LEWI Lectures 2005 - The In's
and Out's of East-West
Translation and
Adaptation
(16 September, 14 October and
18
November)
In the fall, there are three
presentations from our 2005 lecture series, "The
In's and Out's of East-West Translation and
Adaptation". Since March 2005, LEWI has invited
internationally and locally renowned scholars from
various disciplines in translation, literature and
cultural studies to deliver lectures at our
institute. Four lectures in the series were held
in the spring and have attracted hundreds of
academics, students from within and outside Hong
Kong Baptist University, and general public in
Hong Kong. Following the previous lectures by
Professor Jan Walls (Simon Fraser University),
Professor Eugene Eoyang (Lingnan University),
Professor Rey Chow (Brown University), and
Professor David Wang (Harvard University),
speakers in the fall series include: Professor Leo
Lee Ou-fan from The Chinese University of Hong
Kong (successfully held on 16 September),
Professor Thomas Luk (tentatively dated 14
October), and Professor Martha Cheung (tentatively
dated 18 November).
On 16 September, Professor Leo
Ou-fan Lee, currently teaching at the Department
of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, delivered the fifth
lecture in the series. Professor Lee is one of
the most distinguished scholars in modern
Chinese literature and culture. He received his
MA and Ph.D. from Harvard University. His
research interests range from modern Chinese
intellectual history to contemporary fiction and
cinema in Pan-Chinese regions. In addition to
writing books, Professor Lee also writes a
weekly cultural column for Yazhou
Zhoukan and contributes articles frequently
to local newspapers in Hong Kong.
Prof. Leo Lee Ou-fan's Lecture
In the talk, "Translation as
Cultural Mediation: Reflections on Late Qing
Translation and Urban Culture", Professor Lee
discussed several interesting samples from the
large corpus of Chinese translations of
Western--largely Victorian--fiction in the late
Qing period (1885-1910) and placed them in the
context of the rise of popular fiction at that
time. Of particular interest to Chinese readers
were Lin Shu's translation of Dumas fils' La
Dame aux Camelias and other translations of
Sherlock Holmes stories. Professor Lee
demonstrated that the loose form of translations
did not adhere to fidelity but rather served to
establish inter-cultural connections. He argued
that the "mediation" role needs to be explored
as a new way of doing cultural history and
"post-colonial" studies.
The lecture attracted over
seventy people, which included faculty and
graduate students within the University, and
academics from other local universities. There
was standing room only in the lecture room.
Following Professor Lee's
inspiring talk, there will be two more upcoming
lectures as follows.
Date
Title
Speaker
14 October 2005
Translation and
Adaptation of Western Drama in Hong Kong: A
Socio-cultural Study of Hong Kong Repertory
Theatre's Productions
Professor Thomas Luk, The Chinese University
of Hong Kong
18 November 2005
Thick Translation or
Translation that is Simply Thick? - Some
Thoughts on Translation as Cultural
Representation
Professor Martha Cheung, Hong Kong Baptist
University
Professor Thomas Luk from The
Chinese University of Hong Kong will speak on
"Translation and Adaptation of Western Drama in
Hong Kong: A Socio-cultural Study of Hong Kong
Repertory Theatre's Production" in October.
Professor Thomas Luk is known for his numerous
research projects on both Western drama and
Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong. In this lecture,
he will examine the Hong Kong Repertory
Company's past productions of translated plays
and investigate how these works have helped
forge contemporary Hong Kong theatre, and
constructed its hybrid identity.
In November, Professor Martha
Cheung, the director of Centre for Translation
at Hong Kong Baptist University will deliver the
last lecture in the series. Professor Cheung is
an acclaimed scholar in the field of
translation. The title of her lecture is "Thick
Translation or Translation that is Simply Thick?
- Some Thoughts on Translation as Cultural
Representation". Professor Cheung will focus on
the use and usefulness of what Kwame Anthony
Appiah calls "thick translation" in the
rendering of Chinese translation concepts into
English.
International Conference 2006 -
Migrations between
East and West: Normalising the
Periphery
Co-organized by LEWI, Wing Lung
Bank International Institute for Business
Development (IIBD), Xiamen University and the
University of Amsterdam, an International
Conference on 'Migrations between East and West:
Normalising the Periphery', will be held on 3 - 7
April 2006. The five-day conference will be
divided into two parts. The first part, which is a
workshop, will take place at Xiamen University on
3 - 5 April 2006. It will deal with theoretical as
well as empirical issues on migration. The second
part of the conference, an open forum, will take
place at Hong Kong Baptist University on 6 - 7
April 2006. Government officials, business
representatives and scholars of migration policy
will be invited to speak at the forum. These
speakers are expected to shed light on practices
and problems of migration in Hong Kong. A
call-for-paper announcement will be ready soon.
