Revisiting the May Fourth Movement: Eileen Chang’s reflections in her self-translation “Wusi Yishi”

Eileen Chang, an eminent bilingual writer and translator, critically reflected on the limitations of the May Fourth Movement (the Movement) in her self-translation of “Stale Mates,” which she rendered into Chinese as “Wusi Yishi” (hereafter “Wusi”). However, scholarship has paid insufficient attention to how Chang’s self-translation represents a medium for historical critique. Addressing this gap, this study investigates textual modifications in “Wusi” to uncover Chang’s evolving perspective on the Movement’s superficial and incomplete transformation of Chinese society. Through a mixed-methods approach that integrates corpusbased textual and sentiment analysis with close reading, the study systematically compares “Stale Mates” with “Wusi” to identify linguistic and thematic shifts that reflect Chang’s critical stance. Sentiment analysis demonstrates a shift toward more pronounced negative emotions in “Wusi,” signaling Chang’s deepening disillusionment with the Movement’s unfulfilled aspirations. Moreover, according to textual analysis, additions in “Wusi” highlight the superficial adoption of Western values, while revisions underscore the persistence of feudal traditions and patriarchal norms. These changes reflect the increasing strength of Chang’s belief that the Movement did not constitute a thorough revolution. The findings reveal that Chang’s self-translation intensifies her criticism of the Movement, emphasizing its failure to dismantle entrenched traditional Chinese ethics and feudal patriarchy. By illustrating how self-translation serves as an interpretative act through which bilingual authors engage with historical discourse, this study contributes to broader discussions of self-translation as a site of ideological negotiation. It also emphasizes the active agency of translators in shaping historical narratives, offering new insights into the intersection of literature, history, and translation studies.
© The Author(s) 2026