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The Two Ways of Literary Translation in 20th Century China

KIM HANA 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

After the Opium War, the Qing Dynasty that had no choice but to open the door to the Western Powers became to make an effort to strengthen national power by adopting the western civilization and set up an organization that translate western publications. But they had most of interest in practical fields so that translating literature actually took a back seat. Nevertheless Lin Shu made an effort to translate Western novels into splendid Chinese and impressed people who had disparaged western literatures. As a result his translation contributed to making Chinese intellectuals to adopt the western culture and accept its literatures. In 1915, the group of 『Xin Qingnian, New Youth』 who advocate new literary movement under the banner of enlightenment of the youth attacked Lin Shu who is a representative figure of old literature and set up a new literary theory. They introduced new trend of western literature and enlightened the public through new translation. Their efforts actually helped Chinese literature to take a new direction into the modern literature. However, we need to pay another attention to Lin Shu behind the 『Xin Qingnian』. Though his translation had backwardness, it is true that he is a pioneer of chinese literary translation and prepared takeoff for Chinese modern literature. So we should take his way of translation seriously as a part of Chinese translation history.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.