Translation and canon formation

FORUM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-104
Author(s):  
Shuang Yu

Abstract As an essential part of the “Globalization of Chinese Culture” strategy, the translation of Chinese fiction into English has gained more significance and deserves more academic attention. Through making a survey of Chinese fiction in English translation from 1978 to 2018, the article not only presents different trajectories of the development of Chinese fiction in English translation in mainland China and the English-speaking countries but also shows that different canons of Chinese fiction in English translation have been formed in the course of this development. Reasons for the formation of the prevailing canon(s) are explored and explained from perspectives taking into account concrete factors such as ideology, poetics and patronage as well as influences of the literary award mechanism. Based on this description and explanation, the article concludes with a few suggestions for the future development of cultural activity of introducing Chinese literature into English-speaking countries.

Author(s):  
Jingwen Hu ◽  
Chuanmao Tian

As a new style of verse mainly created by Qu Yuan, Chu Ci is the first anthology of romantic poetry in China. With deeper communication between China and other countries, Chu Ci, as an invaluable treasure in the history of Chinese literature, has been gradually translated, introduced and disseminated around the globe. This paper briefly examines the history and present situation of translation and dissemination of Chu Ci in English-speaking countries, aiming to strengthen the globalization of Chinese culture.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenbo Zhao

The English translation level of domestic film and television animation not only affects the appreciation effect of English-speaking audiences, but also affects the communication and exchange of Chinese excellent culture in the world, and even affects the commercial interests of film and television production. With the increasing international exchange of various cultures, the traditional theoretical views on translation are no longer suitable for the enrichment and development of modern literary forms. Based on the Skopos Theory, this paper will discuss the translation strategies of film and television animation works and propose the translation methods of film and television animation, to enhance the communication and influence of Chinese culture.


Author(s):  
Christopher Rosenmeier

Xu Xu and Wumingshi were among the most widely read authors in China during and after the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). Despite being an integral part of the Chinese literary scene, their bestselling fiction has, however, been given scant attention in histories of Chinese writing. This book is the first extensive study of Xu Xu and Wumingshi in English or any other Western language and it re-establishes their importance within the popular Chinese literature of the 1940s. Their romantic novels and short stories were often set abroad and featured a wide range of stereotypes, from pirates, spies and patriotic soldiers to ghosts, spirits and exotic women who confounded the mostly cosmopolitan male protagonists. Christopher Rosenmeier’s detailed analysis of these popular novels and short stories shows that such romances broke new ground by incorporating and adapting narrative techniques and themes from the Shanghai modernist writers of the 1930s, notably Shi Zhecun and Mu Shiying. The study thereby contests the view that modernism had little lasting impact on Chinese fiction, and it demonstrates that the popular literature of the 1940s was more innovative than usually imagined, with authors, such as those studied here, successfully crossing the boundaries between the popular and the elite, as well as between romanticism and modernism, in their bestselling works.


Author(s):  
Yuping Wang

The study and teaching of American literature and American realism in China mirrored the social development and cultural transformation in China and was often fueled by political incentives. This chapter examines the cultural and political forces affecting the reception of American literature in different stages of Chinese history and investigates the teaching of American literature and of American realism in Chinese university classrooms. Different from the teaching of American literature in English-speaking countries, the American literature course in China serves a twofold purpose: to provide cultural nutrient for the cultivation of a broader mind by highlighting the cultural norms and rubrics in literature and to promote students’ language proficiency by a careful study of the text and formal elements of literary works. The history of the Chinese reception of American literature thus reflects the resilience and openness of Chinese culture in its negotiation with foreign cultures.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 508
Author(s):  
Na Hu ◽  
Muzi Yuan ◽  
Junsheng Liu ◽  
Robert J. Coplan ◽  
Ying Zhou

