Women’s Diji Hairstyle in the Ming Novel Jin Ping Mei: Translating Beauty and Symbol of Power in Classical Chinese Literature

Jin Ping Mei (金瓶梅) is a Chinese novel of manners composed in semi-vernacular Chinese during the late Ming dynasty. The novel has presented a realistic account of Ming society, which resembles a cultural encyclopedia. Its intricate depictions of clothing and ornaments worn by female characters have been discussed by more and more researchers in recent decades, and the English translations of the book have been referenced in a few scholarly works. However, little attention has been paid to the translations of the ornamental features and the symbolic meaning they represent. This study examines two English translations of Jin Ping Mei, with a focus on representations of diji (䯼髻), a hairstyle of Chinese women in the Ming dynasty. After a review of the origin and development of diji, the study finds that the original text explicitly reveals the role of diji as a symbol of power in Jin Ping Mei, expressing the decorative function within a constellation of surrounding ornaments in a time of great refinement and sophistication in women’s clothing and decorative accoutrements. This study thus explores the English translations of this term diji from the perspectives of translation strategies and fathoms the limits of the translated works. Close analysis of the translation of such culturally specific terms reveals the multifaceted dimensions of translating classical Chinese literature manifested crucially in the translation strategies with respect to terms revolving around diji. Examining through translation the flourishing of literary and cultural realities across borders enhances our understanding of the social hierarchical power structure and our appreciation of the beauty and expressive vigor of the languages concerned.