LEWI Visitorship -
Professor Paul
Hockings
Professor Paul Hockings,
currently Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at
the University of Illinois - Chicago, and an
expert in visual and cultural anthropology, is
LEWI visitor and Department of Sociology's
visiting scholar from September to December
2005. His major areas of interest are the
cultural anthropology and history of India,
South Asian demography, linguistics, and visual
anthropology.
Prof. Paul
Hockings
For the past ten years,
Professor Hockings has been Editor of Visual
Anthropology (Routledge), and he also
edited the standard textbook on the subject,
Principles of Visual Anthropology
(Second, revised ed.) (Mouton de Gruyter, 1995).
He recently was an editor of the
Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume III,
South Asia (G.K. Hall, 1992) and
Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume V,
East and Southeast Asia (G.K. Hall, 1993)
and is currently editing Encyclopedia of
Asia (Charles Scribner's sons). Professor
Hockings is also affiliated with the Department
of Sociology and teaches qualitative methods of
social research, and sociological theory:
contemporary approaches.
During his visit in Hong Kong,
Professor Hockings will assemble a team of local
and overseas researchers to work with Professor
Chan Kwok-bun, Head and Professor of Department
of Sociology and Director of LEWI, in a study on
hybridization.
Recent Visits by Member
Institutions
Visit by University
of Western Sydney (15 August
2005) Mr. Dennis Mortimer and Mr. Ian
Caddy, School of Management, University of Western
Syndey, paid a visit to LEWI on 15 August, while
they were in Hong Kong for a conference. Our
programme officers greeted them and introduced
them to LEWI's various programmes and
publications. They would like to explore
possibilities for collaboration and academic
exchange in the future.
Resident Graduate Scholarship
Programme
New Students in Fall
2005
In Fall 2005, we welcome
five new students to LEWI to participate in the
Resident Graduate Scholarship (RGS) Programme:
Hu Anjiang,
Ph.D. Candidate, Faculty of Foreign Languages,
Sun Yat-sen University. Thesis topic: "Textual
Travel and Translational Deviation: Hanshan
Poems in Translations". Field supervisor at
HKBU: Professor Martha Cheung,
Department of English Language and
Literature.
Hu Anjiang: I read my first
degree in English Language and Literature at
Sichuan International Studies University (SISU)
and obtained my MA in Translation Studies from
the same university. In 2004, I was admitted to
the doctoral program in Translation and Culture
at Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou).
Back(Left to Right): Liang
Chen, Zhao Gang, Hu Anjiang
Front (Left to Right): Ren
Junying, Zhao Li
During my residence at LEWI,
I will examine the transmission and acceptance
of the poems of Hanshan, a hermit poet in Tang
Dynasty (618-907), in the context of East and
West culture. LEWI, as an axis of East-West
culture, will certainly provide me with research
network and knowledge of that area. The Special
Collections and Archives of East-West Studies at
the Hong Kong Baptist University library also
provides me with valuable resources, which will
facilitate my current research on translation
and culture.
Liang Chen,
Ph.D. Candidate, History Department, Tsinghua
University. Thesis topic: "The Living Standards
of Teachers, Staff and Workers in Tsinghua, from
1928-1937". Field supervisor at HKBU:
Professor Wong Man Kong, Department of
History.
Liang Chen: I am Liang Chen
from Tsinghua University, Beijing. I obtained my
bachelor's degree in Chinese History from Peking
University in 2002, with my paper "Two Financial
Unrests in Late Qing and their Social Response",
being awarded the first rank in the faculty.
In Autumn 2002, I was
recommended to the History Department of
Tsinghua University to study in a five-year
doctoral program, majoring in economic history
of modern China. I have just finished studying
all the taught doctoral courses and now, under
the supervision of Professor Li Bo Zhong, a
famous historian, I am conducting a research in
the field of modern Chinese economic
history.
Ren Junying,
Ph.D. Candidate, Fudan University. Thesis topic:
"Discourse Analysis of Modeling Reporting in
Mainland China: From Foucault's Perspective".
Field supervisor at HKBU: Professor
Huang Yu, Department of Journalism.
Ren Junying: It is a great
honour for me to participate in the LEWI RGS
programme. The School of Communication at Hong
Kong Baptist University is ideal for me to study
Journalism and Communication. I am sure I can
benefit a lot from the professors of the
faculty. Their guidance and assistance will
greatly facilitate my research on "Discourse
Analysis of Modeling Reporting in Mainland
China: From Foucault's Perspective". Though I
study in Hong Kong for only a period of four
months, this experience is very valuable for my
future study.
Zhao Gang, Ph.D.
Candidate, College of Political and Public
Administration, Wuhan University. Thesis topic:
"Western and Chinese 'Soft Power' in the Age of
Globalization". Field supervisor at HKBU:
Professor Ting Wai, Department of
Government and International Studies.
