Author ｜
I-Ying Chan
Abstract ｜
Nihilist novels were very popular in the late Qing dynasty. The novels usually write about the nihilists fighting against authoritarian government and have gained a lot of readers in China. Famous translators like Chen Lengxei 陳冷血 ( 陳景韓 Chen Jinghan, 1878-1965) and Chou Shoujuan 周瘦鵑 ( 周祖福 Chou Zufu, 1895-1968) have been engaged in translating or creating nihilist novels. Most of novels were written in English, and finally translated into Chinese after being translated into Japanese. In other words, nihilist novels have been traveled more than three different languages and cultures. Therefore, this study focuses on a well-known novel Strange Tales of a Nihilist, which was written by British writer William Le Queux (1864-1927), and examines the different details between the English version, Japanese translation (by Matsui Syouyo, 1870-1933) and Chinese translation (by Chen Lengxie). This article consists of four parts. First, it introduces the “Nihilist” ( 虛無黨 ) and the spreading of nihilist novels in China. Second, it then investigates the publishing and translation status of Strange Tales of a Nihilist. Third, this paper compares the differences between the versions of Strange Tales of a Nihilist in three languages. Finally, it observes how the translators use their familiar language to transform Strange Tales of a Nihilist to address to local readers and present the local intervention in the translation texts.
keywords ｜
Strange Tales of a Nihilist, William Le Queux, Chen Lengxei, Mastui Syouyo, translation