A Cross-Strata Study of To Live from the Perspective of Cultural Stratification Theory—A Case Study of Michael Berry's English Translation

Authors

  • Yawen Pu Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China Author
  • Shuai Yao Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70088/f6yf9p86

Keywords:

cultural stratification theory, English translation of To Live, Bourdieu's field theory, cultural capital

Abstract

As the core theoretical perspective of explaining the differences in the cultural circle, combined with the theory of Boutier field analysis, can clearly reveal the intrinsic mechanism of cross-level transmission of literary translations. Bai Ruiwen's English translation of Yu Hua's To Live: A Novel is a typical case of Chinese contemporary literature's dual acceptance by the elite and the masses in the West. This article takes the theory of cultural stratification as the general theoretical framework, supplemented by the theory of field analysis of Boudieu. Through multiple case analysis, it deeply analyzes the specific strategies of Bai Ruiwen's translation to adapt to different cultural circles in the West, explores the transformation logic of cultural capital between circles, and clarifies the influence of translator's habits on the communication effect. For contemporary China The international cross-level transmission of literary classics provides targeted reference.

References

B. Malinowski, A Scientific Theory of Culture. Beijing, China: China Folk Literature and Art Publishing House, 1987, orig. pub. 1944.

D. Guo, Y. Liu, and X. Han, An Introduction to Chinese Culture. Tianjin, China: Tianjin People's Publishing House, 2018.

P. Bourdieu and L. J. D. Wacquant, An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology. Beijing, China: Central Compilation & Translation Press, 2004, orig. pub. 1992.

A. Shi and H. Xiao, "Translation strategies and methods of Ge Haowen's Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out from the perspective of Bourdieu's field theory," J. Univ. Shanghai Sci. Technol., Soc. Sci. Ed., vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 139–144, 2023.

C. Wu, "A study of Michael Berry's English translation of To Live from the perspective of field theory," Mod. English, no. 12, pp. 124–126, 2024.

Y. Yan, "Budieu shehuixue lilun shijiao xia 'Huozhe' Bai Ruiwen Yingyiben yanjiu," M.S. thesis, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China, 2021, p. 77.

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Published

26 August 2026

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 4 (2026)

Section

Article

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Copyright (c) 2026 Yawen Pu, Shuai Yao (Author)

Creative Commons License

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

How to Cite

Pu, Y., & Yao, S. (2026). A Cross-Strata Study of To Live from the Perspective of Cultural Stratification Theory—A Case Study of Michael Berry’s English Translation. Journal of Linguistics & Cultural Studies, 3(4), 126-133. https://doi.org/10.70088/f6yf9p86