Reactivating Traumatic Memory through Paratexts: Translating Titles and Covers of The Rape of Nanking

Abstract

Translation creates a connection that allows present-day individuals to directly engage with and immerse themselves in the memory of the past, fostering a tangible link between the present and historical events. This study examines Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking (1997) and its four Chinese translations to explore how the translations recreate traumatic memories through the paratextual perspective. Iris Chang’s work reveals Japan’s invasion of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), which stored the memory of the decades of pain and suffering it brought to the people of Nanjing and even to all Chinese people. The study found that the four Chinese translations evoked contemporary people’s memories of Nanjing through paratextual elements such as the cover and title. This research is embedded within the interdisciplinary frameworks of memory studies and translation studies. The research aims to achieve three interrelated goals: first, to evoke national collective memory among contemporary Chinese readers; second, to deepen public understanding of this traumatic historical period; and third, to inspire patriotic sentiment and foster a heightened awareness of peace. The study not only sheds light on the cultural and emotional impact of translation and retranslation, but also contributes to advancing theoretical and practical insights within both memory studies and translation studies.