本論文處理的是亞裔美國作家譚恩美的最新小說《接骨師的女兒》。在此論文中，將不同於以往偏重於文本研究（textual analysis）或認同政治（identity politics）的問題。本論文將採取比較少見的文化研究面相來探討譚恩美小說的幾個問題。
在第一章中，本論文採用華特‧本雅明（Walter Benjamin）著名的翻譯討論：〈翻譯者的任務〉（The Task of the Translator）來探討《接骨師的女兒》中，相互交纏的母女關係。此一章節試著去探討親情中不能翻譯的部分，以及文化差異所導致的誤解與必要的協商，正如翻譯的過程必然有不可溯及的歷史與文化考量問題，但也必須達到一定程度的協商。
在第二章中，本論文挪用傳統西方的討論影像方式來處理譚恩美《接骨師的女兒》一書的諸多封面，以求探索亞裔美國作家的作品在美國書市出版時，書封面的設計是如何被再現，並與中國符號（Chinese-associating icons）相連結。另一方面，當中國符號被陰性化（feminised）的同時，造成了族裔去勢（racial castration）的問題，並且達到了對於中國的物戀（fetishism toward China）。本論文將從影像與文本雙管齊下，以求達成一個雙向的理解與討論。
在第三章中，本論文試圖去探究在美國書市，從作者、消費者與出版商三個面向去理解一本亞裔美國作家的作品是怎樣被生產行銷的。本文將從Mike Featherstone與Robert Bocock的觀點，提示在美國消費社會中，書的產製與出版商的操作（manipulation）之間的關係，以及弱勢族裔作品是如何被西方讀者所消費。此章節也將試著闡明，當主流社會的刻板印象與消費行為共生共存之時，少數族裔往往成為被犧牲的對象。也因此，在少數族裔書寫的文化再製過程中，在再現上往往也還是不完全政治正確的。

This thesis is to deal with Asian American female writer, Amy Tan, and her latest novel The Bonesetter’s Daughter. In this thesis, the traditional aspect of Asian American literature of textual analysis or identity politics will be less focused; rather, we will concentrate more on the cultural studies aspect of Asian American literature to explicate some important but little explored issues of Amy Tan in this thesis.
In the first chapter, I appropriate Walter Benjamin’s famous essay, “The Task of a Translator”, to illuminate and discuss the mother-daughter bond in Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter. My argument is the mother-daughter bond in this fiction is like the kinship between the original text and the translated text: though there are indeed some historical considerations and cultural essence that cannot be translated, it comes down to an ultimate negotiation in the end. Like Amy Tan’s fiction, there is always a possible way to cross over the cultural differences and reach a negotiation in the end.
In the second chapter, I take the different editions of book-cover images to exemplify the stereotypical Chinese-associating icons on book covers. To narrow down the case to be studied, I take The Bonesetter’s Daughter for instance, and Tan’s other works to be supporting evidences. I try to illustrate in American book market, Chinese-associating icons are still the most significant marks of Chinese American authors. I also adopt traditional Western sense of image reading to examine these images, attempting to associate the femininity in these Chinese-associating icons with the “racial castration” in American society. This chapter is to look at how the Westerner’s fetishism toward China may form the “American Orientalist Discourse”.
In the third chapter, I try to start with Mike Featherstone and Robert Bocock’s ideas of consumption to explore in American consumption society, how an ethnic literary work is produced and promoted. I also try to make readers understand this issue from the standpoint of the author, the aspect of the publisher, and the view of the consumers as well. My argument is to point out that in American book market, the production of an ethnic literary work is greatly manipulated by the publishers. And thus, the representation of minority group is oftentimes erroneous.

Abstract................................................................i
Acknowledgement.........................................................iv
List of Figures.........................................................v
Introduction............................................................01
Chapter One: Lost in Cultural Translation...............................08
Chapter Two: Uncover the Cover Images...................................27
Chapter Three: Judging a Book By/Buy Its Cover..........................50
Conclusion..............................................................68
Work Cited..............................................................72

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