Cover not available
Article published In:
Target
Vol. 33:3 (2021) ► pp.381–409

The retranslation of Chinese political texts

Ideology, norms, and evolution

| Huazhong University of Science and Technology
ORCID logo | Shanghai Ocean University
The past three decades have witnessed an increase in research on retranslation. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis, this study examines the retranslation of political texts – specifically Work Reports by the Communist Party of China – as a special genre in its own right. By concentrating on the retranslation of a recurring set of Chinese political concepts, culture-specific items, and preferred usages into English from the early 1990s to the late 2010s, this study shows how and why the retranslations have been carried out, as motivated by the evolving ideologies of the original author – the Communist Party of China. The retranslations are shown to be influenced by the broader social, economic, and political dynamics within China, rather than by prevailing factors within the receiving culture or variables associated with the individual translators, as is commonly suggested in the literature. Our findings add to the existing body of research into retranslation by extending the genres and contexts of retranslation research.
Keywords: retranslation, Chinese political texts, ideology, norms
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Studies of retranslation
  • 3.Institutional translation of political texts in China
  • 4.Ideology, power, translation, and CDA
  • 5.Data analysis and discussion
    • 5.1Retranslation of political concepts: Evolving ideology within a dynamic social-political situation
    • 5.2Retranslation of culture-specific items and preferred verbs: Changing institutional translation norms within a new ideological milieu
      • 5.2.1Retranslation of culture-specific items
      • 5.2.2Retranslation of preferred verbs
      • 5.2.3Changing institutional norms of translation
    • 5.3A quantitative overview
    • 5.4Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 12 February 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.20057.pan
References (66)
References
Work reports
Jiang, Zemin. 1992a. 加快改革开放和现代化建设步伐，夺取有中国特色社会主义事业的更大胜利 [Accelerate Reform, Opening up and Modernization and Achieve Greater Success in Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics]. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 1992b. Accelerate Reform, Opening up and Modernization and Achieve Greater Success in Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 1997a. 高举邓小平理论伟大旗帜，把建设有中国特色社会主义事业全面推向二十一世纪 [Hold High the Great Banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory for an All-round Advancement of the Cause of Building Socialism With Chinese Characteristics into the 21st Century]. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 1997b. Hold High the Great Banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory for an All-round Advancement of the Cause of Building Socialism With Chinese Characteristics into the 21st Century. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 2002a. 全面建设小康社会，开创中国特色社会主义事业新局面 [Build a Well-off Society in an All-round Way and Create a New Situation in Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics]. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 2002b. Build a Well-off Society in an All-round Way and Create a New Situation in Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
Hu, Jintao. 2007a. 高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗帜, 为夺取全面建设小康社会新胜利而奋斗 [Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive for New Victories in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects]. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 2007b. Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive for New Victories in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 2012a. 坚定不移沿着中国特色社会主义道路前进，为全面建成小康社会而奋斗 [Firmly March on the Path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive to Complete the Building of a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects]. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 2012b. Firmly March on the Path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive to Complete the Building of a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
Xi, Jinping. 2017a. 决胜全面建成小康社会，夺取新时代中国特色社会主义伟大胜利 [Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era]. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
. 2017b. Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Accessed July 12, 2019. [URL]
Sources cited
Aaltonen, Sirkku. 2003. “Retranslation in the Finnish Theatre.” Cadernos de Tradução 1 (11): 141–159.Google Scholar
Aixelà, Javier Franco. 1996. “Culture-Specific Items in Translation.” In Translation, Power, Subversion, edited by Román Álvarez and M. Carmen-África Vidal, 52–78. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Albachten, Özlem Berk, and Şehnaz Tahir Gürçağlar, eds. 2019. Studies from a Retranslation Culture: The Turkish Context. Singapore: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Baker, Mona, and Henry Jones, eds. 2020. Genealogies of Knowledge. Special Collection for Palgrave Communications . Available at: [URL]
Berman, Antoine. 1990. “La retraduction comme espace de la traduction [Retranslation as a Space for Translation].” Palimpsestes (4): 1–7. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Brownlie, Siobhan. 2006. “Narrative Theory and Retranslation Theory.” Across Languages and Cultures 7 (2): 145–170. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Calzada Pérez, María, ed. 2003. Apropos of Ideology: Translation Studies on Ideology – Ideologies in Translation Studies. London: St Jerome.Google Scholar
