Protestant Bible Translation and Mandarin as the National Language of China

Download or read book Protestant Bible Translation and Mandarin as the National Language of China written by George Kam Wah Mak and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2017-03-06 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book represents the first monograph-length study of the relationship between Protestant Bible translation and the development of Mandarin from a lingua franca into the national language of China. Drawing on both published and unpublished sources, this book looks into the translation, publication, circulation and use of the Mandarin Bible in late Qing and Republican China, and sets out how the Mandarin Bible contributed to the standardization and enrichment of Mandarin. It also illustrates that the Mandarin Union Version, published in 1919, was involved in promoting Mandarin as not only the standard medium of communication but also a marker of national identity among the Chinese people, thus playing a role in the nation-building of modern China.