Translating Chinese culture into English: from sole patronage to joint patronage

Abstract

ABSTRACT Since the 1990s, there has been a significant change of the form of patronage in translating Chinese culture into English, that is, from sole patronage by one Chinese organization to joint patronage by both Chinese and Western institutions. This article investigates the advantages of joint patronage and whether it can remedy the shortcomings of sole patronage in translating Chinese culture for a Western audience through a case study of ‘Culture and Civilization of China Series’ (CCC project), a project jointly undertaken by the China International Publishing Group and Yale University Press. The study demonstrates that the CCC project is a success thanks to the close collaboration among the writers, translators and editors on both the Chinese and American sides. The analysis of the translations demonstrates that, with full consideration of the needs and expectations of Western readers, the English versions of the CCC series are not rigid literal translations of the original Chinese texts, but involve considerable adaptation so as to achieve the goal of introducing Chinese culture to both general and specialized readers. The study indicates that, compared with sole patronage, joint patronage is a better form of introducing Chinese culture to Western anglophone audiences via translation.