Chinese-English Literary Translation as an Economic Network: A Freelance Translator’s Experience-Based Perspective

Abstract

This article examines Chinese-English literary translation as a field of professional endeavor within the last decade, drawing on the author’s first-hand knowledge as a freelance translator and on secondary sources surrounding the processes of translation and publication. Positing Chinese-English literary translation as the product of a global socioeconomic network, the essay examines, in succession, the questions “Who translates?” “Who funds?” “Who publishes” and “Who and what is being translated?” The findings are that the field is presently experiencing growth, accompanied by a shift from the West towards Asia in terms of funding, publication and geographic location of translators.

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Keywords

Chinese-English translation, literary translation, freelance work, Chinese fiction, Chinese literature in translation