A POETICS OF TRANSLATING IN, TO AND FROM CHINA: A PROPOSAL

Abstract

In this article we will present and discuss some thoughts on translating in and to China in order to lead us to propose a “poetics of translating in China” and a “poetics of translating the China”. To fulfill this objective, we will provide a brief overview of the historical and philosophical perspectives of Chinese languages and literature in China, as well as the views of Chinese and Brazilian authors, translators and scholars on translating literature to or from China. We will begin our discussion with a contextualization of the need to (re) consider the notions of language, literature, and translation in the time and space and geographical-spaces of Chinese civilization, and then discuss the application of the notions of Chineseness (Yang Lian), Medio-translatology and creative treason (Xie Tianzhen), the parallaxtranslation (Jatobá) and also the Taotie 饕餮 metaphor (Ricardo Portugal), as alternatives to propose a “poetic of translating in. to and from China”.

Keywords
Poetics of Translating; Chinese Literature; Translation of Chinese Poetry; Medio-Translatology; The Parallax Translation