ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to contribute to a broader understanding of the diverse forms of online activism as well as the multiple ways in which languages and their translations and interpretations are mobilized for political struggle. It studies few types of online translation activism related to China. Zheng and Reese's study of Chinese bridge blogs similarly treats bridge bloggers as foreign news providers, arguing that "bridge blogs serve as the 'weak ties', linking cultural spheres formed by the 'strong ties' among traditional national media". The most influential bridge blogs related to China are advocacy blogs. Inside China, civil society groups, cyber-nationalists, human rights advocates, and dissidents are engaged in translation activism. The chapter argues that in each case, translation serves the larger goals of the activist group. These goals include the provision of information; the narration of alternative identities and communities; the performance of protest strategies; and/or a mixture of these.
