The Translation and Acceptance of Spanish Novels in China in the 20th Century

Spanish literature began to be introduced to China more than a hundred years ago. It has been eclipsed by the English and French literature that has been introduced to China over the centuries. Furthermore, it has been marginalized in the Chinese market, both in terms of the number of volumes published and the influence it exerts on readers. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe that a change is occurring and that there is a growing interest in it, accompanied by the growing interest of Chinese people in Spanish literature and the development of Spanish literature itself. Currently, China is increasingly contacting the world, especially with the Spanish-speaking countries. Since China’s Reform and Open-up, with a more welcoming attitude, the work of translation activity was launched with ease. This paper takes the Spanish novel as a case study, examining the translation and adaptation of these works in mainland China during the twentieth century. It draws on data from the Institute of Cervantes in Peking and Shanghai to analyses the evolution of translation and reception of Spanish novels in China.