The Chinese language has been around for a long time. This means professional Chinese translation has been around for a very long time as well. Of course, the spoken Mandarin and Cantonese of today is very different from the Chinese you might have encountered 200, 500, or 1500 years ago. Still, the need to understand both written and spoken Chinese has been with us for more years than most of us would care to count in one sitting.
Nations and empires ranging from the Japanese and the Mongolians to the Mughals and the British have had all kinds of contact with the rulers and peoples of China. Professional Chinese translation — and the training of the linguists who make good translation and interpretation possible — has always been an important part of the relationships (good and bad), flow of trade, and balance of power in East Asia and beyond (remember the Silk Road?).
The Chinese Language (along with the needs of professional Chinese translation) has gone through several major periods over the years, including Old Chinese (Archaic Chinese), Middle Chinese (Traditional Chinese), and Modern Chinese (usually Simplified when written). Middle Chinese began in the 6th century, and there is a fairly complete picture of it thanks to archeological evidence. Old Chinese, which dates back as far as 1700 BC, is much harder to document in the archeological record.
Of course, there are many subdivisions used for classifying the evolution of the Chinese language. What’s important is the resilience and longevity of this ancient script and tongue. Even if we’re talking about simplified Chinese characters (introduced by the Communist Party) or the traditional script, the Chinese language has managed to survive the many transmutations and standardization movements it has had to endure over time. Chinese has been spoken and written in one form or another for thousands of years – and with the advent of a resurgent China on the world stage, the modern demand for Chinese translation is only set to grow.
