A Study on the English Translation of “Qing” From the Perspective of Cultural Capital Concerning Liu Yuxi’s “Bamboo Branch Songs”

Abstract

In language use and comprehension, even when practitioners are able to identify the same cultural focal discourse, differences in the interpretation of the cultural information contained therein can arise. This phenomenon of differing interpretations can be explained through Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital, which, due to its accumulation, translates into specific bodily and cognitive dispositions, manifested as particular modes of action. This study aims to investigate typical linguistic materials that store cultural capital. Specifically, it analyzes Liu Yuxi's Bamboo Branch Song (first of two) and six English translations, comparing the differential accumulation of cultural capital associated with the cultural focal point “Qing(晴)” across the levels of language skills, norms, and values. The exchange of cultural capital in language activities is inevitable; however, the unsuccessful personal internalization of social habitus can hinder this exchange, causing it to remain at the norm level and resulting in a loss at the value level. This research also highlights the risks associated with the exchange of cultural capital conveyed through language, offering insights into cultural transmission and communication.