Translating Methods of Shakespeare in China

Abstract

Shakespeare was not known to the Chinese until Lin Zexu’s (1785-1850) translation of Hugh Murray’s (1789-1845) Cyclopedia of Geography (1836). Afterwards Shakespeare in China saw many complicated changes, from being regarded as a story-teller to being fully received as a seasoned playwright and poet, and his plays were rendered into the Chinese language and performed on the Chinese stage. But first and foremost is the question of how to translate Shakespeare well, for translation is primarily important for those readers who have no knowledge at all of the English language.