Re-evaluating Overseas Readers’ Acceptability from a Postcolonial Perspective

Abstract

Grounded in postcolonial theory, this study examines the annotations in Diary of a Madman and Other Stories translated by William A. Lyell, in conjunction with reader reviews of the translation on Goodreads, to investigate the overseas reception of a translated text that preserves cultural heterogeneity. By analyzing how foreign readers respond to culture-specific elements retained through annotation, the paper reflects on the prevailing tendency in the outward translation of Chinese literature to overemphasize fluency and naturalness as a result of underestimating target readers’ acceptability. The study aims to offer insights for the practice of translating Chinese literature for overseas readerships, re-evaluate their capacity for engaging with cultural difference, and thereby contribute to more effective global dissemination of Chinese literature.