Abstract
Translation Studies is a young discipline, starting in the 1950s and being introduced into Chinese Studies in the 1980s. In Germany, we have the University of Mainz with its own research program in translation and interpreting studies. Translation encounters several problems, which often lead to a failure. In this paper, I introduce several translation projects within the framework of the initiative “Go Global,” e.g., the not-for-sale German version of the literature review magazine Pathlight, a retranslation project of eight volumes of Chinese literature from English into German by Austrian authors without knowledge of Chinese and without the permission to check the Chinese original. I argue against the Chinese criticism of foreign translations. Germany, since Goethe 250 years ago, is a country of translation, which has also informed German Chinese Studies. France and Germany translate a lot of Chinese literature. The USA never has been a country of translation with a rich translation culture and lecturers. In this essay, I also plead to translate only into one’s mother language.
Translated by Martin Woesler, Hunan Normal University/China.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
This paper goes back to a speech I gave in Chinese at Vienna University on November 4, 2014 at the conference “Chinese Culture in the world.” A censored version was published in Chinese in the Shandong Newspaper Qi-Lu Wanbao 齐鲁晚报, a full German version in Orientierungen 2015, 15–28. The current paper has been updated and revised for this publication.
- 2.
Translated from Chinese by eleven German translators, 286 pages.
- 3.
Vol. 1: Shi Zhanjun (Eds.): The Wedding in Rubber Stills; Vol. 2: Xie Youshun (Eds.): Plums rain-damp; Vol. 3: Bing Feng (Eds.): A fallen leaf; vol. 4: Liu Tao (eds.): street magician; vol. 7: Zhang Yiwu (eds.): Jade light and love knot; vol. 8: Zhang Yiwu (eds.): Up, into the City.
- 4.
Cf. the new stocktaking in Giglione 2016.
- 5.
Bachmann-Medick 2009, especially 238–283.
- 6.
Höbel 2015, 91–98.
- 7.
Precht 2007, 69–72.
- 8.
Cf. Neeb and Schmidt 2015.
- 9.
References
Bachmann-Medick, D. 2009 [2006]. Cultural turns: Neuorientierungen in den Kulturwissenschaften. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt.
Behringer, K. (2015). Weiterbildung und Seminare. Harlaß, 2015, 196–202.
Giglione, D. (2016). Die Opferfalle: Wie die Vergangenheit die Zukunft fesselt. Aus dem Italienischen von Max Henninger. Berlin: Matthes und Seitz.
Höbel, S. (2015). Neuübersetzungen. Harlaß, 2015, 91–98.
Neeb, B., & Schmidt, K. (2015). Übersetzen im Tandem: Methoden, Chancen, Vorteile. Harlaß, 2015, 141–148.
Passet, E. (2015). Stipendien und Preise. Harlaß, 2015, 206–210.
Peeters, R. (2015). Auf der Kuhstraße zur Weltliteratur. Harlaß, 2015, 191–195.
Precht, R. D. (2007). Wer bin ich-und wenn ja, wie viele? Eine philosophische Reise. München: Goldmann.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kubin, W., Translated by Martin Woesler. (2021). Translation and The Public Realm. In: Moratto, R., Woesler, M. (eds) Diverse Voices in Chinese Translation and Interpreting. New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4283-5_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4283-5_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-33-4282-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-33-4283-5
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)