Remapping the translation policies in China: contributions from Macau

Abstract

Translation policy, although an essential topic in the domain of language policy, has been understudied in China. Macau, as the earliest encounter point between the western and oriental cultures in Modern China, has been undeservingly neglected in this aspect, although its translation activities have never been interrupted since the Ming Dynasty. As such, this article sets out to trace the development of the translation policy in Macau (from its establishment to its handover to China in 1999). In particular, we will focus on tracing the historical evolution and development of the translation policy in Macau in the time span of over 400 years since the Portuguese establishment in 1557. The purpose is to cast a critical eye on its experiences in translation policymaking, using examples from official regulations, existing studies, and bibliometric data. We reconceptualize translation policy to entail the aspects of translation management, translation practices, and beliefs. Overall, the translation policy of Macau contributes to remapping the translation policy of China as important footnotes to the fuller picture of several essential historical periods.