Chao (George) Guan
Chao's research explores the translation of indigenous/ethnic minority languages and cultural products from Māori and Evenki perspectives.
PhD Candidate in Literary Translation Studies
School of Languages and Cultures
Qualifications
Master of Translation with Distinction, 2023, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Bachelor of Arts in English, 2020, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
Profile
Chao is a PhD student in Literary Translation Studies at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. He holds a Master of Translation with Distinction from University of Auckland. Currently, he explores the Kincentric Ecology in translations of indigenous and ethnic minority culture products from Māori (New Zealand) and Evenki (China) perspectives. Through compensatory translations of The Whale Rider (Ihimaera, 1987) and The Last Quarter of the Moon (Chi, 2005) and the inter-semiotic translations of their film adaptations, Chao hopes to discover a reception model for better communications among indigenous and ethnic minority languages and cultures.
Meanwhile, Chao is a full-member translator at the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI). Aside from his academic and professional activities, Chao's Manchu (Tungus) identity drives his active investigations of Tungusic culture and art.
Supervisors
Arts Adviser
International Office
Senior Lecturer
School of Languages and Cultures
Lecturer
School of Languages and Cultures
Publications
Guan, C., Zhang, Y. (2026). NAATI and NZSTI on Aotearoa New Zealand’s T&I map: Credentialing, professional recognition and institutional coordination. New Perspectives in Translation Studies, 7(2), 66–79.
Guan, C., Luo, H., & Muaiava, S. (2025). Representation of indigenous elements in the translation of New Zealand Māori literature: Taking the Chinese translation of The Whale Rider as an example. New Perspectives in Translation Studies, 6(2), 8–16.
Published Translations (Te Reo Māori & English > Chinese)
Tahi, M., & Goguel, C. (2026a). Tū mau taiaha, tū mau rākau. Ngā āhei—pukapuka tūāpapa: 动作——第一步指南丛书 (C. Guan, Trans.; H. Luo, Trans. rev.). Hauangi. (Original work published 2024).
Tahi, M., & Goguel, C. (2026b). Tū mau taiaha, tū mau rākau. Ngā āhei—pukapuka ao ake: 动作——下一步指南丛书 (C. Guan, Trans.; H. Luo, Trans. rev.). Hauangi. (Original work published 2025).
Conference Presentations
Guan, C. (2026, September 12). Translating te reo Māori pedagogical text into Chinese: Collaborative translation, role shifts, and cultural transfer [Conference presentation]. NZSTI 2026 Conference, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Guan, C. (2025, December 3). Voice of the margins in Northeast Asia: Issues in communicating Evenki cultural products in the Chinese context [Conference presentation]. 26th NZASIA Biennial International Conference, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Guan, C. (2024, September 8). Rethinking kaitiakitanga in Māori literature translation: A case study of The Whale Rider’s Chinese translation [Conference presentation]. NZSTI 2024 Conference, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.