English Translation of Chinese Non-fiction Literature:Problems and Solutions
As a result of China's drive to engage with the world and the world's growing interest in understanding China,more and more contemporary Chinese non-fiction literary works have been translated into English and circulated in the English-speaking world.Where it used to be foreign publishers alone that selected the source texts and made them available to an English-reading audience through what is known as"incoming translation,"China's domestic publishers have also taken the matter into their own hand lately through what could be termed"outgoing translation."However,even though they are both engaged in publishing Chinese non-fiction for an international readership,the foreign and the domestic publishers differ significantly in their communicative intentions,thematic preferences and even the narrative types of their chosen source texts.While China's domestic publishers emphasize grand narratives aimed at projecting a positive image of their own country,foreign publishers prefer personal accounts of sufferings and hardship.The ways these two sets of translated works have been received in the English-speaking world are also vastly different;works produced through"outgoing translation"are not well-received,while those through"incoming translation"are widely read and reviewed.Overall,works with narratives of personal experiences tend to be more readily accepted by English-speaking readers than those with grand narratives.If text types affect the target readers'reception so significantly,the selection of source texts must also hold a key to improving their reception in the English-speaking countries.
contemporary Chinese non-fiction literatureEnglish-speaking worldoutgoing translationincoming translation
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