1887
Volume 20, Issue 3
  • ISSN 1932-2798
  • E-ISSN: 1876-2700

Abstract

Abstract

Research into retranslations has predominantly taken a textual approach by comparing the different versions of the same source text. Consequently, the reasons given for retranslation tend to focus on linguistic or cultural factors, which often include the retranslator’s aim to produce a new and better version to suit the reader. But what if retranslation occurs not by deliberate intent, but rather as “an opportunity for action” created by the environment? This study explores different types of “affordances” and identifies the events that prompted translators to undertake Dutch retranslations of Lu Xun’s short stories. The findings show that the combination of circumstances is more important than the desire to surpass existing translations, for without these affordances the translator would probably not have had the opportunity to translate these texts.

Available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/tis.25033.hei
2025-12-16
2026-01-24
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/tis.25033.hei.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/tis.25033.hei&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Almberg, Shiu Pang E.
    2001 “Retranslation.” InAn Encyclopaedia of Translation: Chinese-English, English-Chinese, ed.Sin-Wai Chan and David E. Pollard, 925–930. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Anonymous
    Anonymous. “Jef Last is verliefd, echt verliefd op ’t Oosten” [Jef Last is in Love, really in love with the East]. Nieuwsblad van het Noorden of 19January 1960.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Buckelew, Kevin
    2023 “Transcendents in translation: Buddhist affordances for imagining xian 仙 in China.” Journal of Chinese Religions51(2): 171–205. 10.1353/jcr.2023.a913655
    https://doi.org/10.1353/jcr.2023.a913655 [Google Scholar]
  4. Dooghan, Daniel M.
    2017 “Old tales, untold: Lu Xun against world literature.” JMLC14(1): 31–64.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Eber, Irene
    1985 “The reception of Lu Xun in Europe and America: The politics of popularization and scholarship.” InLu Xun and his Legacy, ed. byLeo Ou-Fan Lee, 242–274. Berkeley: University of California Press. 10.1525/9780520334564‑013
    https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520334564-013 [Google Scholar]
  6. Goedertier, Joseph
    1968A Dictionary of Japanese History. New York: Walker/Weatherhill.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Hall, John Whitney
    1970 “Review of A Dictionary of Japanese History, by Joseph Goedertier.” The Journal of Asian Studies30(1): 155–160. 10.2307/2942733
    https://doi.org/10.2307/2942733 [Google Scholar]
  8. Heijns, Audrey
    2025 “The role of the retranslator: A case study of partial retranslations of the Mencius in Dutch.” Perspectives33(6): 1199–1209. 10.1080/0907676X.2023.2294128
    https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2023.2294128 [Google Scholar]
  9. Last, Jef
    1957 “Jef Last gepromoveerd” [Jef Last gained his PhD]. Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra. 21 August 1957.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. 1959Lu Hsün — Dichter und Idol: Ein Beitrag zur Geistesgeschichte des neuen China [Lu Xun — Poet and idol: A contribution to the intellectual history of New China]. Berlin: Alfred Metzner Verlag.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Lu, Xun
    1948Wroeging [Remorse], tr.Jozef Goedertier. Antwerpen: Die Poorte.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. 1959De waarachtige historie van Ah Q [The True Story of Ah Q], tr.Theun de Vries. Amsterdam: Pegasus.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. 1969Te Wapen, verhalen [Call to Arms, stories], tr.Jef Last. Utrecht: A. W. Bruna.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. 1985Te Wapen, verhalen [Call to Arms, stories], tr.Klaas Ruitenbeek. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. 1992Zwerftocht, verhalen [Wandering, stories], tr.Klaas Ruitenbeek. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. 2000Lu Xun verzameld werk [The Complete Works of Lu Xun], tr.Klaas Ruitenbeek. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Pollitt, Kyra
    2019 “Affordance as boundary in intersemiotic translation: Some insights from working with sign languages in poetic form.” InTranslating Across Sensory and Linguistic Borders, ed. byMadeleine Campbell and Ricarda Vidal, 185–216. Cham: Springer. 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑97244‑2_9
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97244-2_9 [Google Scholar]
  18. Robinson, Douglas
    2022 “The affordances of the translator.” Yearbook of Translational Hermeneutics21: 243–316. 10.52116/yth.vi2.47
    https://doi.org/10.52116/yth.vi2.47 [Google Scholar]
  19. Ruitenbeek, Klaas
    1981 “Bij een vertaling van De Kleine Johannes” [Translating Little Johannes]. De Gids1441: 185–190.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. 1993Carpentry and Building in Late Imperial China: A Study of the Fifteenth Century Carpenter’s Manual Lu Ban Jing. Leiden: Brill. 10.1163/9789004487970
    https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004487970 [Google Scholar]
  21. Scarantino, Andrea
    2003 “Affordances explained.” Philosophy of Science70(5): 949–961. 10.1086/377380
    https://doi.org/10.1086/377380 [Google Scholar]
  22. Snow, Edgar
    1937Living China, Modern Chinese Short Stories. New York: Reynal & Hitchcock.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Vanderschelde, Isabelle
    2000 “Why retranslate the French classics? The impact of retranslation on quality.” InOn Translating French Literature and Film II, ed. byMyriam Salama-Carr, 1–38. Amsterdam: Rodopi. 10.1163/9789004433489_004
    https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004433489_004 [Google Scholar]
  24. Van het Reve, Karel
    1960 “Brave Hendrik” [Docile Henry]. Het vrije volk: democratisch-socialistisch dagblad of 8 July 1960.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Van Poucke, Piet
    2017 “Aging as a motive for literary retranslation: A survey of case studies on retranslation.” Translation and Interpreting Studies12(1): 91–115. 10.1075/tis.12.1.05van
    https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.12.1.05van [Google Scholar]
  26. Verretaal — Chinese Literature in Dutch Translation
    Verretaal — Chinese Literature in Dutch Translation, unileiden.net/verretaal/
  27. Wang, Chi-chen
    1971, c1941Ah Q and Others: Selected Stories of Lusin. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/tis.25033.hei
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error