Catalogue of Chinese documents in the "Propaganda Fide" historical archives (1622-1830) /  Ad Dudink ; Zhao Hongtao, Emanuele Raini (scientific editors) ; with an Introductory Essay by Eugenio Menegon.

Included bibliographical references (p.86-98) and index.

Propaganda Fide Historical Archives = (SOCP) Archivio Storico di Propaganda Fide del Dicastero per l‘Evangelizzazione.

This first catalogue of Chinese documents in the Archives of Propaganda Fide offers not only an annotated list of its invaluable resources, but also reproduces the full text of a few rare or unique Chinese Christian texts. The Catalogue (Dudink; eds. Zhao, Raini) is preceded by an essay (Menegon) that gives a full explanation of the entire structure and contents of the Archives pertaining to the China missions, and sketches the activity of Propaganda Fide missionaries in China up to the early 19th century: “the Chinese documents catalogued here open a window on the daily life of the Chinese Christian communities and their pastors, and the reaction of Chinese society to Catholic activities. Read together with the letters and reports sent from Asia in European languages to accompany them, they offer a corrective to a Rome-centered vision of the missions” (Menegon).

Local access dig.pdf. [Catalogue of Chinese Documents Propaganda Fide (1622-1830).pdf] 

"The case of rén 仁 in early Chinese-European dictionaries : implications for the comparative study of a specific entry" / Mattia Marconi and Emanuele Raini

Published in Historiographia Linguistica - Volume 51, Issue 1-3, 2024 

Also available through Boston College Libraries

Abstract:

When missionaries first arrived in China, they encountered important challenges in translating Chinese terms into Western languages and Christian concepts into Chinese. This complex process involved numerous contributors over time, leading to translational choices that were often revised as they proved inadequate. The journey of translation varied in complexity for different terms. Mandarin-European dictionaries compiled by missionaries provide valuable insights into these processes. These dictionaries capture the definitions of Chinese characters at specific historical moments, reflecting the authors’ intentions. This article examines the character ren 仁, central to Chinese philosophy, to illustrate how comparing entries in Chinese-European dictionaries reveals insights into both the history of the dictionaries and the translation processes. We analyze ren’s definitions in various lexicographic sources, from early Sino-Portuguese dictionaries by Jesuits to Mandarin-Spanish dictionaries by Dominicans, and finally to the Dictionarium Sinico-Latinum by Franciscan Basilio Brollo (1648–1704). This comparative analysis highlights differences and connections between dictionaries, assesses their informative value regarding authorship and dating, and explores the missionaries’ diverse translation strategies.