TRANSFORMATION OF CULTURAL SYMBOLS: A STUDY OF LOCALIZATION OF CHINESE CULTIVATION NOVELS ON RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE NETWORK PLATFORMS

Abstract

Based on Yuri Lotman’s Symbolic Circle Theory and Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Theory, this paper takes two popular Chinese immortal novels, “The Legend of Mortal Cultivation of Immortals” and “Fight Breaks the Sky,” as examples, through a comparative analysis. The localization strategy of its Russian translation and the reader feedback data on the Russian platform systematically explore the cross-cultural adaptation mechanism of Chinese immortal cultivation novels in the Russian cultural context. The study finds that the translator achieves the effective conversion of cultural symbols through four core localization methods: 1. Terminological mythological analogy (such as translating “Crossing the Tribulation” into “Peren’s Trial” and incorporating Slavic mythological elements); 2. Conceptual functional equivalence (for example, “fighting spirit” is translated into “fighting energy,” weakening philosophical connotation to improve readability); 3. Adjust the narrative rhythm (compress more than 50% of the cultivation chapters and strengthen the conflict density); 4. Individual adjustment of values (highlighting the protagonist’s independent decision-making, in line with the cultural characteristics of Russia’s high individualism). Readers’ acceptance process is gradual: in the early stage, they are attracted by visual symbols (such as flying swords and different fires), in the middle stage, they actively explore Taoist philosophical concepts, and in the later stage, they misread due to cultural differences (such as misunderstanding “Yuan Ying” as “magic elf”). However, misreading did not hinder communication. On the contrary, through platform algorithm recommendation, reader community co-creation (like human creation of “Siberian Alchemist”) and symbol re-interpretation, a cross-cultural symbiosis mechanism of “boundary penetration-symbol regeneration” has been formed, making China The boundaries of Russian cultural exchanges are more dynamic and flexible. For the first time, this paper combines the symbolic circle theory and the cultural dimension model to analyze the cross-cultural communication of online literature, which not only enriches the empirical cases of Lotman’s theory in the context of digital media, but also provides a “cultural medium” for the globalization strategy of Chinese entertainment products.