Chaucer in China: A History of Reception and Translation

Abstract

Abstract Arranged chronologically, this article presents a general picture of Chaucer reception and translation in China, and examines the development of criticism and the interaction of readers with both the original texts and their Chinese translations. By using indicators like university curricula, editions of translations and reprints, critical analyses, adaptations, and popularizations, this study shows that there have been increasing readership in medieval literature and rising admiration for the poet throughout the reception history, with occasional sharp changes. This reception pattern is determined by a combination of factors such as the intrinsic qualities of the texts, readers' concern over contemporary social issues and their own literary past, and the political and intellectual context of the nation as a whole, as well as of interaction with the outside world.