Translation and Cross-Cultural Reception: A Comparative Study of the Initial Translations and Retranslations of The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov in Chinese

Dostoevsky's works are deeply embedded in Russian cultural traditions. This study compares and analyzes the treatment of Russian cultural elements in the first translation by Geng Jizhi and the retranslation by contemporary translator Rong Rude in The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. Drawing on Wills' text-to-text reception theory, the paper explores how the Russian cultural elements in the original works are rewritten and reception. Through a comparative analysis of the cultural elements in both the first translation and the retranslation, this study also tests the retranslation hypothesis, which claims that the first translation is more focused on adapting to the target culture, while the retranslation is closer to the source text. The findings show that the first translation alters religious and cultural elements to varying degrees, with the preface emphasizing the humanitarian spirit of the work, while paying relatively less attention to the value of religious philosophical ideas. In contrast, Rong Rude's new-century retranslation is more faithful to the source text and provides detailed annotations on Russian cultural elements. The preface of the retranslation places greater emphasis on the multiple interpretations of the work, striving to restore the text's various values, though the author's religious ideals are still subjected to cultural filtering. Therefore, the retranslation hypothesis is partially valid in terms of cultural reception in this case.