@article{ART003376962},
author={Hong junhyong},
title={The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -},
journal={Journal of Humanities},
issn={1598-8457},
year={2026},
number={102},
pages={117-168}
TY - JOUR
AU - Hong junhyong
TI - The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -
JO - Journal of Humanities
PY - 2026
VL - null
IS - 102
PB - Institute for Humanities
SP - 117
EP - 168
SN - 1598-8457
AB - This study examines the ShuobuCongshu(說部叢書) ten-volume series-102 titles published between 1903 and 1908 by the Commercial Press (商務印書 館), the largest collection of translated fiction in late Qing and early Republican China-organizing its catalog and analyzing its composition, content, and patterns of translation.
A review of prior Japanese, Chinese, and Korean scholarship reveals three persistent problems: works whose originals and original authors remain unidentified; the lack of research on the translators; and the absence of a scholarly catalog. In response, this study compiles a catalog of the series that clearly distinguishes and juxtaposes the author and translator information recorded in the original materials with the verified information established through textual investigation.
In terms of content, this study illuminates the series through the lens of “the duet of enlightenment and entertainment.” Although the ShuobuCongshu originated in Liang Qichao’s (梁啓超) project of the “revolution in fiction” (小說界革命), its actual publication responded to popular demand for detective, romance, and adventure fiction-not an abandonment of enlightenment, but a strategic choice to internalize it through entertainment.
Regarding translation, Anglo-American fiction comprises over 75 percent of the titles, dominated by popular writers rather than canonical authors. Above all, retranslation (重譯) routed through Japan held a central position. Through three dimensions-retranslations of French and British fiction based on the Japanese versions of Kuroiwa Ruikō (黒岩涙香), t he j oint v enture b etw een the Commercial Press and Kinkōdō (金港堂), and the anonymous translations of the Translation Bureau-this study argues that Japan functioned not merely as a source country but as a substantive partner across the entire publishing ecosystem.
KW - ShuobuCongshu;Commercial Press;translated fiction;revolution in fiction;enlightenment and entertainment;retranslation;Kuroiwa Ruikō
DO -
UR -
ER -
Hong junhyong. (2026). The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -. Journal of Humanities, 102, 117-168.
Hong junhyong. 2026, "The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -", Journal of Humanities, no.102, pp.117-168.
Hong junhyong "The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -" Journal of Humanities 102 pp.117-168 (2026) : 117.
Hong junhyong. The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -. 2026; 102 : 117-168.
Hong junhyong. "The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -" Journal of Humanities no.102(2026) : 117-168.
Hong junhyong. The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -. Journal of Humanities, 102, 117-168.
Hong junhyong. The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -. Journal of Humanities. 2026; 102 117-168.
Hong junhyong. The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -. 2026; 102 : 117-168.
Hong junhyong. "The Content and Translation Patterns of the Commercial Press’s ShuobuCongshu (說部叢書) - Focusing on the “Ten-Volume Series” -" Journal of Humanities no.102(2026) : 117-168.