Zhao Gang: I am a Ph. D.
candidate at Wuhan University. My major is
International Relations with a focus on Chinese
foreign policy and American studies. I hope I
will obtain my doctoral degree next year.
My research areas focus on
Sino-US relations, American foreign policy and
Chinese foreign policy. I am interested in a
series of extensive issues such as the changing
nature of world politics in the age of
globalization, the impact of globalization upon
Chinese interests and stability, and the
effectiveness and limitations of Chinese current
policies. Taking part in LEWI's RGS programme
provides me with a valuable chance to see the
world and China from a different perspective. I
believe that this opportunity to study in Hong
Kong would not only broaden my horizons but also
enhance my problem-solving skills, which will
greatly benefit the development of my career in
the academic field.
Zhao Li, Ph.D.
Candidate, Department of Philosophy, Tsinghua
University. Thesis topic: "A Comparative Study
of Pragmatism of Dewey and Hu Shi". Field
supervisor at HKBU: Professor Pfister,
Lauren F., Department of Religion and
Philosophy.
Zhao Li: Thanks LEWI, for
giving me this chance to study in Hong Kong. I
am very grateful to Prof. Pfister for being my
supervisor. There are vast academic resources in
Hong Kong and I look forward to conducting
research here in the coming
months.
LEWI
Publications
Working Paper Series
The LEWI Working Paper Series is
an endeavour of LEWI to foster dialogues among
institutions and scholars in the field of
East-West studies. It was launched in April 2002
and serves as a forum for the speedy and informal
exchange of ideas as scholars and academic
institutions attempt to grapple with issues of an
inter-cultural and global nature. Forty-three
papers have been published so far and we welcome
papers in any academic field related to East-West
studies and from authors within and outside of our
LEWI consortium. For further information, please
contact Miss Erica Poon at erica@hkbu.edu.hk
or visit http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~lewi/publications.html
for details about ordering and submitting a
manuscript.
Recent Publications in the Series
(abstracts are available on our website):
39. Yinbing LEUNG
(Hong Kong Baptist University), The
"Action Plan to Raise Language Standards": A
Response to the Economic Restructuring in
Post-colonial Hong Kong, English/28 pages,
July 2005.
41. CHAN Kwok-bun and Odalia M.H. WONG
(Hong Kong Baptist University)Private and Public: Gender, Generation and
Family Life in Flux, English/21pages, August
2005.
42. LEUNG Hon Chu (Hong Kong Baptist
University) Globalization, Modernity,
and Careers at Work: Life Politics of Woman
Workers in Hongkong-Shenzhen,
English/14pages, August 2005.
43. CHAN Kwok-bun (Hong Kong Baptist
University)Cosmopolitan, Translated
Man, or Stranger? Experimenting with Sociological
Autobiography, English/33pages, September
2005.
Author's Corner
Migration,
Ethnic Relations and Chinese
Business (Routledge, 2005)
Professor Chan
Kwok-bun (Head of Department of
Sociology and Director of David C. Lam Institute
for East-West Studies, Hong Kong Baptist
University)
Incorporating research carried
out over the last twenty years, Migration,
Ethnic Relations and Chinese Business
documents the personal and collective responses
of Chinese migrants and refugees to the
prejudice and discrimination they have
experienced.
Using case studies of Chinese
communities in Canada, Chan argues that a
defence mechanism has been created by Chinese
immigrants in order to escape the systemic and
institutional discrimination they face. Feeling
themselves to be strangers, migrants tend to
gravitate towards each other, forming their own
close-kit communities and ethnic enterprises.
This text analyses how many Chinese overseas
choose to subject themselves to internal
exploitation at work rather than face
discrimination in the mainstream labour market -
with a mixture of positive and negative
consequences.
Drawing upon empirical and
theoretical literature on the sociology of race
and ethnic relations, the book stresses the
variety of Chinese culture and its ability to
exploit an emergent ethnicity as individuals,
groups and communities.
Chinese Identities,
Ethnicity andCosmopolitanism (Routledge,
2005)
Professor Chan Kwok-bun
(Head of Department of Sociology and Director of
David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies,
Hong Kong Baptist University)
Chinese Identities,
Ethnicity and Cosmopolitanism explores the
ever-changing personal and cultural identity of
Chinese migrants and the diverse cosmopolitan
communities they create. Within these
communities migrants face a fight between
departure and destination cultures. This book
considers the consequences of this conflict of
identity and the numerous possible outcomes from
cultural assimilation to the emergence of
mutually developed hybrid cultures.
Using extensive case study
material, various models of newly-forged
communities are examined. The book analyses the
individual's place in society, as well as the
conflict between personal ethnic identity, and
migration, integration and cultural conversion.
Chan highlights the point that communities are
not homogeneous but composed of an array of
motives, aims and degrees of
receptivity.
