Abstract:

During the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, the Commercial Press launched large-scale and systematic translation and introduction activities of foreign novels through publishing projects, for example, the Shuobu Series (A Series of Fictional Works). With Lin Shu’s translated novels as the core, it extensively introduced literary works from countries including Britain, France, the United States and Russia, covering various genres such as romance, detective stories, adventure tales and social criticism. The Commercial Press not only achieved a win-win situation in terms of economic benefits and brand influence by virtue of its mature editing and distribution system, but also exerted a profound impact on enlightening the public and spreading modern Western ideas through these translated works. Its publishing practice not only responded to the era’s cultural demand for “opening eyes to see the world”, but also laid a solid foundation for the development of modern Chinese translation literature history and the rise of the New Culture Movement. Thus, it has become a classic case that embodies both publishing commercial value and significance for social transformation.

Key words: The Commercial Press, Shuobu Series, Lin Shu, Lin Shu’s translated novels