English Abstracts of Major Papers

Fanyi Wenhua as a Concept: The Senses It Conveys and the Focus for Its Further Development 

By FENG Quangong (Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China) p.8 

Abstract: As it has been used by Chinese translation scholars, the term fanyi wenhua (literally “translation culture”) conveys primarily three senses: the handling of cultural elements in translation; the cultural school of translation studies; and the cultural context within which translation is practiced. Of the three the last one is the least explored and should therefore be the focus of our efforts to further develop the concept. Broadly speaking, fanyi wenhua in its third sense refers to a knowledge system consisting of the foundational assumptions about, basic values of, and the regulatory policies/norms/ethics with respect to translation, the translator’s persona, as well as the public’s understanding of and identification with translation. Such a conception calls attention to the crucial role a sound fanyi wenhua must necessarily play in the creating of a harmonious eco-environment for translation. To facilitate further development of fanyi wenhua (in its third sense), three measures could be taken: i. turning academic conceptions of translation into public knowledge; ii. promoting coordinated efforts by the translator and other agents of translation; and iii. paying equal attention to technical expertise acquisition and cultural awareness enhancing in translation education. 

Keywords: fanyi wenhua/translation culture; cultural element; cultural school of translation studies; context of translation practice; translational eco-environment

A Framework for Studying Cultural Psychology in Translation  

By WU Shuchi (Hubei University, Wuhan, China) p.17 

Abstract: For the simple reason that mental-emotive activities are necessarily involved in turning a text from one language into another, translation is naturally associated with psychology. While this is generally acknowledged, the current studies of translation psychology are less than adequate. Starting with a survey of the findings of cultural psychology as an academic field, this paper investigates the way cultural psychological factors function in translation and the effects they tend to produce in the translational process, and goes on to propose a systematic framework for exploring the cultural psychological dimension of translation. Within such a framework, attention is directed to how translators make context-specific use of the mediating artifacts (cultures) in their professional practices. A call is also made for translation scholars not just to attach more importance to psychological issues involved, but also to reflect on how culture-related psychological factors affect their own study of translation. 

Keywords: translation studies; cultural psychology; mediating artifact; situational system 

Towards an ANT-informed Approach to Translation Studies: Implications and Prospects 

By QIAO Chong (Jilin University, Jilin, China) & WANG Feng (Shandong University, Weihai, China)  p.27 

Abstract: This paper argues that Actor-network Theory (ANT), originating in contemporary sociology, holds the promise of opening up new avenues for theoretical construction and problem analysis in translation studies, for its emphasis on non-linear histories of associations, individual agency, process description and nonhuman factors bears in an innovative way on the interpretation of translation process, translators or translation technology, and hence can be of considerable value to translation studies. Hinging on key ANT concepts such as “actor”, “network” and “translation”, the paper discloses the significant insights ANT might provide for translation studies at both the ontological and the epistemological level. Offering a systematic account of what  shape an ANT-informed translation studies ought to take, the paper also seeks to outline some possible directions for its further development.  

Keywords: sociology; sociology of translation; Actor-network Theory; theory of practice 

Paratext as a Site of Creative Intervention: A Re-examination of the “Preface” to Yan  Fu’s Translation of The Spirit of Laws 

By ZHUANG Chiyuan (Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China) p.36 

Abstract: As the “Preface” to Fayi – Yan Fu’s Chinese translation of The Spirit of Laws – vividly shows, paratexts could perform significant functions in scholarly translation. Titled Mengdesijiu Liezhuan (孟德斯鸠列传/ “Montesquieu: A Personal Biography”) , the “Preface” turns out to be at once a rendition of the preface to the English source text for Yan Fu’s Chinese version and a site of creative intervention in the context of the translation. By adopting various translation strategies, not only did Yan Fu realize a preface’s function to promote reading of the book, he also conveyed, through a rewritten preface, his own reservations about the then on-going revolutionary movement and affirmed his stance and position toward life in general and scholarly pursuit in particular.  

Keywords: paratext; preface; scholarly translation; Yan Fu; Montesquieu; The Spirit of Laws 

On Translation-enabled Cultural Interpretation and Transmission: With Bazin’s  French Translation of Shui Hu Zhuan (Water Margin) as a Case in Point 

By ZHANG Yi (Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China) p.45 

Abstract: In 1850, French sinologist Antoine-Pierre-Louis Bazin published the first abridged French translation of Shui Hu Zhuan (Water Margin), which is also the classical Chinese novel’s first extensive rendition into a Western language. Bazin researched into the original while translating it, simultaneously aiming at revealing its literary qualities, highlighting its cultural and historical values and providing references for the pedagogy of vernacular Mandarin in Europe. As a result, three features stand out concerning the cultural transmission his French version was able to achieve. First, Bazin resorted to historical research methods to verify the authenticity of the cultural descriptions in the source text and was thus able to represent many cultural details with precision. Secondly, Bazin made judicious use of additions, rewritings and inserted comments in his translation so as to better convey to his readers his understanding of the Chinese culture. Thirdly, by way of a vivid and fluent style of writing, Bazin was able even to impart between the lines of his translation subtle Chinese cultural messages, thus succeeded in achieving a seamless integration of literary and cultural transmission.  

Keywords: Shui Hu Zhuan; Chinese-French translation; Bazin; cultural transmission; translation of classical Chinese literature 

Studies of the Han Dynasty Fu in the English-speaking World: History and Current Situation 

By JIANG Zhejie (Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, China) p.54 

Abstract: As a literary genre characterized by the use of rhythmic language, fu was as popular throughout the Han dynasty as poetry would late become in the Tang dynasty and ci lyric in the Song dynasty. As such, fu has been attracting much attention from both the translators and the scholars of classical Chinese literature in the English-speaking world, and yet their productive efforts in making this ancient Chinese genre accessible to nonChinese readers remain largely unknown in China. Having collected all the available English translations of and English-based scholarly works on the Han-dynasty fu, this paper subjects the history of fu translation in Englishspeaking countries, including the source texts selected, the translators involved, and the channels of publication and distribution used, to a comprehensive examination. Three approaches, based respectively on the foundational assumption of translation as documentation, translation as literature, and translation as a unique way of studying classics, are adopted for the examination. A close analysis of the data collected reveals not just the features and the values of English renditions of fu, but also what still falls short in its translation and what has caused the problems. The findings are expected to promote reflections not just on English translation and studies of fu, but also on comparative studies of Chinese classics in general.  

Keywords: fu; literary genre; the Han Dynasty; English translation; translation history