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The Role of the Foreign Translator in the Chinese Translation Tradition, 2nd to 19th Century
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- Source: Target. International Journal of Translation Studies, Volume 11, Issue 2, Jan 1999, p. 223 - 243
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Abstract
Abstract: This is the first comprehensive study of the crucial role non-Chinese translators played in China's translation history. Drawing from records of three peak periods of translation activities in China, some dating back to as early as the mid-2nd century, the author presents the case of China's traditional reliance on foreign assistance in culturally important translation work, and argues that this was a direct result of the norms within mainstream Chinese culture. The article also explains how China's translation tradition underwent a dramatic change at the turn of the 20th century, and the disruptive effects this has had on translation scholarship.Résumé: Cet article est la première étude d'ensemble consacrée au rôle crucial que des traducteurs non-chinois ont joué dans l'histoire de la traduction en Chine. S'appuyant sur des dossiers relatifs à trois périodes de grande activité (certains remontent même au milieu du second siècle), elle montre la sujétion traditionnelle de l'étranger en matière de traduction de textes importants sur le plan culturel. Cette sujétion répond à un courant dominant au sein de la culture chinoise. L'article analyse également les avatars dramatiques de la traduction en Chine au tournant du siècle, et leurs effets perturbateurs sur la recherche traductologique.