Overview

Eileen Chang: The Performativity of Self-Translation by Jessica Tsui-yan Li focuses on the self-translation of Zhang Ailing 張愛玲 (Eileen Chang, 1920–1995), one of the most important Chinese writers of the twentieth century. Although self-translation is overlooked in most studies of her work, Chang’s literary achievements are attributed in part to her lifelong self-translation of her lived experiences and family sagas, as well as her bilingualism. This book enriches current studies of self-translation by proposing a new hypothesis of theorizing self-translation as a performative act, characterized by its in-betweenness and the aesthetic freedom that the self-translator enjoys, contextualized within larger debates about translation and the specific practice of self-translation in Chinese history in comparison to its Western counterpart.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jessica Tsui-yan Li
Publisher:   Brill
Imprint:   Brill
Volume:   172
Weight:   0.001kg
ISBN:  

9789004727175

ISBN 10:   9004727175
Pages:   307
Publication Date:   29 May 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Notes about Chinese Romanization and Translation List of Illustrations Introduction: The Practice of Self-Translation in Eileen Chang’s Works  1 Eileen Chang as a Self-Translator  2 Translation History in China  3 Theories of Self-Translation  4 Summary of Each Chapter Part 1: Translating the Self 1 Rewriting the Self in Memoirs 2 Reimagining the Self in Chang’s Semi-Autobiographical Novels: Xiao Tuanyuan《小團圓》(Little Reunion), The Fall of the Pagoda, and The Book of Change 3 Self-Translation as a Performative Act: Duizhaoji – kan lao zhaoxiangbu 《對照記——看老照相簿》 (Mutual Reflections – Looking at Old Photo Albums) Part 2: Paradoxical In-Betweenness 4 Interdependence: “Jinsuoji”《金鎖記》 (“The Golden Cangue”), The Rouge of the North, Yuannü 《怨女》 (Embittered Woman), and “The Golden Cangue” 5 Authorship: “Shame, Amah!” and “Guihuazheng – Ah Xiao beiqiu” 桂花蒸——阿小悲秋 (“Steamed Osmanthus: Ah Xiao’s Unhappy Autumn”) 6 Re-Evaluation: “Deng” 〈等〉 (“Waiting”) and “Little Finger Up” 7 Recontextualization: “Stale Mates – A Short Story Set in the Time When Love Came to China” and “Wusi yishi – Luo Wentao sanmei tuanyuan” 五四遺事——羅文濤三美團圓 (“Regret after the May Fourth Movement – The Reunion of Luo Wentao and the Three Beauties”) 8 Metacommentary on “Xiangjianhuan”〈相見歡〉 (“A Joyful Rendezvous”) and “She Said Smiling” Part 3: Cultural Translation 9 Interpretation: “Demons and Fairies” and “Zhongguoren de zongjiao” 〈中國人的宗教〉 (“The Religion of the Chinese”) 10 Distanciation: “Still Alive” and “Yangren kan jingxi ji qita” 〈洋人看京戲及其他〉 (“Westerners Watching Peking Opera and Other Issues”) 11 Transformation: “Chinese Life and Fashions” and “Gengyiji” 〈更衣記〉 (“A Chronicle of Changing Clothes”) Part 4: Political Ambivalence 12 Authenticity Reconsidered: The Rice-Sprout Song and Yangge《秧歌》 13 Postmodern Intertextuality: Chidi zhi lian 《赤地之戀》(The Romance of the Redland) and Naked Earth 14 Transcultural Hospitality: “A Return to the Frontier” and “Chongfang biancheng” 〈重訪邊城〉 15 Transgressing Boundaries: “The Spyring or Ch’ing k’ê! Ch’ing k’ê!” and “Se, Jie” 〈色，戒〉(“Lust, Caution”) Conclusion: The Performativity of Eileen Chang’s Self-Translation  1 Significance of Eileen Chang’s Self-Translation Bibliography Index

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Author Information

Jessica Tsui-yan Li, Ph.D. (2002), Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ph.D. (2007), University of Toronto, is Associate Professor of Chinese literature and culture at York University. She has published journal articles, book chapters, translations, special issues, and an edited volume on modern and contemporary Chinese literature and culture, Chinese Canadian literature, and Comparative Literature.

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