Sinicization characteristics of American periodical The Child’s Paper and its effects in Late Imperial China

ABSTRACT

In the 19th century, the American Tract Society (ATS) published The Child’s Paper (1852–1871) in the United States. Amid the noteworthy Eastward Transmission of Western Learning movement three eponymous Xiaohai Yuebao(hereinafter referred to as TheXHYB）were published in Late Imperial China with the Eastward Spread of Western Learning. By exploring the relationship between the American periodical The Child’s Paper and three editions of The XHYB in the course of Late Imperial China, this study attempts to shed light on the Sinicization characteristics of The XHYB and its effects in Late Imperial China. The study has found that there existed transplantation and translation by tracing back to their historical origins and XHYB in Late Imperial China. In the process of transplanting, translating, and dissemination of ATS’s The Child’s Paper in Late Imperial China, it highlights the Sinicization characteristics: waning of religious indoctrination, nativization of the periodical management, localization of language selection and secularization of illustrated narrative, which had deep effects on children’s education, thoughts andviews on children and children’s literature in Late Imperial China.

KEYWORDS:

• The Child’s Paper
• translation
• Sinicization characteristics
• effects

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study is funded by National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences [grant number 17BYY053] and Major Project of the Research Base at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies [grant number JDZD04].

Notes on contributors

Lihua Qing

Lihua Qing is a doctoral student supervised by Professor Hai Wang at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China. She is an associate professor at South China Business College, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. Her research focuses on English translation and Intercultural Studies. She has been teaching translation and interpreting for 15 years.

Hai Wang

Hai Wang is a professor in Translation Studies at School of Interpreting and Translation Studies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China. His area of research is English translation and Intercultural Studies as well as Sinology studies. He has published over 20 articles concerning translation in major scholarly journals at home and abroad.