On the afternoon of January 13, 2023, the 20th SISU-LeCTIS Translation Studies Salon was successfully held on Microsoft Teams. About thirty teachers and students participated in this online academic exchange event. The speaker of this session was Dr. Zhang Xin, who graduated from the School of English Studies at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). The title of her presentation was “A Study on the History of Interpretation in Shanghai in the Late Qing Dynasty: Court Interpreting and Sino-Foreign Power Struggle in the Mixed Court”. This study aims to examine the composition and performance of Chinese and foreign interpreters in the mixed court through relevant historical materials, observe the posture of Chinese and foreign officials in court trials, and further investigate the interplay between the interpretation activities and the tug-of-war between Chinese and foreign powers in the courtroom.
Dr. Zhang began her presentation by introducing the background and nature of the mixed court in the late Qing Dynasty. Drawing on the historical materials she had collected, such as newspapers and writings, she offered profiles of the two groups of interpreters in the mixed court: Chinese interpreters, weak in language proficiency and limited in number, had not yet formed a fixed group; the foreign interpreters, mostly former translators with strong language skills, performed actively in the court. Dr. Zhang also pointed out through specific cases published in North-China Herald that the roles of interpreters in the mixed court were often simultaneously taken by foreign jurors, who suppressed the Chinese side and sought greater power of discourse and benefits for their part through generalized translation, selective omissions, and deliberate non-translation methods. Dr. Zhang further illustrated the situation of Chinese and foreign jurors in the interpretation activities of the mixed court, namely, the Chinese jurors were the ones who had no choice but to “lose their voices”, while the foreign jurors were peremptory “powerholders”.
Finally, Dr. Zhang further analyzed the impact of the interpretation activities in the mixed court on the Chinese and foreign confrontation: the scarcity of Chinese interpreters and the relatively sufficient number of foreign interpreters directly affected the ability of the two sides to speak out in the courtroom; the manipulation of the interpretation activities by the foreign jurors as interpreters gradually weakened the power of the Chinese side as the presiding party, and tilted the balance of the tug of war in favor of the foreign side; the unequal power relations in the interpretation activities in the mixed court reinforced the image of the foreign countries as strong and arrogant, and China as weak and timid.
During the interactive session, Prof. Xiao Weiqing from the School of English Studies at SISU praised Dr. Zhang Xin’s patience and perseverance in overcoming the difficulties in collecting and analyzing historical materials, and discussed with her the use of electronic databases and the revision of journal submissions. Ms. Ying Yan from the University of Leicester offered her insights on the background of the mixed court and the process of the trial, and reminded Dr. Zhang to exclude historical bias from her research. Other participants exchanged on the topics of mutual evidence of historical materials and academic writing on the history of translation. Dr. Zhang Xin noted that the collection and reading of historical materials is a major difficulty in the study of translation history, and that researchers should carefully screen the usability of historical materials based on a correct understanding of them. In formal writing, the researcher should strive to be logical, clear, and concise in language, and conform to academic paper writing standards.
During this academic salon, Dr. Zhang examined the interpreting activities in the mixed court and its influence on the Chinese and foreign power struggle, providing a new perspective to understand the changes and development of Sino-foreign relations in the late Qing Dynasty and further enriching the writing of the history of interpretation during this period. Participants benefited substantially from Dr. Zhang Xin’s innovative and vivid presentation.
Introduction of Speaker
Dr. Zhang Xin, PhD in interpretation studies in the School of English Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, mainly engages in research related to the history of interpretation.
Preview of Next Session
Held successfully for twenty sessions so far, the SISU-LeCTIS Translation Studies Salon is a successful attempt by the School of English Studies to promote local internationalization. Stay tuned for the 21st SISU-Leicester Translation Research Salon on March 17, during which Marie-Noëlle Guillot, editorial board member of the international translation journal Perspectives and professor emerita of the University of East Anglia, will be invited to answer questions about writing and submitting international journal articles in translation studies.