The present study examined the longitudinal relations between child perceptions of parental autonomy-support and peer preference in mainland China. Participants were N = 758 children (50.8% boys; Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.03 at Wave 1; Mage = 11.72 years, SD = 1.11 at Wave 2; Mage = 12.65 years, SD = 0.95 at Wave 3) from elementary and middle schools in Shanghai, P.R. China. Children were followed over three years from Grades 4–6 to Grades 6–8. Each year, children reported their perceived maternal/paternal autonomy-support and peer preference (being well-liked among peers) was measured via peer nominations. Among the results, peer preference positively predicted later perceptions of maternal and paternal autonomy-supportive parenting, whereas autonomy-supportive parenting did not significantly predict later peer preference. Results are discussed in terms of the interactions between parental autonomy-supportive parenting and children’s peer relationships in Chinese culture.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Upton-McLaughlin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to explore the Chinese concept of suzhi and how it relates to behavioral standards within mainland Chinese society and the workplace. The article provides a general discussion of suzhi and its inherent elements to act as a foundation for the education of expatriate managers and executives and for future research by Chinese human resource management (HRM) scholars. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the author's first-hand experience and observations from five years of living and working abroad in mainland China with Chinese companies and executives. Findings – The concept of suzhi in China is a reflection of multiple behavioral standards throughout China. And while suzhi's roots are in ancient Chinese culture and Confucianism, it is also subject to influence and change. Practical implications – The paper may serve as a foundation both for expatriate managers seeking to improve HRM practices in foreign companies in China and future scholars who wish to conduct further research on suzhi and Chinese behavioral standards as they can be applied to the workplace. Originality/value – This is an attempt to enlighten expatriate managers and executives in China on the concept of suzhi and its implication for HRM in China.


Author(s):  
Jia Fang ◽  
YanFang Hou

The novel the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo yanyi 三國演義)stands out among the most famous and influential works in Chinese literature. It was read by readers from all levels of society from the Emperor down all over the world. At present, most researches of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms focus on its English translation and its communication in a certain country, especially concentrated in neighboring countries or regions surrounding China, such as Thailand, Japan and so on. In order to provide researchers with a comprehensive and systematic review about its spread and impact, this research intends to investigate the current communication situation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in various countries from three aspects of communication form, communication strategies and communication effect. Then it is found that the overseas communication of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms has diversified forms and various communication strategies, but there are still some deficiencies and problems in the process of overseas communication. In order to solve these problems, this paper puts forward corresponding suggestions from the perspectives of "communicator", "communication content" and "communication channel", with an aim to provide some reference for the overseas communication of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.


2019 ◽  
pp. 268-273
Author(s):  
KRISTINE BEJANYAN

The paper focuses on the English translation of «To a Woman», a sonnet by V. Brusov. The sonnet was translated by Dina Belyaeva, an American poetess, who had translated verses by Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Anna Akhmatova, Alexander Blok, etc. In the meantime, she translated sonnets by William Shakespeare and verses by Emily Dickenson into Russian. The translation analysis concluded that D. Belyaeva managed to fairly represent V. Brusov’s sonnet to the English-speaking audience.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Ling-hsing Chang ◽  
Jim Q. Chen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of Chinese culture on the information ethics perception gaps between Chinese and American students. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, this study utilizes Kohlberg’s Cognitive Moral Development model and an open-ended questionnaire to measure and analyze the gaps among information ethics perceptions of students from Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the USA, and to assess the extent to which the gaps are influenced by Chinese culture. Findings Students’ perceptions of intellectual property, information accuracy, privacy, and accessibility (PAPA) are deeply influenced by national culture. Sub-cultures have significant impact on the perceptions. Political systems, history, and legal environment may also play a role in the differences of PAPA perceptions among the three Chinese societies. The study also revealed that accuracy and intellectual property are the most deficient areas of moral developments in both Chinese and American samples. Research limitations/implications The sample sizes from Hong Kong and the USA were relatively small due to resource and time constraints. In addition, the subjects from Hong Kong and the USA were a little bit older than the subjects from Taiwan and Mainland China due to the fact that universities in HK and USA tend to have more non-traditional students than in universities in Mainland China and Taiwan. Second, the questionnaire is a limited means of studying moral reasoning because the results are likely to reflect espoused theory rather than theory-in-use. Practical implications The educational implication of this study calls for a renewed approach to educate students on the importance of information ethics for the sake of sustained economic development. Originality/value The novelty of this research lies in its interpretation of students’ PAPA perceptions and fresh insights from a Chinese guanxi perspective.


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