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Article published In: FORUM
Vol. 15:1 (2017) ► pp.28–50

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Translating the socialist nation

Exporting Chinese literature under the People’s Republic of China (1949–1966)

 | School of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou University, China
Published online: 4 September 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/forum.15.1.02ni
Abstract
The first seventeen years of the People’s Republic of China (PRC, 1949–1966) was a critical period for the newly established nation to gain international recognition. The period witnessed a unique translation activity, i.e. SL-generated translation of a large number of classical and modern Chinese literature into English and other foreign languages. These state-sponsored translations were mainly undertaken by teams of Chinese and foreign translators in the Foreign Languages Press (FLP) in Beijing. This paper aims to explore how literary translation was used for nation branding and promoting Chinese communism abroad. It reveals the political agenda behind the outward translation activity. It goes on to probe into the patronage of the FLP to disclose the relationship between the translating institution and the political discourse on the nation. Lastly, the study of the English translation of Linhai Xueyuan (林海雪原), i.e. Tracks in the Snowy Forest, a bestseller representative of the ‘revolutionary novel’ of the time, will show that the adaptations aim at recasting revolutionary characters as “perfect” heroes so as to project an ideal image of the modern Chinese nation. The paper concludes with a call to integrate outward translation into TS. Based on Luhmann’s sociology of communication it provides a preliminary observation on the reception of the PRC’s export enterprise, which, more often than not, turned out to be counterproductive.
Résumé
Les dix-sept premières années ont été décisives pour la nouvelle République populaire de Chine (RPC, 1949–1966) en quête de reconnaissance internationale. La période a connu une activité de traduction exceptionnelle: on a traduit vers l’anglais et d’autres langues étrangères un nombre considérable d’œuvres classiques et modernes de la littérature chinoise. Ces traductions ont été effectuées sous l’égide de l’État par des équipes de traducteurs chinois et étrangers regroupés au sein des Presses en langues étrangères, à Pékin. L’étude vise à montrer comment la traduction littéraire sert à forger une image de la nation et à promouvoir le communisme chinois sur la scène internationale. Elle met en évidence l’agenda politique qui sous-tend ces traductions destinées à l’exportation (extraductions). Elle examine le rôle des Presses en langues étrangères en soulignant les rapports entre l’institution qui produit les traductions et le discours politique sur la nation. À titre d’exemple, la traduction vers l’anglais de Linhai Xueyuan (Pistes dans la forêt enneigée), un bestseller représentatif du « roman révolutionnaire » de l’époque, montre que les modifications de l’original transforment les personnages révolutionnaires en héros « parfaits », chargés d’incarner l’image idéale de la nation Chinoise moderne. En conclusion, l’étude attire l’attention sur le phénomène de l’extraduction, peu étudié en traductologie. En se fondant sur la sociologie des communications de Luhmann, elle fournit un premier constat sur les traductions exportées par la PRC, dont la réception s’est avérée le plus souvent contraire au résultat recherché.
Article outline
  • 1.Background
  • 2.The politics of outward translation
    • 2.1Patronage of outward translation
      • 2.1.1Political function of outward translation
      • 2.1.2Producing English translations of Chinese literature in the FLP
      • 2.1.3FLP translators
  • 3.Recasting hero images into official models: Tracks in the Snowy Forest
  • 4.A counterproductive translation project?
    • 4.1Outward translation as a fact of source society
    • 4.2Agency in outward translation
    • 4.3Reception
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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