TITLE:
A Study on the English Translation of Dialects in My Own Swordsman from the Perspective of Translator Behavior Criticism
AUTHORS:
Yue Zhu
KEYWORDS:
Theory of Translator Behavior Criticism, My Own Swordsman, English Translation of Dialects
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Linguistics,
Vol.16 No.1,
January
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: Dialects are part of regional traditional culture, bearing distinct local characteristics and serving as markers of regional cultural identity. The theory of Translator Behavior Criticism posits that translators shoulder two different identities: the translator identity and the non-translator identity. Consequently, translators engage in both “truth-seeking” and “utility-attaining” translation acts. The different identities and translation behaviors of translators directly impact the effectiveness of the target text. In the practice of dialect translation, translators should fully consider the grammatical, semantic, and stylistic features of dialects. This paper employs the “truth-seeking—utility-attaining” continuum model of Translator Behavior Criticism to study the dialect translation strategies in My Own Swordsman, analyzing the truth-seeking and utility-attaining aspects of its subtitle translation, aiming to promote the development of English translation of dialects.