@article{ART003249352},
author={Baek, Sun},
title={Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian},
journal={The Journal of Translation Studies},
issn={1229-795X},
year={2025},
volume={26},
number={3},
pages={73-111},
doi={10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003}
TY - JOUR
AU - Baek, Sun
TI - Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian
JO - The Journal of Translation Studies
PY - 2025
VL - 26
IS - 3
PB - The Korean Association for Translation Studies
SP - 73
EP - 111
SN - 1229-795X
AB - This study examines Hu Jiaotong’s Chinese translation of Han Kang’s “Chaesikjuuija” (The Vegetarian) by comparing Korean readers’ responses to the source text with Chinese readers’ responses to the translation, employing sentiment analysis and topic modeling. It explores cross-cultural interpretations and responses and assesses the reception of the translation through detailed analyses of selected examples. The sentiment analysis revealed relatively similar positive responses between Korean and Chinese readers; however, significant differences in negative feedback emerged. This findings suggest that, although Hu’s translation is “accurate” in conveying information, it does not fully resonate with target-language readers in terms of stylistic nuance, resulting in a partial loss of the source text’s literary qualities and sensory expression. The topic modeling and close textual analyses further reveal that the Chinese readers critically evaluated the translation with regard to “language,” “symbolism,” “logical structure,” and “reductive translation.” The translator’s literal approach, shaped by linguistic and cultural differences, predetermined emotional interpretations and character evaluations, thereby diminishing the source work’s aesthetic ambiguity and participatory interpretive potential. This case illustrates that the recreation of literary style in translation extends beyond mere linguistic transfer; it is deeply intertwined with the cultural expectations, reading practices, and interpretive norms of the target audience. The findings suggest that enhancing the reception of Korean literature in China requires translations that creatively align with the “horizons of expectation” of the target readership.
KW - literary style translation;reader response;The Vegetarian;sentiment analysis;topic modeling
DO - 10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
ER -
Baek, Sun. (2025). Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian. The Journal of Translation Studies, 26(3), 73-111.
Baek, Sun. 2025, "Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian", The Journal of Translation Studies, vol.26, no.3 pp.73-111. Available from: doi:10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
Baek, Sun "Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian" The Journal of Translation Studies 26.3 pp.73-111 (2025) : 73.
Baek, Sun. Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian. 2025; 26(3), 73-111. Available from: doi:10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
Baek, Sun. "Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian" The Journal of Translation Studies 26, no.3 (2025) : 73-111.doi: 10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
Baek, Sun. Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian. The Journal of Translation Studies, 26(3), 73-111. doi: 10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
Baek, Sun. Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian. The Journal of Translation Studies. 2025; 26(3) 73-111. doi: 10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
Baek, Sun. Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian. 2025; 26(3), 73-111. Available from: doi:10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
Baek, Sun. "Translating literary style: An NLP-based comparative analysis of Korean and Chinese reader responses to The Vegetarian" The Journal of Translation Studies 26, no.3 (2025) : 73-111.doi: 10.15749/jts.2025.26.3.003
