Studying literary translations in periodicals: Methodological reflection and case studies from the 1970-80s in Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper begins by reflecting on the general methodologies of studying translation in periodicals, summarized by studying Hong Kong literary magazines and newspapers. It appeals for translation studies to pay closer attention to periodicals and consider how the characteristics of periodicals affect translations. It starts with the most basic features, including the heterogeneity in periodicals, the paratexts, and the periodicity, and proposes studying translations in periodicals can help us to better understand the translation strategies and structural positions of a certain literary field. This paper then focuses on three examples from the 1970s and 1980s in Hong Kong, including the column writings of Leung Ping-kwan, the literary magazine Su Yeh Literature, and the translation of Pablo Neruda in various Hong Kong magazines, demonstrating cases of various research scales. With these, it aims to argue that periodicals are not only a medium of translation and a record of historical development but also active agents in the literary field.