Western Literature in Chinese Translation, 1949-1979

• Published in: Asian and African Studies (Bratislava) 1994-01, Vol.3 (1), p.34-54
• Main Author: Eber, Irene
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1335-1257

The way in which literary works were translated into Chinese from 1949 to 1979 is discussed. Views on the work of translation operative during this period are briefly described. The ideology that informed specific translation views is discussed in the context of three time periods: 1950-1959, 1960-1966, & 1966-1978. Translating literary work in the 1950s, it is argued, was seen as helping Chinese writers develop useful literary techniques, but in the 1960s translation work took on a different function. Work in this period was translated more for explicitly political purposes than for the merits of the literary work. This trend in translation only began to change, albeit very slowly, in 1978. Adapted from the source document