Footnote Factoids: How Many Needed to Russify Mo Yan?

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 … Continue reading Footnote Factoids: How Many Needed to Russify Mo Yan? →

China’s Ethnic-themed Fiction: Mongolian Author Raises the Bar with Call for Bilingual Skills

Xi Jinping’s recent media blitz reminds China’s propaganda workers that — as Chairman Mao told us back at the 1942 Yan’an Forum — art should serve politics. No ifs, ands or buts, Comrades. To ensure the message gets across to the 55 ethnic minorities that weren’t born Han, “learn from Chairman Xi” study sessions targeting … Continue reading China’s Ethnic-themed Fiction: Mongolian Author Raises the Bar with Call for Bilingual Skills →

A Suite of Poems from China’s Borderlands

Chinese Literature Today's new edition is out and features a special section featuring bilingual versions of poems by 13 of China's non-Han poets: Aku Wuwu, Altai (阿尔泰), Asu Yue’er (阿苏越尔), Baoyinhexige (宝音贺希格), Burao Yilu (布饶依露), Mushasijia Eni (俄尼·牧莎斯加), Lu Juan (鲁娟), Ma Deqing (马德清), Mo Du (莫独), Qiangrenliu (羌人六), Sha Ma (沙马), and Yangzi (羊子). This entire … Continue reading A Suite of Poems from China’s Borderlands →

Historian Queries: What Is a ‘Uyghur’?

The LA Review of Books has published an extract of the newly published Sacred Routes of Uyghur History by Professor Rian Thum, entitled What Is a Uyghur? In the book, Thum "argues that the Uyghurs - and their place in China today - can only be understood in the light of longstanding traditions of local … Continue reading Historian Queries: What Is a ‘Uyghur’? →

Annual Fund: Xinjiang Spending to Inspire Translation, Writing in non-Han Languages

In 新疆双翻工程 (Xinjiang Two-way Translation Project), Kyrgyz female translator Saina Yiersibaike (赛娜·伊尔斯拜克) introduces a well-funded project based in multi-ethnic Xinjiang. A few factoids from the article: 2011: Project founded by the Xinjiang government to stimulate mother-tongue writing in languages spoken in Xinjiang other than Mandarin + translation between those languages and Mandarin. US$1.63m: Annual budget. … Continue reading Annual Fund: Xinjiang Spending to Inspire Translation, Writing in non-Han Languages →

Cultivating Uyghur Writers and Translators

As I’ve reported before (Sessions), the editors at China’s very official Nationalities Literature Magazine (民族文学), which appears in 5 languages plus Mandarin, are heading up a nationwide series of “rewriting/editing training courses” (改稿班). The latest took place in Urumqi in late September, and brought together more than 30 Uyghur writers and their translators, along with editors … Continue reading Cultivating Uyghur Writers and Translators →

The Fine Art of Selective News Translation

In Lost in Translation, veteran journalist Nailene Chou Wiest comments on how airbrushing foreign news articles in the name of China boosterism prevents serious discussion of real issues: Translators in China are not neutral message conveyors but active censor-oriented rewriting hacks. Their job requires the sensitivity of knowing the parameter. Foreign news is not used as a … Continue reading The Fine Art of Selective News Translation →

Extract: “Back Quarters at Number 7” by Manchu Writer Ye Guangqin

In Back Quarters at Number 7, Ye Guangqin recreates what it was like growing up Manchu in a traditional Beijing hutong during the early years of the New China. Once part of a prince’s stately residence, the Big Courtyard now belongs to the masses and serves as a venue for collective activities such as neighborhood … Continue reading Extract: “Back Quarters at Number 7” by Manchu Writer Ye Guangqin →

Backgrounder: Modern Ningxia Writers

Hui author Li Jinxiang (李进祥), born in the 1960s, recently introduced Ningxia writers of fiction and poetry in an article entitled 纯净朴诚的宁夏少数民族文学. I haven’t read most of these authors and hope to write about them in detail in the future, but for now, I’ll just cite some authors and works for reference. Major Ningxia-based writers since … Continue reading Backgrounder: Modern Ningxia Writers →

“Daur Epic Narratives”: New Approach Aims to Capture Original Daur Flavor

A few years ago, oral epics of non-Han peoples in China — if ever published — tended to be presented in Chinese (translation). To the uninitiated, this implied that these tales existed just in Chinese. More recently, bilingual versions have occasionally appeared, i.e., with the original language printed in IPA or a script familiar only … Continue reading “Daur Epic Narratives”: New Approach Aims to Capture Original Daur Flavor →