Abstract
The research aims to investigate how different approaches of translation in three unabridged English versions of ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ align with Mona Baker’s theory of translation equivalence. By investigating the effectiveness of the translations in preserving linguistic, cultural, and stylistic properties of the source text, the research conducted comparative analysis based on Baker’s taxonomy, treating lexical, grammatical, textual, and pragmatic equivalence. Three English translations were thoroughly evaluated, observing the way each handled the main linguistic and cultural problems presented by the source text. The review revealed broad differences in the way each translation balanced the necessity to remain loyal to the original and how readable each was for English speakers. While some prioritized cultural and literal loyalty above readability, others prioritized readability above cultural and literal loyalty. The study is focused on the challenges of rendering culturally textured texts and also the impact of different approaches to the understanding and engaging interest of readers. This research contributes to translation studies in that it demonstrates the application of Baker’s equivalence model to traditional Chinese literature. It provides valuable tips to publishers, teachers, and translators on how to balance linguistic precision and readability and is a guide for future translation projects of rich cultural books.
Keywords: Comparative Analysis, Cultural Translation, Mona Baker, ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’, Translation Equivalence.