ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the discussions of online translation communities and online collaborative translation practices are juxtaposed against the development of the Chinese internet that is outlined in Chapter 2. Following online translation communities’ development chronologically, they are examined as both narrative communities and communities of practice. The practice of online collaborative translation is framed as a form of citizen media practice through which ordinary citizens proactively engage in public life and challenge the dominant narratives of the time (Baker and Blaagaard 2016). Two online translation initiatives are presented, Cenci Journalism Project and Yeeyan. Both served as media portals and gained reputations in journalism in their early stages through the collaborative practices of translation and transediting. Collaborative translation, when understood as citizen media practice, is loosely defined and refers to the conventionally perceived process through which materials are carried from one language and culture to another, as well as translation-related activities such as commenting and forum discussion in the digital space. In the same vein, the participants involved in online collaborative translation not only include the translators who translate interlingually, but also commenters who publicly and freely express themselves. During this process, they actively contest co-constructed realities through their reading of collaboratively translated non-Chinese media content and negotiate with each other, which is an experience that enforces and enhances the joint enterprise in their communities.