Chen, Mingming. 2014. “在党政文件翻译中构建融通中外的新概念新范畴新表述 [Creating New Concepts, Categories and Formulations that are Acceptable in Both Chinese and English in Translating the Party and Government’s Documents].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (3): 9–10.Google Scholar
Cheng, Zhenqiu. 1983. “翻译十二大文件的点滴体会 [Bits of Reflections on Translating the 12th CPC National Congress Work Report].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (1): 23–28.Google Scholar
Collombat, Isabelle. 2004. “Le XXIe siècle: l’âge de la retraduction [The 21st Century: The Age of Retranslation].” Translation Studies in the New Millennium: An International Journal of Translation and Interpreting (2): 1–15.Google Scholar
Du-Nour, Miryam. 1995. “Retranslation of Children’s Books as Evidence of Changes of Norms.” Target 7 (2): 327–346. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fairclough, Norman. 1989. Language and Power. London: Longman.Google Scholar
Greenall, Annjo K. 2015 “Translators’ Voices in Norwegian Retranslations of Bob Dylan’s Songs.” In Voice in Retranslation, edited by Cecilia Alvstad and Alexandra Assis Rosa, special issue of Target 27 (1): 40–57. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gu, Chonglong. 2019. “Mediating ‘Face’ in Triadic Political Communication: A CDA Analysis of Press Conference Interpreters’ Discursive (Re)Construction of Chinese Government’s Image (1998–2017).” Critical Discourse Studies 16 (2): 201–221. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Guo, Jiading. 2002. “注意外交用词的政治含义 [Pay Attention to the Political Implications of Diplomacy Diction].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (6): 61–62.Google Scholar
Haug, Judith I. 2019 “Critical Edition as Retranslation: Mediating ʿAlī Ufuḳī’s Notation Collections (c. 1630–1670).” In Perspectives on Retranslation: Ideology, Paratexts, Methods, edited by Özlem Berk Albachten and Şehnaz Tahir Gürçağlar, 107–127. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Huang, Youyi. 2004. “坚持“外宣三贴近”原则,处理好外宣翻译中的难点问题 [Stick to the ‘Three Principles of Adherence’ and Properly Handle the Difficulties in Publicity-oriented Translation].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (6): 25–28.Google Scholar
Hu, Guangwei, and Feng Cao. 2011. “Hedging and Boosting in Abstracts of Applied Linguistics Articles: A Comparative Study of English- and Chinese-Medium Journals.” Journal of Pragmatics 43 (11): 2795–2809. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jones, Henry. 2019. “Shifting Characterizations of the ‘Common People’ in Modern English Retranslations of Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War: A Corpus-based Analysis.” Palgrave Communications 5, article 135: 1–11.Google Scholar
Kim, Kyung Hye. 2018. “Retranslation as a Socially Engaged Activity: The Case of The Rape of Nanking .” Perspectives 26 (3): 391–404. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kong, Kenneth C. C. 2005. “Linguistic Resources as Evaluators in English and Chinese Research Articles.” Multilingua 24 (3): 275–308. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Koskinen, Kaisa. 2011. “Institutional Translation.” In Handbook of Translation Studies (Volume 21), edited by Yves Gambier and Luc van Doorslaer, 54–60. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Koskinen, Kaisa, and Outi Paloposki. 2003. “Retranslations in the Age of Digital Reproduction.” Cadernos de Tradução (1) 111: 19–38.Google Scholar
. 2010. “Retranslation.” In Handbook of Translation Studies (Volume 11), edited by Yves Gambier and Luc van Doorslaer, 294–298. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2019. “New Directions for Retranslation Research: Lessons Learned from the Archaeology of Retranslations in the Finnish Literary System.” Cadernos de Traduçao 39 (1): 23–44.Google Scholar
Kujamäki, Pekka. 2001. “Finnish Comet in German Skies: Translation, Retranslation and Norms.” Target 13 (1): 45–70. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Li, Jingjing, and Saihong Li. 2015. “New Trends of Chinese Political Translation in the Age of Globalization.” Perspectives 23 (3): 424–439. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Liao, Ming-Tzu, and Ching-Hung Chen. 2009. “Rhetorical Strategies in Chinese and English: A Comparison of L1 Composition Textbooks.” Foreign Language Annals 42 (4): 695–720. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mason, Ian. 2010. “Discourse, Ideology and Translation.” In Critical Readings in Translation Studies, edited by Mona Baker, 83–95. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Massardier-Kenney, Françoise. 2015. “Toward a Rethinking of Retranslation.” Translation Review 92 (1): 73–85. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Montini, Chiara. 2010. “Self-translation.” In Handbook of Translation Studies (Volume 11), edited by Luc van Doorslaer and Yves Gambier, 306–308. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Munday, Jeremy. 2012. Evaluation in Translation: Critical Points of Translator Decision-Making. Abingdon: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Özmen, Ceyda. 2019. “Retranslating in a Censorial Context: H. C. Armstrong’s Grey Wolf in Turkish.” In Perspectives on Retranslation: Ideology, Paratexts, Methods, edited by Özlem Berk Albachten and Şehnaz Tahir Gürçağlar, 45–64. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Pan, Feng, Kyung Hye Kim, and Tao Li. 2020. “Institutional Versus Individual Translations of Chinese Political Texts: A Corpus-Based Critical Discourse Analysis.” The Journal of Specialized Translation 34 (1): 51–77.Google Scholar
