A Window to the East: The translation history of Icelandic and Chinese literature

• Main Author: Björnsdóttir, Þorgerður Anna
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Icelandic
• Published: Milli Mála 2021
• Subjects: translation history; translations; literature; Chinese; China; þýðingasaga; þýðingar; bókmenntir; kínverska; Kína; Iceland
• Online Access: https://ojs.hi.is/millimala/article/view/3361

There are many interesting findings in the translation history of Icelandic and Chinese literature although direct translations between the two languages were rare for a long time. Both nations are known for their rich literary heritage and the choice of literary works for translations has largely been influenced by social circumstances and the political atmosphere of each period. In this overview of translations these editorial choices will be reviewed and explained with historical context. Literary translations between Icelandic and Chinese can be divided into three time periods:1. The first steps, from the first published translation in 1921 until 1937.2. The socialists’ enthusiasm, from the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 until 1977.3. Time of balance and increased communications, from 1978 up till now.In 2021 a hundred years have passed since the first publishing of a Chinese literary work in Icelandic. The famed philosophical texts of Daodejing《道德经》, attributed to Laozi, were the first to be translated and published in Iceland, with the Icelandic title Bókin um veginn. Since then a lot of Chinese literature has been translated into Icelandic and direct translations from both ancient and modern Chinese have been published. Likewise, a great deal of Icelandic literature has been translated into Chinese. The first literary work to be translated into Chinese comprised a selection of poems from The Passion Hymns by Hallgrímur Pétursson, published in 1928 under the title Shijiakefeng《詩家可風》. Altogether, works by more than 70 Icelandic authors have been translated and published in China, varying from Icelandic Old Norse literature, such as the eddaic poems and the sagas, to the poetry and literature of modern-day writers.Keywords: translation history, translations, literature, Chinese, China Í þýðingum íslenskra og kínverskra bókmennta kennir ýmissa grasa þótt beinar þýðingar á milli tungumálanna hafi lengst af verið fátíðar. Þjóðirnar státa báðar af ríkulegum bókmenntaarfi en val á verkum til ...