A contrastive study between the main versions of "The three-body problem" The importance of the original and its translations for its interpretation
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Abstract
The three-body problem has attracted a great deal of attention since its publication among readers, critics, and scholars. Beyond the appeal of the work's plot, Liu Cixin's trilogy presents numerous peculiarities that have been the subject of research from various perspectives. One of these peculiarities is the existence of its multiple versions, a phenomenon known within the circle of experts dedicated to the study of the novel that, however, has never been analysed as it deserves. This article proves through a contrastive study that the differentiating elements of the three main versions are not reduced to the mere change in the order of the chapters relating to the Cultural Revolution as is generically pointed out when this question is addressed. On the contrary, the different editions show a possible impact of the censor and translator phenomenon of greater relevance. Through the study and analysis of the different contrastable evidences in the work itself, as well as attending to the words and manifestations presented by the writer and its translators, we eliminate part of the ambiguity that embraces the novel by refuting the possibility of an interpretation based on its 2008 version, that doesn’t follow its original, or the 2014 English version, considered as the final version by numerous translators and publishers.
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