Publishing of Russian and Soviet children’s literature in China in the newest time

Abstract

Тhe article offers a comparative analysis of translations of Russian and Soviet children’s literature in China in 1970–1980s and after 2000s. The obtained data allowed us to compile statistic data and identify the main trends in translation of Russian children’s literature in China. It has been found that almost half of the publications of the Russian literature in China can be attributed to children’s literature. Among the latest translations more than a half represents the works of M. Gorky and N. Ostrovsky. Other children’s publications cover practically all Russian and Soviet authors and belong to all known genres of children’s literature. Among the top ten authors, published in the PRC, except M. Gorky and N. Ostrovsky, we also find V. Bianky, A. Pushkin, I. Krylov, М. Yilyin, К. Bulyichev, A. Beliaev. Comparing the data of the periods mentioned above, we can see fivefold increase in both the number of translators and the number of Chinese publishing houses, producing our children’s literature since 2000 year. However, in the 1980s, China expanded the geography of foreign translations, moving away from a model of 1950–1960s, when the Russian and Soviet literature played the role of the main tutor. The translation boom of foreign works for children after the “cultural revolution” of 1966–1976 broke all records. However, in the general flow of world literature for children, which came to China, Russian and Soviet works dropped from the first to the fourth place. Refs 17.

Keywords:

China, Russia, Soviet Union, children literature, publishing, translation