Translation in the Development of Chinese Folkloristics: Issues Beyond Semantics [virtual]


Juwen Zhang (Willamette University)

The diversity and development of human cultures are inseparable from translation of terms and ideas, but the latent ideology is often outweighed by semantic challenges. Chinese folkloristics is an example of how modern Western academic terms reshaped traditional Chinese concepts, but are now being re-examined and replaced with local terms. This presentation discusses how ideological and religious clashes in translation have influenced Chinese folkloristics and the public image of Chinese culture in the world, and how translation reveals the struggle of the rights and power of discourse in developing a discipline.

Part of 04-01 Translation in/of Folklore Studies: Perspectives from China [hybrid], Friday, October 14, 8:00 am–10:00 am