Translators and Intermediaries: A Note on the Chinese Language Teachers Associated with the London Missionary Society

This study investigates the hiring practices by the British Protestant missionaries of the London Missionary Society (LMS) in treaty-port Shanghai (1843–1860) with regards to their language teachers. Recognizing the continued authority and cultural capital of Classical Literary Chinese, they hired local literary graduates (xiucai 秀才) to aid them in their translation efforts. Initially, the main purpose was Bible translation, but the practice was maintained when the missionaries turned to secular writings. Most of these language teachers remained anonymous. Using missionary and literati sources, this study sheds light on who the missionaries hired, and attempts to gather knowledge on the educational and social backgrounds of these men.