Introduction: The translation and dissemination of Chinese cinemas

Abstract

This introduction provides a brief historical overview of the translation of Chinese cinemas and explores how film translation facilitates the dissemination of Chinese films. It also gives a description of the purpose, structure, and the methodologies of the contributing articles in this special issue. Offering fresh visions and innovative studies on various important issues, including mistranslation, the dubbing of Hong Kong kung fu films, the dubbing of foreign films in China, the subtitling of Chinese dialect films, the subtitling of independent Chinese documentaries, and a vivid personal account of the translation and distribution of Chinese cinemas in France, this special issue aims to generate international dialogue by presenting diverse approaches to the translation and dissemination of Chinese cinemas.

La télévision chinoise en Afrique

“…Cette dernière activité semble être fortement soutenue par le gouvernement chinois qui, depuis 2012, a investi dans la sélection, le doublage et la distribution de séries télévisées chinoises et d'autres contenus en Afrique, à travers la création de trois cadres de nancement : le projet de coopération cinématographique et télévisuelle Chine-Afrique en 2012, le projet de traduction d'oeuvres contemporaines en 2013 et le Silk Road Film and Television Bridge Project en 2014, qui ont permis, entre 2012 et 2018, de doubler 23 séries de télévision, 104 lms, 11 documentaires et dix bandes dessinées en sept différentes langues africaines (Jin, 2018). Pour pro ter de ces possibilités de nancement, StarTimes a mis en place une équipe de doublage pour traduire un grand nombre de programmes chinois en anglais, portugais, français et dans plusieurs langues africaines, dont le yoruba, le haoussa, le swahili et le zoulou, pour une diffusion sur tout le continent.…”

The Evolution of China’s Film Translation History through the Perspective of Sociological Imagination

“…Also, China's film translation history is inextricably linked to Changchun Film Studio, the major dubbing company from the earliest time (Zhang, 2009). Professor Jin Haina provides a brief historical overview of the translation of Chinese films and explores how film translation facilitates the dissemination of Chinese films (Jin, 2018).…”

Chinese Television in Africa

“…Finally, the company promoted the collaboration between Chinese and African content producers and distributors, in order to boost coproduction initiatives and accelerate the circulation of Chinese contents in Africa. 7 The latter activity appears to be strongly supported by the Chinese government which, since 2012, has invested in the selection, dubbing and distribution of Chinese TV series and other contents in Africa, through the creation of three funding frameworks: the China-Africa Film and Television Cooperation Project in 2012, the Contemporary Works Translation Project in 2013, and the Silk Road Film and Television Bridge Project in 2014 (Jin, 2018). As a result, the company quickly established a dubbing team to translate a large number of Chinese programs into English, Portuguese, French, and into several African languages, including Yoruba, Hausa, Swahili and Zulu, for circulation across the continent.…”