1 Introduction

This article introduces the importance of the English translation of "Red Classics" novels as a literary product of a specific historical period in China, in shaping the country's image and conveying ideological discourse on the international stage. This paper discusses the current research status of the phenomenon of English translation of "Red Classics" novels both domestically and internationally, including an analysis of translators' translation strategies and the role of English translations in political propaganda. It points out the neglect of version change issues in existing research and emphasizes the importance of diachronic interaction between Chinese base versions and English translations in different versions. Taking "Stormy Storm" as an example, this paper analyzes the specific intervention and influence of power discourse in different historical periods on the English translation process of "Red Classics" novels, revealing the complex interactive relationship between translation behavior and external power factors.

Theory of Power Discourse and Literary Translation

Deeply explored Foucault's theory of power discourse and its application in the field of literary translation. Foucault viewed power as the control over people's thoughts and actions, while discourse is the deep logic hidden beneath consciousness that governs the language expression and behavioral norms of a group. The combination of power and discourse forms a network that controls the thinking and actions of members of society. Inspired by this, Western translation researchers began to examine translation activities from a socio-cultural context, believing that translation is a discourse purification activity manipulated by multiple powers. In the English translation of "Red Classics" novels, the constraints and influences of this power discourse are particularly evident. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the state government unified the norms of literary creation through political movements and ideological struggles, and the group of writers often modified their works to adapt to the literary norms and ideology set by the state. When translating "Red Classics" into English, foreign language publishers will choose the recently revised Chinese version as the base text to ensure that the translation reflects the mainstream ideology of New China. Changes in the political situation can also lead to political modifications of the text. Foreign language publishing societies make corresponding modifications to the English translation based on the re version or re version of the original work, and re publish and distribute it.

An Analysis of Power Discourse in the English Translation of "Stormy Storm"

Stormy Storm "is a" red classic "novel depicting the land reform movement in Northeast China. It was created by Zhou Libo and translated into English by Xu Mengxiong. It was published by Foreign Language Press in 1955. The Chinese original of the novel has undergone multiple version evolutions, and the English translation has also been modified accordingly based on the revisions made to the Chinese original. At the linguistic level, the English translation reflects the specific historical period's requirements for the regulation and purification of sexual content in literary expression, such as the rewriting of the plot of Han Aizhen seducing Lao Yang, purifying the provocative details in the original text. On a cultural level, the English translation blurs the political background by removing or replacing content related to the Soviet Union and Lin Biao, reflecting the interference of political power in historical narratives. In terms of character portrayal, the English translation reflects the evaluation criteria centered on "class theory" after the founding of the People's Republic of China, which heroizes and idealizes positive characters while progressifying middle characters. The operation of power discourse in translation strategies is reflected in politically and ideologically driven editing and reconstruction, as well as cultural adaptation and taboo avoidance driven editing and translation. These strategies reflect the involvement of multiple power factors such as political ideology, cultural norms, and considerations of target audience acceptance.

The Universal Characteristics of English Translation of "Red Classics" Novels from the Perspective of Power Discourse

Discussed the universal characteristics of the English translation of "Red Classics" novels from the perspective of power discourse. These characteristics include: 1) the dominant role of ideology, in the early days of the founding of New China, maintaining socialist ideology became the core task of the country, external propaganda work was given a political mission, and translation activities were subject to political supervision; 2) Due to the constraints of national policies and institutional norms, the state guides and controls translation activities through cultural and artistic policies and translation work norms. The entire process, from topic selection and manuscript confirmation to translation strategy execution and distribution, is included in the national control system; 3) The strategic consideration of target readers' acceptance, although the primary goal is to serve the political and ideological needs of the source language country, also emphasizes the need to "take care of the readers". In translation practice, the cultural background, acceptance habits, and potential taboos of the target readers are considered. By directly soliciting feedback from readers or actively handling content that may cause resentment, the risk of cultural conflict is reduced and the acceptability of the translation is improved. These characteristics reflect the cultural practice of the English translation of "Red Classics" novels in a specific historical period's power discourse network, which is constrained by multiple factors.

5 Conclusion

Emphasizing that translation activities are cultural practices within specific historical contexts and power networks. Taking the English translation of "Stormy Storm" as an example, this paper analyzes how power discourse affects literary translation, including three translation strategies: language purification, political beautification, and cultural assimilation. It is an important topic worth exploring in the field of translation studies that the English translations of "Red Classics" novels are revised in response to changes in the political environment. Translation research based on version studies helps to understand the complex relationship between translation and power.