as Perspectives, Translation Studies, Target, and Babel.