On the Translation of Names in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind: A Study in Onomastic Acculturation

Abstract

This study examines the Chinese translation of personal names in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind (GWTW). In particular, four name forms are identified in the popular translation by Fu Dong Hua: two-character given names, Sinicized surnames, surname-less references, and fully transliterated personal names. Contrary to the conventional practice of fully transliterating foreign names, translated personal names in GWTW are unique in that they conform to Chinese naming practice, including the adoption of the common FN-GN (family name-given name) pattern and conscious selection of gender-appropriate characters. Examples of onomastically encoded power differential are also noted and discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• name translation
• personal names
• Gone with the Wind
• onomastics

Acknowledgements

The writer appreciates the suggestions of two anonymous reviewers for Names.