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Abstract

The 1900s saw the apex of translations of biographies of heroes who had saved countries, particularly of the national heroes of the Western world. These heroic biographies were later replaced by those of other figures, as the former often incited nationalistic fervor and were prohibited from publication by the Japanese Government General of Korea from 1910. It was the Christian Literature Society of Korea that demonstrated the keenest interest in biographies and translations and published the largest number of biographies during the colonial period. While Hansung Press, Ltd, a local publishing company, mainly focused on publishing translated biographies with reference to publications from Japanese counterparts in the early 1920s, the Society on the other hand continued to bring Western publications into Korea. Literature missionaries actively engaged in their translation work, putting great emphasis on translations of biographies that could be easily absorbed by ordinary readers. Accordingly, many biographies and autobiographies of figures from the religious sphere and the Western world were published throughout the colonial period. These publications generally enclosed the original works, inserted a horde of pictures and illustrations, described how they were published in a foreword by the translator, and consisted of chapters listed in tables of contents emulating the Bible. Lincoln, Helen Keller, and Booker T. Washington were among the most representative figures introduced at that time. They played a decisive role in establishing the president of the United States as a symbol of world peace and freedom, inscribing the story of a woman with disability in the memory of the colonized people, and connecting the story of black slaves who tried to integrate into white society with the challenge and need to enhance the capability of Chosun. The translation works of the Society were largely divided into those beneficial to ministers and believers, and those introduced as success stories to illustrate the integration of capitalism and the Christian faith. The translations aimed to strengthen the readers’ faith and to help them apply it in their daily lives by showing them an ideal Christian life. There were also numerous biographies designed to help members of the clergy as well as devotees understand the Bible, to establish the legitimacy of the sect, and to educate followers. However, for Chosun readers, the biographies and autobiographies of missionaries in third-world countries had an additional effect. The locals internalized them as works that emphasized the need to eradicate barbaric customs such as concubinage, the shamanistic medical system, and slavery to transform a nation into a so-called “civilized Christian country.” The biographies of non-religious figures were introduced to the youth as examples of success stories based on the self-deprecation of the modern capitalistic society. They were narratives that underlined the ‘Protestant ethic’ theorized by Marx Weber. Western missionaries and locals who spoke fluent Chosun had to work as a pair to translate and publish these biographies. Although the locals’ roles and degrees of contribution varied, they were nevertheless engaged in the overall publication process, beyond simple translation. These locals, who were comprised of full-time translators hired by the publishing company, external translators, or ministers, not only translated literature and social science books, but also wrote their own books and occupied important functions in education and the media. Based on the study of how translated biographies were published by the Christian Literature Society of Korea, further in-depth research is needed to understand the effects of Christianity on the Korean publication of biographies and the local reading culture, the outcomes of the encounters between Western missionaries and Chosun translators during the colonial period, and the ways narratives based on the Christian world view took root and structured the values of Koreans during the colonial period.