In 译莫言作品看中国文学, Mo Yan’s principal Russian translator, Igor Aleksandrovich Egorov (Игорь Aлександрович Егоров), reports that his translation of 丰乳肥臀 (Большая грудь, широкий зад, Big Breasts and Wide Hips) has been a best-seller since 2013.
Egorov advocates amply footnoting Mo Yan’s text, because the overwhelming majority of Russian readers are almost totally unfamiliar with either ancient or post-1949 Chinese culture. His count for three novels he has translated:
- 300+: Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out (生死疲劳, soon to be published)
- 260: Большая грудь, широкий зад (丰乳肥臀, Big Breasts and Wide Hips)
- 200+: Страна вина (酒国, The Republic of Wine)
To learn about Chinese translations of Americana and footnotes, see Stephanie Meyer Red Hot in China: Could it Be the Footnotes? . Or take a look here at Footnotes, where Chinese-to-English poetry translator Lucas Klein delves into the subject in greater detail, with 16 meaty comments altogether in the thread.
Altaic Storytelling 