Researching Translation Networks in Republican China: A Case Study of Dong Zhongchi’s Pride and Prejudice

The ‘sociological turn’ in translation studies opens up a new research branch called TranslaTOR Studies (Chesterman, 2009). One of the intentions of this newfound branch is to excavate translators and their literary contributions. However, this translator-centered approach may not be able to unveil lesser -known translators whose existence can only be noted in bibliographic catalogues. In order to tackle this shortcoming, I prose to use Latour’s Actor Network Theory (1987, 1996) to establish the literary ties that connect actors. This paper examines the Chinese translation of Pride and Prejudice by Dong Zhongchi published in 1935. The translated text as well as its paratextual materials will be examined in context with the sociopolitical and sociocultural backdrop of Republican China in order to identify the ideological influence from the networked actors.