This conference plans to study the role played by translation in the modernization of East Asian countries in the 19th and early 20th century, a project at the Research Centre for Translation (RCT), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, supported by the University's Focused Investment Scheme and the RCT Research Programme Fund.

In the 19th and early 20th century, East Asia underwent a process of modernization to cope with the serious challenges brought by the Western powers. While different countries and places might have taken different courses, the process of modernization was characterized by elements ranging from military, political, economic, technological and medical reforms to changes in the legal, administrative, diplomatic as well as education, literary and media systems. There was a long-term socio-political and cultural impact that shaped the “modern” East Asia of the 20th–21st century.

While modernization was in no way simply equivalent to westernization, many in the 19th and early 20th century did see the West as the model for modernization. Modernization in East Asia was thus more often than not taken as a process of learning from or even imitating the West. In this process, translation played a crucial role, when efforts were made to import Western ideas, knowledge, concepts and practices. Although numerous studies have been made of the modernization of East Asia, the lack of study of the role of translation in this process has been a major weakness in our understanding of the topic.

The present conference calls for submission of panel abstracts as well as abstracts for individual papers on the following or related topics on translation and modernization in East Asia:

•	Translation and the introduction of the concept of “modern” in East Asia
•	The role of translation in various aspects of modernization in East Asia
•	Western works translated into East Asia for modernization and their impact
•	Translators, patrons and other key players and institutions in translation and modernization of East Asia
•	The adoption and appropriation of western thinking and knowledge through translation in the modernization in East Asia
•	Contributions from other places and countries to the modernization of East Asia through translation

Important dates:

Abstracts submission deadline:	30 Sept 2012
Notification of Acceptance:	1 Nov 2012
Registration deadline:	28 Feb 2013
Conference date:	29–31 May 2013

Length of Paper:
30 minutes for one paper, inclusive of a 20-mintue presentation and a 10-minute discussion. Scholars are also welcome to form panels and present their papers at the conference. Each panel will be given 90 minutes, and limited to 3 papers per panel.

Languages of Presentation:
Chinese (Putonghua) and English.

Application Procedures: 
1) For individual scholars, please email the complete application form and an abstract of no more than 250 words to RCT on or before 30 September 2012. 2) For panels, please form a panel of 3 people and elect a chairperson. Then complete and email an application form, a panel abstract of no more than 250 words and individual abstracts of no more than 250 words each to RCT on or before 30 September 2012.

Cost:
No registration fee will be charged. Participants are expected to cover their own transport, food and accommodation costs. Accommodation subsidies may be offered to participating scholars, based on the conference budget and individual needs.

Official Website:
For application forms and information on transport, accommodation, etc., please go to http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/rct/ts/modern.

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本研討會由香港中文大學中國文化研究所翻譯研究中心主辦，為香港中文大學“重點資助卓越領域計劃”及翻譯研究中心“研究項目經費”資助，旨在探討19至20世紀初翻譯與東亞各國現代化的關係。

為應對西方勢力入侵所帶來的嚴峻挑戰，東亞各國在19至20世紀初開展一系列現代化改革。各國改革方式及內容上雖略有差異，但涵蓋範圍包括軍事、政治、經濟、科技、醫療、法律、行政、外交、教育、文學以至傳媒等方面，對這些國家及地區帶來深遠影響，直接塑造了20至21世紀的“現代”東亞。

現代化不等同於西化，但無可否認，19世紀的西方在當時確被視為“現代”的象徵，東亞各國在不同程度上透過學習甚至仿效西方來進行現代化改革。在引入與傳遞西方思想、理論、概念與實踐經驗的過程中，翻譯扮演了至關重要的角色。然而，儘管有關東亞各國現代化的研究已頗具成果，當中卻鮮有探討翻譯的作用及功能，局限了對該研究領域的理解。



本會議邀請學者自組小組或以個人名義，就以下或其他相關課題提交論文摘要，經會議籌備委員會篩選後在會議上宣讀論文：

•	翻譯與 “現代化” 概念在東亞的推行
•	翻譯在推動東亞各領域現代化中扮演的角色
•	東亞現代化中的西方譯作及其影響
•	譯者、贊助人及東亞現代化翻譯活動中其他重要人物與機構
•	經翻譯引進的西方思潮及知識在東亞現代化中的流播和應用
•	其他國家及地區的翻譯活動對東亞現代化的貢獻

重要日期： 

摘要提交截止日期：	2012年9月30日
研討會論文接受通告：	2012年11月1日
登記截止日期：	2013年2月28日
研討會日期：	2013年5月29–31日

宣讀論文時間：
每位講者有30分鐘時間，內含20分鐘宣讀論文及10分鐘答問時間。學者自組小組參加會議，每一小組時間為1小時30分，每小組以3篇論文為限。

演講語言：
普通話及英語。 

報名程序：
請將填好的報名表與論文摘要（不多於250字）在2012年9月30日前電郵至翻譯研究中心。學者可以自組3人的論文小組，自選主席主持討論，並將小組報名表、小組摘要與個人論文摘要一同提交。

費用：
會議不收取會議費。講者須負責其交通及食宿費用。如有需要，可提出住宿補貼申請，由翻譯研究中心視乎會議預算及學者需要決定補貼金額。

官方網站：會議詳情、個人與小組報名表、交通、住宿及其他訊息可於http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/rct/ts/modern查詢。

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