Modeling Character in Translation: Computational and Qualitative Insights from Wuxia Fan Translations

Abstract This exploratory interdisciplinary study investigates how fan translations on digital platforms reshape the portrayal of literary characters, using Jin Yong’s A Hero Born: The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射雕英雄传) as a case study. Grounded in a framework combining Lefevere’s rewriting theory, Jenkins’ convergence culture, and the Five-Factor Model of personality, the research treats fan translation as a collective cultural rewriting that unfolds through participatory digital discourse. The study integrates a computational analysis of characters’ Big Five personality traits with a qualitative analysis of online fan discussions. This mixed-methods approach reveals how a digital community’s cultural and ideological stances shape its translation choices and character interpretations. The findings suggest that fan translations are culturally mediated transformations driven by community engagement. These translations exhibit observable changes in character personality traits that correspond to the fan community’s values and interpretations. By extending Lefevere’s framework into the realm of participatory culture, this study develops a new methodology for analyzing how characters are received and reconstructed across different translations. The research contributes to both translation studies and digital humanities by demonstrating how online communities collectively negotiate and reinterpret literary characters within their specific cultural contexts, thus offering valuable insights into translation as a collaborative cultural practice in the digital age.