Echoes From the Sertão Across Linguistic Boundaries: A Study on the Chinese Translation and Reception of João Guimarães Rosa’s Works (1949-2025)

This study examines the Chinese translation and reception of the works of the Brazilian literary titan João Guimarães Rosa. Employing a literature-based research approach that integrates academic research in both Chinese and Portuguese, historical translation data, publishing archives, and literary criticisms, it systematically charts the trajectory of the Chinese translations of Rosa’s works from 1949 to 2025. Focusing on the socio-historical factors driving translation practices across different time periods, the analysis explores how different translators, publishing markets, and literary fields interact in the cross-cultural circulation of Rosa’s works. By juxtaposing the distinctive linguistic features of Rosa’s works with Chinese readers’ reception preferences, this study reveals the changing logic behind the dissemination of Rosa’s works in Chinese, from the single-title translation of The Third Bank of the River to their eventual canonization within the Chinese literary world. The study offers both theoretical insights and practical references for Sino-Brazilian literary exchanges and future research on the translation of Portuguese literature.