Chen Hongjuan: Evolution and Interpretation in the Translation of “Eliminating Private Ownership” in The Communist Manifesto

2021-06-21 17:31:19

Based on the change in the frequency of the words “eliminate” and “abolish,” which correspond to the German word “Aufhebung,” in the Chinese edition of The Communist Manifesto, before the founding of People’s Republic of China, there was a problem, to some extent, of a “sharpening” of the words. After the founding of People’s Republic of China, the several versions of the translation by the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau gradually featured a “de-sharpening” of the words and a return to the initial context as appeared in the German text. Although the translation of “elimination of private ownership” has not changed, the focus of the interpretation has shifted from an absolutization of revolutionary actions to the conditional nature of specific actions.