Abstract

Being colonized by France, Cocochina (the South of Vietnam) was the region where Western literature was introduced into earlier than the North. Truong Minh Ky was considered the first translator of Western literature in Vietnam. His earliest works of translation appeared in 1884. By the early 20th century, introduced to Vietnamese readers were Western literary works not only of French origin but also of British, American and Russian origins; not only poetry, prose but also drama. In the late 19th century, many writers such as Truong Vinh Ky, Huynh Tinh Cua were interested in Chinese literature. In the first decade of the 20th century, a wide variety of Chinese novels were translated into Vietnamese, forming a strong movement of translating "truyen Tau” (Chinese fictions). The remarkable characteristics of the translation of Western literature in Cochinchina were as follows - The newspapers and magazines in “Quoc Ngu” (Vietnamese language written in Latin characters) where the first works of translation were published played very important role. - The translators were greatly diverse, coming from different social and cultural backgrounds. - More translation was made on prose. Novels of martial arts, historical stories, novels of heroic deeds attracted the attention of the translators and the publishers. Therefore, they were translated much more than romance novels were, because of their compatibility with popular audience. - By translating the works of Western literature, the writers tried to express new concepts of humanism, such as women rights, or gender issues. Translated literature in Cocochina in the late 19th and early 20th centuries reflects a paradox: Western influences started to leave their marks but the Chinese influence was still strongly engraved. However, this was a remarkable step in the journey of modernization of national literature. Through these early translated works, new literary genres were introduced and Vietnamese readers gradually became familiar with them. Translation experiences were the first steps for Cocochina writers to achieve thorough understanding, to learn Western writing techniques and styles, which helped them become the pioneers of new literature in Vietnam.