A Multimodal Intersemiotic Translation Study of Book Covers of Translated Versions of The Three-Body Problems

Abstract

As The Three-Body Problem is translated into languages overseas, the diversified features that the cover design of the translated version of The Three-Body Problem are worth exploring. The covers of a series of Chinese science fiction with different characteristics construct various narrative styles through different symbols and present the uniqueness and readability of the content of this Chinese science fiction. From the perspective of multi-modality in social semiotics, respecting the representational meaning, the cover design of these translations can be divided into two categories: low-image and high-image, and at the same time, it also presents visual continuum features; In terms of interpersonal meaning, these versions display visual patterns; Concerning compositional meaning, the designers of these covers convey the information values from different countries through layout design and visual salience. The cover design organizes meaningful elements into coherent text and creates new meanings through specific structures. Although some misunderstandings exist in some translated versions of The Three-Body Problem, most of the translated versions originally restore the original grand story about the future of the Earth, the only home to humans, reflecting reality and humanism in a unique manner with Chinese characteristics.