A Study Of Literary Translation In The New Culture Movement (1915-1927)

Even-Zohar developed the poly-system theory in an attempt to explain the behavior and evolution of literary systems and the function of different kinds of writing within a given culture. According to him, translation can be in either a primary position or a secondary position, depending on the condition of the other literary systems in a given culture. Even-Zohar outlined three social circumstances enabling translation to maintain a primary position:1). When a "young" literature is being established and looks initially to "older" literatures for ready-made models; 2). When a literature is "peripheral" or "weak"; 3). When there is a critical turning point in literary history. In the third circumstance, in some special historical moments when established models are no longer tenable for a younger generation and therefore a literary "vacuum" exists, translated literature may assume a central position. In this situation, the task to establish new literary models falls upon translated literature. The Chinese literary system in the New Culture Movement period was a case in point.In the late Qing Dynasty, the reformists turned to the west for advanced science and technology, but the semi-feudal and semi-colonial nature of China didn't change. Patriots later found that only by liberating the Chinese people from the yoke of feudalism and colonialism could China be as rich and strong as western countries. Therefore they called for a new culture movement, upholding the slogan "Down with feudalism and old ethics and up with democracy, down with feudalistic superstition and up with science, and down with the old literature and up with the new." In order to educate the public and open their mind, a literary revolution became a necessity and a pre-condition for the movement. To establish new literary models advocates for a new literature began to introduce foreign literature on an unprecedented scale. Literary translation thrived and became a main feature of the New Culture Movement.The literary translation of this period showed the following four characteristics. Firstly, the number of translators increased sharply and most of them were writers as well, such as the Zhou Brothers, Hu Shi, Mao Dun, Guo Moruo, Xu Zhimo, Liang Shiqiu, to name only a few. These people exerted huge influence on translation and modern Chinese literature. Secondly, the original texts chosen to be translated were more comprehensive. In terms of nationality, besides English and American literature, works from Russia and the Soviet Union, France, Germany, Eastern, Southern and Northern Europe and Asian countries like Japan and India, were also translated. In terms of literary trends, romanticism, realism, and even imagism were involved. In terms of genres, all kinds of works including novels, poetry, drama, literary critique and literary history were translated. Thirdly, translators gained a lot of experience from their translation practice, from which they formed and advanced some concepts on translation concerning translation criteria, poetry translation, and literal vs. liberal translation. Fourthly, many literary societies came into existence in this period and many of them took translation as part of their routines. Among their members, many engaged in translation as well as creative writing.Translated literature of the NCM filled a literary vacuum in that period and started a literary centre, and its influence on modern Chinese literature was pervasive. In terms of language, modern Chinese literature borrowed the grammar, syntax and vocabulary from western languages and made vernacular the established literary language. In terms of genres, new literary genres like modern verse and modern drama were introduced into China. Many writers like Hu Shi, Guo Moruo, Liang Shiqiu, Tian Han and others made brilliant achievements in the writing of modern verse or modern creation. In terms of themes, modern Chinese literature introduced such themes as women's status, marriage, liberty, human dignity from western literature. In terms of narrative modes and writing techniques, Chinese writers changed the all pervasive third-person narrative tradition of the episodic novel and began to use first-person narration and stress the description of physical appearance, psychological process, setting and environment atmosphere.