Translation of Russian Literature in North and South Vietnam during 1955-75

1955-1975, the decades of the Vietnam War, was a unique period in Vietnamese history: the nation was divided into South and North, under two different political regimes. North Vietnam built Socialism while the Republic of Vietnam was formed in the South with American support. Thus the translation of Russian literature in each region was dominated by differing political discourse and cultural contexts. In North Vietnam, translators trained in the Soviet Union helped to connect Russian and Vietnamese literature. In the South, intellectuals influenced by Western ideology introduced Russian literature. I argue that North Vietnam and South Vietnam rewrote Russian literary history in ways that are closely tied to the two political discourses of the two regions, forming a translation polysystem.