Chapter 6. In the eye of the beholder

Abstract

Frequent use of metaphors is a distinctive feature of the Chinese scholar Qian Zhongshu’s popular novel Weicheng (Fortress Besieged). Its English translation by Jeanne Kelly and Nathan K. Mao was well received in the English-speaking world. What are readers’ responses to and comments on the metaphors in this novel, and how are the translated metaphors received by target language readers, compared to their reception by source language readers? Our big data based study uses sentiment analysis to break new ground and improve our understanding of English readers’ reception of English translations of Chinese metaphors, which inevitably impose a heavy cultural load. We also discuss the implications of the differences with Chinese readers’ reception of metaphors in the original work.