Analyzing Reader's Acceptance of the Chinese Web Novel Dragon Prince Yuan's English Translation

For a long time, the Chinese Writers Association has been compiling a list of the most popular Chinese web novels, aiming to promote local values and literary traits, thus encouraging their high-quality development and global influence. In recent years, Chinese web novels have gained popularity among readers worldwide, extending beyond Southeast Asia to reach audiences in America, Europe, and Africa.

An example listed among the top web novels of 2020 (Overseas) is Dragon Prince Yuan (DPY), showcasing its significant economic potential. With over one million recommendations in just three years, DPY raises questions about what influences reader reception.

The Growth and Popularity of Chinese Web Novels

In recent decades, Chinese Internet novels have experienced significant growth, marked by an increasing number of outstanding works. According to the Chinese Writers Association, the user base for Internet novels in 2019 surpassed 455 million, with a netizen utilization rate of 52.3%.

By 2021, more than 2.5 million new Internet novels had been launched across 45 reading platforms. Additional data, from the 2020 Chinese Internet Novel Outflow Report by iResearch, indicates that Chinese Internet novels have attained substantial overseas market penetration, amounting to 460 million yuan, with over 31.9 million users abroad.

With a surge in readership, Chinese web novels, alongside Hollywood films, Japanese anime, and Korean dramas, are regarded as the four literary phenomena. This explains the considerable size of the Chinese web novel market.

According to the Literary Research Institute, the market size for Chinese web novels reached $56 billion USD in 2023, a staggering 4.7% increase from the same period in 2022. The institute suggests that along with market growth, the value of web novel intellectual property (IP) rights also rose to $3.8 billion.

Additionally, the Literary Research Institute, operating under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), communicated these advancements through the '2023 Chinese Web Novel Development Report (Online Literature)'. The report anticipates that web novels will emerge as a central component of China's cultural exports alongside online gaming, films, and TV series.

Brief Overview of the Web Novel "Dragon Prince Yuan"

Dragon Prince Yuan is a full-length fantasy novel written by Li Hu a notable online writer and has been serialized on Chinese websites since the inception of the Chinese internet and has recently concluded. It ranks among the top ten works of the 4th Orange Melon Network Literature Award, alongside the top ten animation IPs and game IPs. It was also included in the China Online Literature Foreign Influence List (2020) in September 2021.

This web novel tells the story of Zhou Yuan (the male lead), who was expected to possess the inheritance of the sacred dragon—a prodigy born with exceptional talent but abducted by the Wu family. In a bid to shield him, Zhou Yuan's father, Zhou Qing, had his arm severed by the Wu family. The storyline hints that Zhou Yuan's path to vengeance will be fraught with obstacles, given his damaged talent. But, with the guidance of a black-skinned elder, he embarks on a quest to avenge the Dawu Dynasty and reclaim his sacred dragon power.

How Readers Perceive English Translations of the Mandarin Web Novel DPY?

Analysis of the Reader

The audience for Chinese web novels abroad is diverse, often boasting a higher educational background. Female readers typically lean towards romantic narratives, while their male counterparts tend to gravitate towards fantasy genres.

Chinese martial arts, capturing the interest of 43.2% of readers, tops the list, followed closely by Chinese cuisine and traditional medicine at 40.5% and 38% respectively. Moreover, approximately 20% to 25% of readers show a keen interest in traditional Chinese literature and calligraphy. According to The Blue Book of Chinese Internet Novels (2021), 81% of international readers hail from countries like India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, with females comprising 67.8% of this demographic. Given the varied preferences among different groups, the majority of DPY readers are youthful.

Analysis of the Translation

Due to the presence of numerous Chinese cultural elements that may be unfamiliar to foreign readers, it's crucial for the translated version of Dragon Prince Yuan to use easily understandable language. The English translation of this book is lengthier compared to the original Mandarin text, so it's important to make efforts to adapt and choose language forms that ensure smooth sentence constructions when translating "Dragon

Prince Yuan." Here's an example:

Source Text (Mandarin)： 幽暗的森林中， 一株株参天大树耸立， 枯黄的树 叶铺满了地面，厚厚的树叶深处，隐隐有着黑影掠过，充 满着危机。

Target Text (English)： Towering trees stood within the gloomy forest while dried yellow leaves carpeted the ground. Shadows flashed within the dense foliage. The place was brimming with danger. Examining the original text reveals that Mandarin text typically follows a structure of "initiating, inheriting, rotating, and combining," often providing a macro framework before diving into specifics, which contrasts with the paragraph development approach in English.

English tends to prioritize hypotaxis in language structure, emphasizing linguistic clarity, resulting in more intricate sentence patterns. Meanwhile, Mandarin emphasizes parataxis and expressiveness, leading to shorter sentences. Hence, recognizing the differences in English and Mandarin language characteristics from a linguistic dimensions perspective is an important consideration for translators during the translation process.

Analysis of the Distribution and Development

Thanks to Internet technology and online novels, Intellectual Property (IP) has become a fresh concept in the cultural sector. IP encompasses a blend of various cultural forms, commonly manifested as TV shows or anime derived from novels.

Dragon Prince Yuan has emerged as a prominent IP candidate for adaptation amid the trend of IP-based adaptation programs. Translation, in essence, represents another facet of literary vitality, engaging not only translators but also authors and readers.

By attending to readers' needs while staying true to the author’s original intent, superior localization works can be crafted. The DPY cartoon, adapted by Dr. Dj, debuted on December 5, 2017, attracting a whopping 1,214,297 subscribers on the Tencent cartoon platform.

With an average rating of 8.5 out of ten, based on feedback from 14,279 readers, the cartoon garners acclaim for its stunning artwork, captivating characters, and ingenious storyline. Comprising 469 chapters and ongoing, DPY was further adapted into an anime and premiered on Tencent Video in 2021.

Final Thoughts

After consuming a plethora of Japanese and Korean cartoons, Western readers are shifting their attention to Chinese cultural products, a new realm previously overlooked by them. Chinese web novels, known for their abundant imagination and adventurous narratives, offer readers a more immersive experience into fictional worlds, with Dragon Prince Yuan being one of the prominent examples.

In the aforementioned explanation, three primary reasons are emphasized to illustrate why Western readers are fond of Chinese web novels like DPY. These reasons include the presence of ancient Chinese traditions that spark curiosity, concise and accessible translations, and a mature web novel system that fosters a writer-friendly environment for learning how to craft engaging themes and plots.