Lecture on the translation and dissemination of African adventures in the late Qing Dynasty

In conjunction with the “A Shared Sky: The World of Chinese Texts and Cultural Exchange” (「共用蒼穹：中文古籍與文化交流的世界」中文古籍展覽) exhibition, a lecture talk titled “Traversing the Dark Continent: Translating and Dissemination of David Livingstone’s African Adventures in Late Qing China” 「穿梭黑暗大陸:立溫士頓非洲傳記的中譯與傳播」was held at UTAR Heritage Hall, Kampar Campus on 27 November 2024. The lecture was delivered by Prof Guan Kean-Fung from Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) Head of Programme (M.A. (Chinese Studies)) Dr Ng Bung Chen moderated the event.

Present at the talk were Center for Chinese Studies (CCS), Taiwan Deputy Director-General Dr Weng Chih-Tsung, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia (TECO) Education Division Director Ms Charlin Chang, ICS Dean Assoc Prof Dr Chong Siou Wei, UTAR Library Director Ms Ang Suan Sim, Kampar Campus Library Head Ms Hew Yoke Far, CCS International Cooperation Division International Affairs Coordinator Dr Joyce Chen and Special Collections Division Specialist Dr Cheng Ching-Ju, as well as UTAR staff and students.

Prof Guan began his talk by expressing gratitude to CCS for the invitation and the opportunity to conduct the talk at UTAR. He said, “I am deeply honoured to deliver this presentation, which represents the culmination of several years of my research, offering insights into the African continent from the perspective of Chinese studies.”

He explained, “During the Second Industrial Revolution in the 1880s, European powers competed to expand their influence abroad, seeking raw materials and cheap labour, sparking the ‘Scramble for Africa’. By the 1890s, the Map of Current Situation (时局图) depicted territorial occupations using animals such as bears, eagles, dogs, and toads, reflecting the Chinese people’s concerns over imperialist encroachment. The partitioning of Africa evoked fears among late Qing intellectuals of a similar fate awaiting China.”

He elaborated, “Translators from different generations during the late Qing Dynasty used ‘Africa’ as a narrative lens to recount their personal life stories and reflect on their encounters with the times. Through these narratives, they express their philosophies, anxieties, destinies, and crises. This connects to the concept of ‘exotic imagologie’, where the object (Africa) becomes a mirror reflecting the subject (the narrator) and projecting the underlying social, cultural, and ideological constructs of their time. The depiction of ‘Africa’ was less about the continent itself and more a symbolic representation of China’s cultural identity. For Chinese writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Africa functioned as a foreign metaphor through which they interrogated their political predicaments and cultural dilemmas. Within specific political and cultural contexts, they used the image of ‘Africa’ to articulate their anxieties and aspirations, constructing narratives that explored their self-perception and hopes for a more secure future.”

Subsequently, the speaker delved deeper into the connections between the lecture’s central figure, David Livingstone, and both Africa and China. Prof Guan explained, “David Livingstone, as a missionary, ventured into Africa as an indirect consequence of the Opium War, unveiling the uncharted African interior to the Western world. Though his paths never crossed with China, his African explorations were translated and introduced to the late Dynasty Qing cultural sphere.”

The talk then focused on the context in which these translations emerged, the meanings they conveyed, and how they reshaped the perception and dissemination of David Livingstone’s life and work within Chinese intellectual circles at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. This exploration illuminated how David Livingstone’s legacy was not only interpreted but also adapted to align with the changing cultural and intellectual aspirations of China during the late Qing. The speaker further enriched the discussion by comparing the original text with its translation, allowing the audience to gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the translation differences at that time.

“In the early 20th century, the cultural sphere of the late Qing advocated a spirit of adventure. The exploits of David Livingstone venturing into Africa perfectly aligned with these aspirations. Within the context of ‘adventure’, contemporary figures, including the Chinese intellectual Liang Qichao, compared David Livingstone’s African exploits to those of explorers like Christopher Columbus, who discovered new continents, and Ferdinand Magellan, who circumnavigated the globe,” he concluded.

During the Q&A session, the audience had a great interaction with Prof Guan. They discussed topics related to the positive and negative critiques of travelogues; the examination of foreign powers’ incursions through an African lens; the theories, principles, and schools of translation; the nuanced dual identity of being both a researcher and a traveller, to name a few. These discussions not only reflected the depth of the audience’s interest but also highlighted the multifaceted nature of the lecture’s themes.