Pym, Anthony. 1998. Method in Translation History. Manchester: St. Jerome.Google Scholar
Robinson, Douglas. 2017. Aleksis Kivi and/as world literature. Leiden: Brill. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Susam-Sarajeva, Şebnem. 2003. “Multiple-entry Visa to Travelling Theory: Retranslations of Literary and Cultural Theories.” Target 15 (1): 1–36. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2006. Theories on the Move: Translation’s Role in the Travels of Literary Theories. Amsterdam: Rodopi. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tahir Gürçağlar, Şehnaz. 2009. “Retranslation.” In Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, 2nd edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha, 232–236. Abingdon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Taivalkoski-Shilov, Kristiina. 2015. “Friday in Finnish: A Character’s and (Re)Translators’ Voices in Six Finnish Retranslations of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe .” In Voice in Retranslation, edited by Cecilia Alvstad and Alexandra Assis Rosa, special issue of Target 27 (1): 58–74. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tan, Lianxiang, and Hongjuan Xin. 2017. “再论典籍复译的必然性 [Revisiting the Necessity of Retranslating Chinese Classics].” 外语与外语教学 [Foreign Languages and Their Teaching] (51): 132–138.Google Scholar
Tong, Xiaohua. 2014. “翻译的主体意识——2014年政府工作报告翻译心得 [On Awareness of the Subjectivity in Translation: Reflections on the Translation of the Government Work Report in 2014].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (41): 92–97.Google Scholar
Toury, Gideon. 1985. “A Rationale for Descriptive Translation Studies.” In The Manipulation of Literature: Studies in Literary Translation, edited by Theo Hermans, 16–41. London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Valdeón, Roberto A. 2014. “The 1992 English Retranslation of Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias .” Translation Studies 7 (1): 1–16. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Van Poucke, Piet. 2017. “Aging as a Motive for Literary Retranslation: A Survey of Case Studies on Retranslation.” Translation and Interpreting Studies 12 (1): 91–115. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Venuti, Lawrence. 2004. “Retranslations: The Creation of Value.” Bucknell Review 47 (1): 25–38.Google Scholar
Walsh, Andrew Samuel. 2019. “Retranslating Lorca’s ‘Ode to Walt Whitman’: From Taboo to Totem.” In Perspectives on Retranslation: Ideology, Paratexts, Methods, edited by Özlem Berk Albachten and Şehnaz Tahir Gürçağlar, 11–27. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Wang, Binhua, and Dezheng Feng. 2018. “A Corpus-Based Study of Stance-Taking as Seen from Critical Points in Interpreted Political Discourse.” Perspectives 26 (2): 246–260. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wang, Gangyi. 2014. “政治文件翻译的几点思考和建议 [A Few Thoughts on and Suggestions for the Translation of Political Documents into English].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (3): 8.Google Scholar
Wang, Nongsheng. 2002. “近年来汉英翻译中出现的一些新问题 [New Problems in Chinese–English Translation in Recent Years].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (1): 23–28.Google Scholar
Wang, Pingxing. 2008. “政治文献翻译新探索——十七大文件翻译体会 [New Explorations in Translating Political Documents: Reflections on the Translation of the 17th CPC National Congress Report].” 中国翻译 [Chinese Translators Journal] (1): 45–50.Google Scholar
Whitfield, Agnes. 2015. “Retranslation in a Postcolonial Context: Extra-textual and Intra-textual Voices in Hubert Aquin’s Novel of Québec Independence Prochain Episode .” In Voice in Retranslation, edited by Cecilia Alvstad and Alexandra Assis Rosa, special issue of Target 27 (1): 75–93. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wodak, Ruth, and Michael Meyer. 2009. “Critical Discourse Analysis: History, Agenda, Theory, and Methodology.” In Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis, 2nd edition, edited by Ruth Wodak and Michael Meyer, 1–33. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Xu, Mingwu, and Chuanmao Tian. 2014. “Commercial Considerations: A Reason for Retranslating − An Exploration of the Retranslation Boom in the 1990s Mainland China.” Across Languages and Cultures 15 (2): 243–259. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by (4)

Cited by four other publications

Wu, Kan, Victoria L.C. Lei & Defeng Li
2024. Charting the Trajectory of Corpus Translation Studies: Exploring Future Avenues for Advancement. Corpus-based Studies across Humanities DOI logo
Pan, Feng, Yi Fu & Tao Li
2023. Institutional translators’ mediation of CPC Work Reports diachronically through personal pronouns: a corpus-based discourse analysis approach. Perspectives ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Pang, Shuangzi & Kefei Wang
2023. Sketching the changing patterns in kaleidoscopes: New developments in corpus-based studies of translation features (2001–2021). Research in Corpus Linguistics 11:2 ► pp. 79 ff. DOI logo
Ward, Martin
2023.  Translating CPC orthodoxy with Xi Jinping as its core: the role of the translator in the translation skopos of Zhongguo Gongchandang Jian Shi . The Translator ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 27 september 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.