Translation of Modern Chinese Literature in America: An Interview with Jeffrey C. Kinkley

Modern Chinese literature in translation deserves more attention than it currently commands in America. In this interview, Jeffrey C. Kinkley, an American historian, sinologist, and translator of the work of Shen Congwen and other Chinese writers, shares his interpretation of the different cultural and aesthetic norms of literature that are frequently encountered in the process of literary translation. Issues covered include the dynamic relationship between the translator and publishers, editors, and book reviewers; the reception of Chinese literature as compared with other “foreign” literatures in America; the English-speaking world’s reception of translated modern Chinese literature as compared with that of contemporary Chinese literature; and approaches to promoting one’s own culture.