A study of Hu Shih’s translations of ibsen from the perspective of patronage

Abstract

This paper focuses on Hu Shih’s translations of Ibsen’s plays which were published in the special Ibsen edition of New Youth in 1918. Hu Shih was not only a reader and translator, but also a patron of the literary arts who both publicized and manipulated the translation rules for foreign literature. He was also a professional editor who not only corrected the texts of translations, but also did most of the planning for the magazine New Youth, which introduced new ideas and promoted the further development of Chinese social culture. During the May 4th New Literature Movement, Hu Shih manipulated the use of baihuawen (vernacular Chinese) to translate the new trends of thought and promoted a Chinese Renaissance. Although Hu Shih’s translations of Ibsen’s dramas may have left room for improvement, we now see that the real value of these translations lies in Hu Shih’s ability to manipulate the power of patronage in such a way as to influence Chinese literary translation in the early 20th century. © 2020, National Academy for Educational Research. All rights reserved.