Inter-textualization of David Hawkes’ Translation Notes and The Translated Text of The Story of the Stone

Abstract

Intertextuality as a literary discourse strategy is used to create an interrelationship between texts and generate related understanding in separate works. The classic Chinese novel Hongloumeng, widely acclaimed as the epitome of Chinese literature, is well known for its complex plot, linguistic complexities and philosophical allusions. British born sinologist David Hawkes, in an ultimate fusion of exquisite Chinese scholarship and profound understanding of both Chinese and Western literary canons, created an astounding new text that reincarnates Cao’s Hongloumeng in The Story of the Stone. While the success of Hawkes’ translation has largely been attributed to his profound knowledge and linguistic ability, the role played by his translation notebook has almost been glossed over, with most research activities on the English translation of the eighteenth century classic confined to the traditional source text-target text binary approach. This paper applies methodologies from literary studies to examine the interplay between Hawkes’ translation notes and the translated text. The study argues that besides Hawkes’ linguist skills and wide scholarship, his translation notes played a fundamental role in his exceptional English rendition of Cao Xueqin’s magnum opus. This is a case study that seeks to further highlight the importance of extratextual material in the systematic investigation and understanding of translational activity.