“Defect” and “Compensation” in English Translation of Internet Fantasy Novels Terms - 期刊论文

Aug 23, 2026

Upload by Eden

Internet fantasy novels have become increasingly popular among overseas readers, yet the translation of their Chinese-culture-based terms into English presents persistent difficulties. Focusing on “defect” as a translation phenomenon, the study clarifies its causes in term translation and proposes corresponding “compensation” strategies. By examining key features of terminology in fantasy fiction—inheritance from classical Chinese literature and creative elements generated by authors—the analysis highlights the cultural competence required to recognize sources and select suitable translation approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Characteristics of Terms in Internet Fantasy Fiction

Inheritance

Creativeness

Journal of Literature and Art Studies, October 2022, Vol. 12, No. 10, 1040-1046 doi: 10. 17265/2159-5836/2022 .10.011 D DAVID PUBLISHING “Defect” and “Compensation” in English Translation of Internet Fantasy Novels Terms DAI Yuan-yuan, GAO Wen-cheng University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China As an important part of network literature, Internet fantasy novels are more and more popular among overseas readers with the development and progress of Internet technology. There are a large number of terms in Internet fantasy novels with traditional Chinese cultural characteristics, making it difficult to translate. In order to better“going global” of Chinese online literature, the “defect” phenomenon in the translation of terms of Internet fantasy novels into English and its reasons behind are clarified, and several “compensation” strategies is provided. Keywords: internet fantasy novels, term translation, translation compensation Introduction Since the 21st century, network novels have been exploding in China. With the further development of the Internet and the popularity of the mobile Internet, the content of network novels is more and more extensive, and the themes are more innovative. When the traditional literature could no longer meet the taste of the growing number of readers, fantasy novels appeared. It was born out of the traditional Chinese martial arts novels, integrating Western magic literature with various supernatural factors, and took the top position of the network novel theme at one stroke. Fantasy novels have a grand world view and a rich background, often taking the experience of a nobody-type protagonists becoming a master in a certain field as the main narrative line, which deeply meet the “pleasure” needs of today’s readers. As of February 24 2021, there are 958,182 novels were classified as “fantasy” and “Xianxia”, accounting for 32.65% of the total number of all types of works on the website Qidian (起点中文网) . The popularity of fantasy novels has also spawned many high-quality works, forming a number of“IP” with the characteristics of this era. In China, popular fantasy novels have been repeatedly adapted to film and television screens, such as Soul Land (斗罗大陆), Fights Break Sphere (斗破苍穹), and Fighter of the Destiny (择天记); overseas, these works have been translated locally by amateur translators and published on the Internet, gaining many likes. But at the same time, the translation of Internet fantasy novels has also posed a problem for translators. DAI Yuan-yuan, Master of Arts, College of Foreign Languages, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. GAO Wen-cheng, Ph.D. of Philosophy, Professor, College of Foreign Languages, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. “DEFECT” AND “COMPENSATION” IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF INTERNET FANTASY NOVELS TERMS1041 Characteristics of Terms in Internet Fantasy Fiction Given that many readers seek “pleasure” in the reading experience, in order to make the process of“fighting monsters and upgrading” more pleasant, the author must establish a complete world view and a set of mature character upgrading mode in the novel. This leads to many terms in fantasy novels that exist to perfect a worldview, such as the names of kingdom, school, the political system or hierarchy of where the story taking place, location or building name, the name of the energy existing in the bodies of characters, the period that the characters go through in practice, and the special weapons, objects, etc. Inheritance Literature, as a social ideology, cannot be divorced from social reality and exist independently. In essence, they are systematic views or opinions on the world and society formed on a certain economic basis. China has a brilliant and rich treasure of literature, modern writers are more or less influenced by these past literature, and then borrow the ancient myths of creation, the mystery novels of the Ming and Qin

FAQs

What translation difficulty does the paper address in Internet fantasy novels?

It addresses “defect” occurring when translating Internet fantasy novel terms into English, especially terms with traditional Chinese cultural characteristics.

What does the paper propose to deal with “defect”?

It clarifies the reasons behind “defect” and provides several “compensation” strategies for term translation.

Why do fantasy novel terms require cultural knowledge from translators?

Because terms often inherit meanings from earlier Chinese literature and contain references that translators must identify quickly to adopt appropriate translation methods.

Aug 23, 2026

Upload by Eden