Tłumaczenia chińskiego piśmiennictwa na język polski w ujęciu historycznym i w świetle teorii przekładu

The main aim of this article is to present the translations of the most important pieces of Chinese writing into Polish language in the historical perspective, as well as to show that in the process of translation of any Chinese literary work not only the knowledge of the language but also of the culture is essential. Moreover, the author emphasizes the necessity of updating the already existing translations according to the increasing knowledge of Chinese literature and culture. In the main part of the article, three comparisons of different translations of the same texts (Su Tong’s Wives and Concubines, The Analects and Zhuangzi) have been made. The first comparison shows how the lack of Sinological knowledge results in mistakes made in the process of translation. The other two prove the importance of updating the already existing translations.