关键词: 德国, 中国故事, 白蛇传, 文化转译, 政治寓言

Abstract: In the latter half of the twentieth century, the division and eventual reunification of Germany significantly influenced the reception and reinterpretation of “The Legend of the White Snake.” Situated within contrasting ideological frameworks, this Chinese story underwent repeated processes of retranslation and reimagination, gradually shifting from an exoticized narrative of the cultural Other to a multifaceted cultural mirror and political allegory within German-speaking contexts. In the German Democratic Republic, the legend was appropriated as a moralistic allegory under the suppressive symbolism of the pagoda; in the Federal Republic, it was reinterpreted as a ritual of individual awakening; and in post-reunification Germany, it became a site of historical reflection, symbolized by the collapse of the pagoda metaphor. These evolving interpretations gave rise to a heterogeneous and polycentric pattern of transmission, wherein narrative heteroglossia and symbolic plurality coexisted. By reshaping narrative functions and engaging with the dynamics of historical memory and ideological reproduction, “The Legend of the White Snake” emerged as a site of symbolic negotiation, capable of continuous resemanticization within Germany's evolving cultural and political landscape.

Key words: Germany, Chinese stories, “The Legend of the White Snake”, cultural translation, political allegory