Exploring creative treason in English translated Danmei literature: a study of Living to Suffer and Till Death Do Us Part

Abstract

In recent years, the popularity of Danmei literature has spread to the West, with an increasing number of fans reading and translating Danmei works into English. This has led to a significant increase in the availability of Danmei works in English, allowing more people to experience this genre of fiction. Through analysing the English translated Chinese novel, Living to Suffer and Till Death Do Us Part, this thesis aims to explore the techniques and approaches used by a competent fan translator to connect uniquely Chinese themes in English translations, and to use ‘creative treason’ translation strategies to adapt and even trans-edit the translated text while remaining faithful to the source text, improving its readability and ultimately its cross-cultural communication.