The Cross-Media Translation Pathways and Aesthetic Strategies of Literariness in The Eternal Wave

Abstract

This paper takes the cross-media adaptation of The Eternal Wave from literature to the stage as a case study, exploring the translational pathways of literariness within dance drama and opera. Treating literariness as the core aesthetic value, it systematically examines its mechanisms of manifestation in narrative construction, character shaping, lyrical expression, and ideological articulation. Through comparative analysis, it is found that dance drama relies on bodily movement, spatial utilization, and stage choreography to create embodied visual metaphors and narrative structures, whereas opera, through musical development, vocal performance, and its overall structural framework, constructs linear auditory symbolism and emotional flow. The investigation of the transformation of this work between these two artistic forms is not merely a comparison of their artistic characteristics; rather, it seeks to address key issues in cross-media adaptation: how to preserve the intrinsic artistic properties of each medium while achieving effective narrative reception and dissemination, thereby eliciting emotional resonance from the audience. Consequently, this study focuses on how literariness is reorganized within different stage media, rather than extending to broader issues of dissemination or cultural identity.