Diffusion Dynamics and Differentiated Dissemination of Mao Dun Literature Prize-Winning Works in English Translation

WAN Haiyan

Sun Yat-sen University

Page 067-082

Abstract: Despite the growing number of English translations of the Mao Dun Literature Prize-winning works, their international dissemination shows differentiated outcomes in both circulation and reception. This study examines such dissemination patterns by applying Rogers’s diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory to translated literary works conceptualized as symbolic-cultural innovations within the target literary system. Drawing on data from 25 English translations, it develops a dual-dimensional framework that distinguishes dissemination breadth from dissemination depth. The analysis suggests that dissemination breadth is primarily shaped by visibility and accessibility of translations, as mediated through translator networks, publisher strategies, and reader communities. Dissemination depth, by contrast, depends more heavily on whether translations resonate with existing cultural and intellectual frameworks while also offering distinctive literary or thematic value, as evidenced in the evaluative practices of professional readers, including book reviews, academic research, and institutional recognition. By positioning DOI as a meso-level explanatory framework, the study elucidates the diffusion dynamics underlying differentiated dissemination patterns and offers both theoretical insights and practical guidance for the international promotion of Chinese literature.

Keywords: Mao Dun Literature Prize, English translation, diffusion of innovations, differentiated dissemination, cross-cultural circulation

DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202601006

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