Renarrating Xiangxi: Narrative Deviations and Translation Strategies in Museum Discourse

Abstract

With the growing emphasis on global cultural exchange, the translation of ethnic minority cultures has shifted from a focus on linguistic equivalence to a process of narrative reconstruction. This study examines how translation reshapes cultural representation in museum contexts, taking the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Museum as a case study. Drawing on narrative theory, the research analyzes a corpus of 56 Chinese–English bilingual exhibition texts and identifies four recurring types of narrative deviation: narrative reductionism, frame misalignment, narrative discontinuity, and evaluative silencing. These deviations demonstrate how translation can alter narrative framing, weaken cultural context, and reshape the positioning of ethnic identity in cross-cultural communication. To address these issues, the study proposes a set of renarration strategies, including narrative thickening, dynamic relabeling, macro–micro integration, and evaluative positioning. These strategies are further conceptualized as a narrative-oriented translation model that emphasizes the translator’s role as an active mediator of cultural meaning. The findings contribute to the application of narrative theory in translation studies by offering an operational framework for analyzing narrative shifts, and provide practical insights for improving the international communication of ethnic cultural heritage in museum settings.