@article{ART003320206},
author={Jun Wang},
title={A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm},
journal={The Journal of Translation Studies},
issn={1229-795X},
year={2026},
volume={27},
number={1},
pages={415-448},
doi={10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013}
TY - JOUR
AU - Jun Wang
TI - A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm
JO - The Journal of Translation Studies
PY - 2026
VL - 27
IS - 1
PB - The Korean Association for Translation Studies
SP - 415
EP - 448
SN - 1229-795X
AB - Using Relevance Theory as a framework, this study examines how the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) is translated into Korean in Cao Yu’s Thunderstorm (雷雨), with a particular focus on the pragmatic effects of the 2016 Korean translation. To ensure analytical objectivity, 150 instances were selected for quantitative and qualitative analysis, excluding the negative forms of yao and jiuyao (就要). The findings reveal that yao is translated through diverse forms rather than through simple one-to-one correspondence. Direct modal equivalents (M) accounted for 40% of the data, making them the most frequent pattern and the cognitive default in translation. However, a significant number of instances exhibited more dynamic patterns, including shifted modal expressions (M′), non-modal expressions (NM), and omission (Ø). In particular, M′ and NM functioned as pragmatic strategies through which the translator, despite additional processing effort, contributed to characterization and intensified dramatic tension. Omission could be divided into two types: pragmatic-syntactic omission, which improves textual fluency, and loss-inducing omission, which weakens characters’ agency and the tragic effect. These findings demonstrate that in Chinese-Korean drama translation, yao functions not merely as a grammatical marker but as a pivotal discourse marker that shapes character attitudes and drives the narrative forward. This further underscores that successful modality translation requires not only a precise grasp of the polysemy of yao but also a comprehensive consideration of Korean grammatical constraints and the pragmatic context.
KW - Modal auxiliary yao (要);relevance theory;Chinese-Korean translation;drama translation;modal expression translation;play Thunderstorm (雷雨)
DO - 10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
ER -
Jun Wang. (2026). A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm. The Journal of Translation Studies, 27(1), 415-448.
Jun Wang. 2026, "A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm", The Journal of Translation Studies, vol.27, no.1 pp.415-448. Available from: doi:10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
Jun Wang "A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm" The Journal of Translation Studies 27.1 pp.415-448 (2026) : 415.
Jun Wang. A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm. 2026; 27(1), 415-448. Available from: doi:10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
Jun Wang. "A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm" The Journal of Translation Studies 27, no.1 (2026) : 415-448.doi: 10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
Jun Wang. A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm. The Journal of Translation Studies, 27(1), 415-448. doi: 10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
Jun Wang. A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm. The Journal of Translation Studies. 2026; 27(1) 415-448. doi: 10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
Jun Wang. A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm. 2026; 27(1), 415-448. Available from: doi:10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
Jun Wang. "A study of the Korean translation patterns of the polysemous Chinese modal auxiliary yao (要) in Thunderstorm" The Journal of Translation Studies 27, no.1 (2026) : 415-448.doi: 10.15749/jts.2026.27.1.013
