The political manipulation and the translation of “Thawed Literature” in China in the 1950s: a case study of Yi Wen

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the 1950s and 1960s, Yi Wen (譯文 , Translated Literature) was the only official journal in China dedicated to the publication of translated foreign literature, helping the Chinese gain exposure to and develop a deeper understanding of foreign literature and literary trends. Therefore, the study of this national literary journal can facilitate an in-depth analysis of how socio-political conditions influenced the Chinese literary landscape during the period and reveal how literary translations respond to and push back against political ideologies and control. In the early 1950s, when Thawed Literature emerged in the Soviet Union following the liberalization of the Soviet’s literary scene, Yi Wen began publishing translations of Thawed Literature for the Chinese audience. However, due to Zhdanovism and the Double Hundred Policy, there were varied translation strategies employed at different stages of the publication of Yi Wen. This paper explores the capricious fate of Thawed Literature in Yi Wen’s translation choices and strategies by situating the translation of foreign literature against the socio-political background of the 1950s in China to tease apart how political ideologies manipulate literary translation.