Arabic-Chinese and English Relay Translation (1970-2020): A Historiographical Bibliometric Study

A Master of Arts thesis in English/Arabic/English Translation and Interpreting (MATI) by Luxi Xiang entitled, “Arabic-Chinese and English Relay Translation (1970-2020): A Historiographical Bibliometric Study”, submitted in April 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Said Faiq. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).

Abstract

The dissemination of Arab heritage has a long history in China, but the first genuine Arabic-Chinese translation interchange did not occur until a century ago. The translation of the classic, Arabian Nights, helped the Chinese people understand Arab culture for the first time. On the other hand, the development of Chinese in Arab countries has a very recent history. Since the classic Chinese book, The Analects, was translated into Arabic by Ma Jian a century ago, the translation of Chinese literary works remains rare, with the majority of them being translated from English or other western languages via relay translation. In the twentieth century, the government of China vigorously promoted exchanges between Chinese and Arab cultures, which has further deepened the cultural encounters between the two nations. This thesis examines translation from Arabic into Chinese from 1970 to 2020, with a historiographical and bibliometric approach, including through English relay translation.