Abstract

The English translation of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China showcases advanced translation practices within Chinese political discourse, crucial for facilitating cross-cultural communication. As a seminal work of 21st-century Marxism and a primary text of Chinese political thought, it represents the principles of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. This paper conducts a detailed textual analysis to examine how four key narrative framing strategies in the translation of Chinese political discourse shape and communicate narratives across cultural boundaries. Drawing on Baker’s (2018) pioneering work in social narrative theory, this study illustrates how translators not only convey but also actively shape narratives. The findings reveal distinct employment of these strategies, coupled with diverse translation methods, to accurately convey the original narrative, thereby enhancing China’s international communication. This research extends the scope of narrative studies and introduces a novel theoretical lens to the translation of Chinese political discourse. By integrating narrative theory with translation studies, it uncovers new dimensions and paradigms for the translation and interpretation of political discourse, offering critical insights for achieving effective cross-cultural communication in this domain.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.