A Study On The Translation Policies In The Early And Middle Qing Dynasty Under The Ideology Of“Manchuria Centrism”

The “Manchuria Centrism”,also called the Manchu nationalism,is the political essence of the Manchu administration.It is not only the basic national policy,ruling strategy,as well as the most profound ethnic-based ideology of the Qing Dynasty,but also the basis for its legislation and administration.The so-called “Manchuria Centrism” refers to the Manchu government's adherence to the primary status of the Eight Banners,both in political and cultural practices,no matter they are lawful issues or personnel and daily administration affairs.By doing so,the Manchu administration intends to protect the so-called Manchurian fundamentals,and optimize the interests of the Eight Banners.The formation and implementation of the “Manchuria Centrism” is determined by the national characteristic of the Manchu administration.Since the budding of the Qing Dynasty,the Manchu rulers have been propagating the integration of the Manchu and Han nationalities,and have formulated a series of laws and regulations.However,the Manchu rulers have been aware of the consequences of sinicization or over-sinicization of the Manchu race,and thus have set conditions,principles and bottom lines for such integration,which,in general words,should be preconditioned by the culture and ethnic interests of the Manchu race,and which should accord with the Manchurian customs and traditions.Being the political essence and basic national policy of the Manchu administration,the ideology of “Manchuria Centrism” has permeated and penetrated every aspect of social lives in the Qing Dynasty,particularly in political and cultural fields,such as in the policies of“Tifa-Yifu”,and “Guoyu-Qishe”(the Manchu Language and Riding-Shooting Program),and also in government structures and official systems,etc.,all of which are invented and intended to consolidate the dominant status and special interests of the ruling hierarchy represented by the Manchu race.As the starting point of administration,the ideology of “Manchuria Centrism” has guided and standardized translation activities in different historical stages of the Manchu government,offering an ideological basis and system guarantee for the designing,trimming and reforming of translation policies.For example,the translation imperial examination,which bounds in Manchurian characteristics,is a special set-up of the Qing Dynasty,a unique component of the Eight Banners Imperial Examination,and an exclusive way for the banner-men to step into the official career and get promotions,with its examinees all coming from within the Eight Banners.In this way,the Manchu rulers intend to safeguard the old system of “Guoyu-Qishe”,and prevent the Manchuria culture from being assimilated by the Han race.Meanwhile,the creation and execution of the translation official systems,represented by the“bithesi” and “shujishi”(particularly shujishi of translation),are also intended to meet the need of political governance,and facilitate the enforcement of political and cultural practices.The invention of such systems has not only endowed the Eight Banners with an additional way to get official titles and promotions,but has enhanced their interests in the Manchu language,thus having maintained the status of the “Manchu language” as “national language”.As special arrangements geared to the needs of banner-men,the Manchuria in particular,the two systems of“bithesi” and “shujishi”,either a brand-new invention of the Qing government,or an inheritance from its predecessors,have not only contributed to the cultivation of governing talents desired by the newly-born regime,but also secured the position of translation as the national industry of the Manchurian,having promoted state governance and stood fast to the ideology of “Manchuria Centrism”.The Eight Banner official education is also the product of the national policy of “Manchuria Centrism”,with definite political purposes and profound cultural implications.Since their budding in the Emperor Shunzhi's period,the Eight Banner schools have undergone continuousgrowth and improvement,and gradually developed to a comprehensive state,including student selection,staff recruitment,course setting,and student performance evaluation,etc.Those schools have not only promoted the education of the Manchu nationality,and modeled the enterprising spirit of the literati,but also cultivated people with patriotism and loyalty.Moreover,by cultivating Manchurian skill in the Manchu language,the riding-shooting program,and the inter-translation between the two languages,the central government has successfully guarded the Manchuria traits and cultural traditions,expanded the ruling base,and materialized the ideology of “Manchuria Centrism”.As for the translation of the Han books,it is also an important component of the political and cultural undertakings of the Qing government.Since the birth of the Qing Dynasty,the rulers have been advocating the state policy of“Guoyu-Qishe”,and tried to safeguard the so-called Manchuria fundamentals from falling apart.But at the same time they have been forced to implement cultural integration,and wherein extract the cultural essence and governing experience of the Han race,with which to construct the regnant and ideological orthodoxy of the regime.It is in such a seemingly contradictory cultural attitude that the translation of Han books has occurred and sustained,ranging from the Chinese classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics,to popular novels like the Jin Ping Mei,and West Chamber etc.By appointing and standardizing the translation of these books,and using it as a means and strategy to consolidate political rule,the rulers have not only learned the secrets of being emperors and improved the mode of governance,but also have elaborated laws,safeguarded Confucian orthodoxy and implemented the unchanging ideology of Manchu nationalism.As the different sects of political and cultural policies of the Manchu regime,the four systems(or polices)of translation imperial examination,translation officials,translation education,and translation of the Han books are interwoven and mutually affected,such as the inheritance ofthe examination-and-selection tradition in the policy of translation officials,the influence of the translation imperial examination on the selection of translation officials(such as shujishi),and the interaction between translation education and translation of the Han books.The introduction and implementation of these policies are based not only on political and cultural needs,but also on ideological pursuits,which have worked together to enhance mutual ethnic understanding,maintain the stability,harmony and continuous operation of the imperial system,maximize the vested interests of the ruling class,and achieve the preset national policy of “Manchuria Centrism”.