Mulan’s travel from ballad to movie: A case study of inter-modal translation

ABSTRACT This research is concerned with the inter-modal translation of Disney’s 1998 animated film Mulan. It treats Disney’s team of adaptors as corporate translators, exploring how their intervention enabled the legendary figure Mulan and the ballad named after her to travel from ancient China to the modern world to serve the artistic and commercial purposes of their patron, the Walt Disney Company. This study examines Mulan’s journey along with the team’s process: first, their research of the source; second, their activation of a two-phase cultural translation, enabling Mulan to enter 1990s America – assimilating her into US culture and fitting her into the Disney Formula. Key alterations and their impact are then scrutinized. This research critically reviews and assimilates prior scholarship, adapting relevant concepts such as traveling theory and post-translation rewriting.