From dragoman to interpreter and translator: a brief history of the development of anancient profession in China
https://doi.org/10.24412/2686-9675-3-2025-154-163
Abstract
The article discusses the origin and development of translation profession in China from ancient times to modern times. There are three major periods of translation activity associated with the expansion of China's political, cultural and economic ties with both neighboring and distant countries. The evolutionary development of the profession of an Interpreter (Dragoman) is traced from the first written references to it in the ancient source of the era of Zhou (XI–III centuries BC) “Zhou Lee” “The establishments of the Zhou dynasty” until the beginning of the reform movement in China in the first third of the 20th century.
About the Author
T. G. SemenovaRussian Federation
Semenova Tatyana Grigoryevna, Ph.D. in Philology, Associate Professor, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs
References
1. Van Men"yao «Sovremennaya nauka o perevode v Kitae: istoriya stanovleniya i tendencii razvitiya», avtoreferat kandidatskoj dissertacii, 2020 g. URL: https://www.dissercat.com/content/sovremennayanauka-o-perevode-v-kitae-istoriyastanovleniya-i-tendentsii-razvitiya (data obrashcheniya: 20.07.2025)
2. Kostikova, CHen' SHui «Stanovlenie kitajskoj perevodcheskoj tradicii: praktika, kritika, teoriya». Vestnik moskovskogo universiteta, ser.22. Teoriya perevoda 2012 №1. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/stanovlenie-kitayskoy-perevodcheskoytraditsii-praktika-kritika-teoriya (data obrashcheniya: 20.07.2025)
3. Lyu Ven'czya «Istoriya obucheniya yazykam i perevodu v Kitae». URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/istoriyaobucheniya-yazykam-i-perevodu-v-kitae/viewer (data obrashcheniya: (21.07.2025)
4. P.A. Lapin «Ocherk istorii prepodavaniya inostrannyh yazykov i podgotovki perevodchikov v kitajskoj imperii (s drevnejshih vremen do pervoj poloviny HVII v.)». URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ocherk-istorii-prepodavaniyainostrannyh-yazykov-i-podgotovkiperevodchikov-v-kitayskoy-imperii-sdrevneyshih-vremen-do-pervoy-poloviny (data obrashcheniya: 20.08.2025)
5. An Overview of Translation in China: Practice and Theory by Weihe Zhong. 2003.
6. URL: https://translationjournal.net/journal/24china.htm (data obrashcheniya: 21.08.2025)
7. 《 礼 记‧王 制 》 : URL: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/Wikisource首页 (data obrashcheniya: 21.08.2025 )
8. 马祖毅:《中国翻译通史(全五卷)湖北教育 出 版 社, 2006. URL: https://book.douban.com/subject/2055321/ (data obrashcheniya: 22.08.2025)
9. 王秉钦、王颉:《20世纪中国翻译思想史》 南开大学出版社, 2009 孙乐: 中国译者地位变 迁 历 程 及 其 原 因. URL: https://www.sinoss.net/ (data obrashcheniya: 20.08.2025)
10. 高文平: “翻译”的前世今生:周代称“象胥”汉 为“舌 人” URL: https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cul/news/2010/05-04/2261503.shtml (data obrashcheniya: 22.08.2025)
11. 浩然文史: 合通中洋, «中国历史上知名的翻 译家们,为文化交流做出怎样的贡献?» URL: https://news.qq.com/omn/author/8QMc3Xtf5YQfujc%3D (data obrashcheniya: 22.08.2025)
12. 乐 乐 课 堂 。 新 华 字 典URL: https://www.leleketang.com/zidian/w-177588.shtml (data obrashcheniya: 22.08.2025)
Review
For citations:
Semenova T.G. From dragoman to interpreter and translator: a brief history of the development of anancient profession in China. Modern Oriental Studies. 2025;7(3):154-163. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24412/2686-9675-3-2025-154-163
JATS XML