Modern Social Science Research

From the Late Qing dynasty (especially after the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895) to the May Fourth Movement, China experienced a critical period of cultural transformation in modern history. During this time, translation played a crucial role in ideological liberation and social transformation. However, historical narratives on translation have long focused predominantly on male translators, often neglecting or marginalizing their female counterparts. In fact, the translation practices and works of women translators during this period vividly reflect the social and complex nature of translation, but many prominent female translators remain under-researched in academic circles[7]. This paper aims to uncover the “invisible” female translators of this period and explore how they engaged with social and ideological transformation through translation. It also analyzes the interaction between their translation strategies and contemporary gender ideologies, revealing how women sought a space for self-expression between language and culture. In sum, the female translators of this era may not necessarily be considered progressive feminist translators. Nevertheless, their identities as female translators offered them a unique perspective in interpreting source texts. The assertion of female subjectivity in their translations reflects their efforts to carve out a space for survival and to construct their own identities through the act of translation during a transformative time in Chinese history.

Tranlation; Female translators; The late Qing dynasty to the May Fourth Movement