Literary translation during the Chinese Cultural Revolution

This article provides a historical and reflective account of the remarkable perseverance and tenacity of Chinese translators during the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution in Chinese history. It first dispels the misunderstandings and misconceptions associated with the myth that the country was beset by a cultural wilderness, which shaped the impression that no translation activities were widely known. But this is far from a complete picture. Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese leader of the time, Mao Zedong, attached great importance to translation. At the beginning of the mass movement, there were hardly any translations into Chinese, but translation into English and some other languages was not stopped even in the most turbulent period. In this paradoxical scenario, some limited translations into Chinese were allowed, closely supervised by the authorities, and their circulation was strictly internal. Translators were anonymized and deprived of the right to decide for themselves what or with whom they wanted to translate since these were invariably translations in subterranean collaboration. This peculiar form of collective translation will be examined in more detail here. It should be noted, however, that the Chinese translators were not merely subservient. Some respected translators, whom the authorities did not trust with this form of collective translation, did not bow to political pressure and stole the Promethean fire by resorting to private (underground) translations, without the intention or hope that the translated texts would see the light of day.

Automated summary

This article provides a historical and reflective account of the remarkable perseverance and tenacity of Chinese translators during the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution in Chinese history. It dispels misconceptions surrounding the myth that there were no widely known translation activities during that time and highlights the importance of translation to Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Despite the restrictions, some translators went against political pressure and conducted underground translations, challenging the authorities' control.