Abstract
This paper addresses transition and dynamics of translation and interpretation during
nearly 300 years of Qing dynasty, focusing on three types of translation: translation
required for internal affairs of Qing, a multi-language nation; translation and interpretation
by missionaries; and translation capacitated by the Self-Strengthening Movement.
Although they were different in translator groups and employed methodologies, all shared a
primary philosophy of "absorbing new knowledge, educating the public, and promoting the national interests." Translation also served as a kind of social weapon and the paper examines what aspects the translators sought and precisely reproduced during their
translation, and what were the translators’ judgments and how they manipulated texts
when closely following original texts seemed to hinder translated texts' receptible and
educational potentials and/or efficacies on social developments. The examination reveals
social impacts of translators' judgment and their translation.
