The Dream of the Red Chamber occupies an important position in Chinese culture, and the fifth chapter's illustrations, verdicts, and lyrics are rich in Chinese cultural loaded words, which are crucial for understanding the entire book. Ma Xi's Italian translation focuses on the translation strategies of these loaded words, aiming to promote the international dissemination of Chinese culture.

Translation and Introduction of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in Italy

The Dream of the Red Chamber has been translated into multiple languages since the late 18th century, with two Italian translations: the 1958 edition and the 1964 full translation by Ma Xi. The 1958 translation was based on a German translation, and the translator did not understand Chinese. However, Ma Xi directly translated from Chinese and provided an overview of the last forty chapters. Ma Xi was a sinologist who translated multiple Chinese literary works. In the preface of his translation of "Dream of the Red Chamber," he introduced the background, author, and position of the work in the history of Chinese literature, explained its differences from traditional Western novels, and suggested that Western readers change their reading habits. Ma Xi's translation uses footnotes to deeply interpret personal names, place names, poetry, etc., helping Italian readers understand "Dream of the Red Chamber" and Chinese classical culture. The fifth translation is complete, while the 1958 edition is presented in an overview format.

Translation Strategies for Chapter 5 of "Dream of the Red Chamber"

In the translation strategy of the fifth chapter of "Dream of the Red Chamber", Ma Xi adopted various methods to deal with Chinese cultural loaded words. The translation of personal names mainly adopts transliteration, supplemented by free translation, but there are cultural information gaps and understanding barriers for modern Italian readers. The translation of place names tends to be free translation, although sometimes it may not fully convey the original artistic conception. The translation of product names is mainly based on literal translation, supplemented by annotations to help Italian readers understand. The translation of couplets strives to maintain the parallelism and rhythm of the original text, but sometimes cultural differences lead to inaccurate translation. The translation of the pages and judgments is straightforward, but it fails to fully convey the implied and symbolic meaning of the original text. The translation of other cultural loaded words mainly focuses on foreignization, with domestication as a supplement, aiming to preserve the cultural characteristics of the original text. Overall, Ma Xi's translation strategy respects the original text while also taking into account the cultural background of the target language and the reader's comprehension ability.

3 Conclusion

In the Italian translation of "Dream of the Red Chamber", translator Ma Xi adopted a strategy of transliteration and literal translation in the translation of personal names, place names, painting names, couplets, and judgments. Transliteration retains the characteristics of the original text, but may pose difficulties for readers to understand; Literal translation loses the unique function of Chinese language. Ma Xi's translation did a good job in maintaining the correspondence between "form" and "meaning" in the original text, but the dissemination of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in Italy was limited, mainly among the sinological community and Chinese language learners. Cultural differences and unfamiliarity with Chinese culture are barriers to dissemination. Translators should choose appropriate translation strategies based on the target readers, balancing "domestication" and "foreignization" to meet the needs of different readers.