The Reception of George Eliot in China

Abstract

Abstract George Eliot is the first English female writer translated and introduced into China to guide Chinese women during the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and the Republican period (1912–49). While most of her novels have already been translated into Chinese more than once, there are still two novels, Felix Holt: The Radical and Daniel Deronda, which have been long neglected. Most of Eliot's essays (the only collection of essays translated into Chinese being Silly Novels by Lady Novelists1) and all her poems are still not translated into Chinese yet. On the other hand, though Chinese scholars have applied a variety of perspectives to analyze Eliot as a novelist or a producer of literature, they have still overlooked her importance as a cultural critic. In addition, the mutual interaction and influences between Eliot and China remain not fully exhausted, such as the Chinese elements in her works and her impact upon Chinese writers. Generally speaking, with the International Bi-Century Conference held in 2019, it is apt and appropriate to offer an account of Eliot's reception, with a thorough discussion of the social reasons behind it in China. This study is also expected to shed new light on the future directions of Chinese studies on Eliot.