This article explores Lin Shu's (1852–1924) translations of foreign novels, known as ‘novels translated by Lin Shu’ (1899–1919), highlighting their contribution to the world literature of Late Qing China. Lin's translations, classified into emotional romance, adventure and mystery, and critical realism, showcase a unique blend of poetic style, ethical reflection and political commentary. By examining the textual nuances of ‘novels translated by Lin Shu’, the study reveals Lin's significant role in intercultural communication and the global literary sphere. It argues that Lin's translations, embodying distinctive narrative techniques and perspectives on translation, underscore the interplay between culture, ethics and politics in Late Qing China's literary landscape.
Ning Li is a female scholar with a Ph.D. in Literature. She conducted research at Duke University (US) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) during her doctoral studies. Currently, she is a faculty member at Guangdong Pharmaceutical University. Her research interests include cross-cultural communication, translation studies, and cultural dissemination through translation. Her research papers have been published in renowned international journals and included in major core databases. She has independently authored two research monographs and contributed to scholarly monographs and translations. One of her translated poems was included in the Library of Congress. In 2021, she was elected as a youth committee member of the Translation Branch of the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and serves as a peer reviewer for Scopus international journals. E-mail: ning.li@gdpu.edu.cn