Research On The Interpreters In Guangzhou And Macau During Late Ming And Mid Qing Dynasties

In the late Ming Dynasty, as the Sino-western trade had becoming more frequent, the interpreters who differed from the traditional ones appeared in Macao and Guangzhou. They mainly provided services for Sino-European trade. The interpreters were composed of some Coastal residents in Guangzhou and Macau, persons of mixed blood and foreign missionaries. They transmitted the orders of the Chinese government to the foreign merchants and passed the foreign merchants' Petition to the Chinese government. They also translated and transmitted business information by Cantao Portugues and Pidgin English. They were not only translators, but also the implementer of the government's diplomatic. They had executed variety of tasks such as interpreting, looking after the everyday life of the foreign merchants, and supervising the foreign merchants' activities, etc. The interpreters played an important role in promoting the Sino-western trade. In order to strengthen the management of them, the Chinese government put them into the Commercial Firms' system, so as greatly enhanced Sino-western trade.