A Multiple-Parallel-Text Approach for Viewpoint Research Across Languages

This chapter addresses the issue of viewpoint in literary narratives across languages by means of a multiple-parallel-text (MultiParT) approach, using multiple translated versions in one language of a world masterpiece to account for the factor of individual variation. We argue that MultiParT is methodologically highly advantageous, as it can lead researchers to empirical findings that other research methods cannot show. First, the Chinese versions are in general much more heavily demonstrative-viewpointed than the English version. Second, lack of correspondence with the English version is all over the place across the Chinese versions. Third, intralanguage viewpointing preferences can be identified across the Chinese versions, which shows how the Chinese versions systematically differ from the English text. We believe the findings constitute powerful testimonies to the usefulness of MultiParT in cross-linguistic cognitive poetic and stylistic research.