Abstract
Translators’ empathic perspective-taking (EPT) influences their linguistic choices and reflects their emotional stance and translational positionality. This paper examines the EPT in three translations of Hong Lou Meng respectively by Xianyi Yang and Gladys Yang, Bencraft Joly, and David Hawkes. The analytical framework comprises three dimensions: person deixis, psychological engagement, and cultural empathy. The analysis aims to explore how EPT is manifested and textually encoded in translation. The results show that the translators exhibit distinct EPTs. Yang and Yang, for instance, present limited empathy with characters and frequently adopt a literal translation approach. Joly’s EPT aligns closely with that of the narrator, whereas Hawkes demonstrates profound empathy for the primary characters. These discrepancies are primarily attributed to factors such as political influence and reader awareness. This study seeks to illuminate a top-down approach for connecting emotional manifestations with high-level influencing factors and to stimulate further discussion on translator empathy.
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Data availability
The raw datasets supporting the findings of this study, including the original Chinese text of Hong Lou Meng and its three English translations (by David Hawkes, H. Bencraft Joly, and Xianyi Yang & Gladys Yang), are provided as supplementary files. Additionally, the full Chinese text and the translations by the Yangs and Hawkes can be accessed through the “Chinese-English Parallel Corpus of Hong Lou Meng” at [http://corpus.usx.edu.cn/hongloumeng/].
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Hongyu Zhu wrote the main manuscript text, and Xingwei Miao gave important suggestions about analysis framework and provided analysing guidance on the cases. Both authors reviewed the manuscript.
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Zhu, H., Miao, X. Empathic perspective-taking in translation: a comparative analysis of three translations of Hong Lou Meng. Humanit Soc Sci Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-07131-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-07131-0
