Marginalizing Lin Shu in the Republican Era: Language styles, "Henry VI", and translation
Marginalizing Lin Shu in the Republican Era: Language styles, "Henry VI", and translation

Summary/Abstract: Lin Shu quickly appeared but vanished in Chinese literary history at the turn of the twentieth century. Following a sociohistorical path, this essay identifies three roles he played in a particular context: an ancient-style prose defender, a loyal servant to the Qing Court, and a once popular translator. Each discussion sheds light on a different aspect of Lin’s marginalization. Merged together they may clarify the complexity and the contradictions of the considerations taken by him when translating. My basic claim is that Lin was not simply entangled in the debates on language styles or blindly obedient to the Qing Court, but truly worried about the root of Chinese culture. Through responding to some of his supposed faults, I want to allow him to reclaim his well-deserved place in the pantheon of Chinese literature

• Details
• Contents