The Translation, Interpretation, and Sensational Screening of “Ascend to the Abyss” in China: An Observation on the Cultural Diffusion among the Third World Countries

Abstract

Abstract: Since the 1970s and 80s, the Egyptian film, “Ascend to the Abyss,” has been quite popular both in China and Egypt. The success of its cross-cultural journey is indebted to its adaptation from the original novel in the context of the times on the one hand, and on the other hand, to its presentation of a paradigm for a more humanistic characterization, which appears to have worked well with the traditional resources in the target culture and the spy film tradition established since the founding of the People's Republic of China. The vigilance and introspection implicated in the film's representation of modern urban culture reflect the similar cultural psychology of China and Egypt during those years, thereby revealing both the introspective consciousness among the Third World countries in their adoption of the cultural symbols from the First World and the similar national and allegorical characteristics of the Third World texts. Such a classic case of cross-cultural communication shows the unique significance of cultural flow among the Third World countries against the backdrop of cultural globalization.

Key words: "Ascend to the Abyss", adaptation, interpretation, globalization, cross-cultural communication

Lu Yiwei. The Translation, Interpretation, and Sensational Screening of “Ascend to the Abyss” in China: An Observation on the Cultural Diffusion among the Third World Countries[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2021, 43(3): 87-97.

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