TITLE:
The Translation of Religious Metaphors in Black Myth: Wukong Based on Relevance Theory
AUTHORS:
Haolan Yan
KEYWORDS:
Black Myth: Wukong, Religious Metaphors, Relevance Theory, Toury’s Translation Strategies
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
11,
2025
ABSTRACT: As an action role-playing game based on the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West, Black Myth: Wukong incorporates rich religious elements, especially Buddhist metaphors, which carry profound cultural connotations and philosophical implications. The translation of game dialogues helps promote the international dissemination of Chinese mythological culture. This study selects the bilingual dialogues from Chapter One of the game as the corpus, explores the translation of religious metaphors therein, and analyzes the contextual effects of the translations under the guidance of Relevance Theory. Drawing on Toury’s metaphor translation strategies (metaphor into same metaphor, metaphor into different metaphor, metaphor into non-metaphor, and metaphor into zero), the study classifies and evaluates the translations, summarizing corresponding methods to achieve optimal relevance and maximize contextual effects. This research aims to provide new insights for game translation and facilitate the global spread of Chinese religious culture.