Quote of the Week (Jun 26, 2012): Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on Mother Tongue

For to deny a child, any child, their right to mother tongue, to bring up such a child as a monolingual English speaker in a society where the majority speak African languages, to alienate that child from a public they may be called to serve, is nothing short of child abuse. (Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan author, … Continue reading Quote of the Week (Jun 26, 2012): Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on Mother Tongue →

Oddly Monolingual Manchu Emperors and “New Qing History”

In The Charms of Qing TV, The Economist takes a closer look at the popular Qing historical dramas that are so popular on China’s video-sharing sites. Is Mark Elliot—author of “The Manchu Way”, one of the first studies to use Manchu sources in the research of Qing history—bothered by Chinese TV’s monolingual Manchus? “I’d say … Continue reading Oddly Monolingual Manchu Emperors and “New Qing History” →

Translation of Century-old French-Buyi Dictionary Dogged by Concerns over Political Correctness

Published in 1908, a rare dictionary of the Buyi language---Essai de dictionnaire dioi-français reproduisant la langue parlée par les tribus Thai de la Haute rivière de l'Ouest (布法辞典)---compiled by two French missionaries (Joseph Esquirol & Gustave Williatte) has long been slated for translation into Chinese. Attempts were made to complete the project in the late 1970s and again in 1989, … Continue reading Translation of Century-old French-Buyi Dictionary Dogged by Concerns over Political Correctness →

“Follow Me in Dai!” Soon to be Published

Two textbooks aimed at pupils in Yunnan have been approved and will soon be published (傣文教材出炉): Dai Reader IV for Xishuangbanna Elementary School Students (西双版纳傣文小学教材第四册) and Follow Me in Dai! (跟我学傣文). The Dai Reader consists of 30 texts, 19 traditonal Dai pieces and 11 translations (I assume from Chinese). Follow Me in Dai! will be … Continue reading “Follow Me in Dai!” Soon to be Published →

Tibetan, Daur, Evenki and Oroqen Databases Appraised by Experts

According to China’s Ministry of Education (数据库), several minority language projects underway during the current 12th Five-year Plan (2011-15) have been appraised and approved by experts. They are: Database of Modern Tibetan Grammar Research (现代藏语语法信息辞典数据库研究) Database of Daur, Evenki and Oroqen Voice Acoustic Parameters (达斡尔、鄂温克和鄂伦春语语音声学参数数据库) Undertaken by the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology under the … Continue reading Tibetan, Daur, Evenki and Oroqen Databases Appraised by Experts →

China Ethnic Dictionary Project: Yunnan’s Lahu Next in Line

The compilation of a Chinese-Lahu dictionary officially began in Kunming on April 14, according to a report on the Institute of Ethnic Literature site (编篡工作在昆明启动). Some 100 Lahu scholars met to discuss the reference book, scheduled for publication in 2015, that will comprise over two million words of text. The Lāhù (拉祜族) are one of the 56 peoples … Continue reading China Ethnic Dictionary Project: Yunnan’s Lahu Next in Line →

Tibetan Epic “King Gesar” Published in 8-volume Chinese-language Edition

A comprehensive 8-volume, 2-million word translation of the Tibetan classic “King Gesar” (格萨尔王传) has just been published in Chinese by Higher Education Press (高等教育出版社), according to a report carried on China Ethnic Literature Network (中国民族文学网). The traditional Epic of King Gesar (Tibetan: གེ་སར་རྒྱལ་པོ), believed to date from the 12th century, relates the heroic deeds of Gesar, … Continue reading Tibetan Epic “King Gesar” Published in 8-volume Chinese-language Edition →

African Literature in China: Still Stuck on “Things Fall Apart”?

China’s 21-century investment in Africa is massive, multifaceted and a cause of anxiety for leaders in Washington, London, Paris and among the continent’s other former colonial masters, as well as New Delhi. But China is not just busy building airports and railways in Africa, or inking deals to monopolize the exploitation and export of valuable minerals and … Continue reading African Literature in China: Still Stuck on “Things Fall Apart”? →

The Transparent Translator: Cindy Carter on “Dream of Ding Village”

Here’s my interview with Cindy Carter, Chinese-to-English translator of Dream of Ding Village: Bruce Humes: You studied Japanese and lived in Japan for several years before moving to Beijing. Has your knowledge of Japanese, the people and/or the language been useful to you in mastering Chinese? What made you willing to leave Japan to pursue … Continue reading The Transparent Translator: Cindy Carter on “Dream of Ding Village” →

New Software for Yi, Zhuang, Tibetan, Uygur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz Applications

Xinhuanet reports (Minority Language Translation Software) that the China Ethnic Languages Translation Bureau has announced the development of several software programs for non-Han languages in China: These programs include electronic dictionaries for the characters of the Yi and Zhuang ethnic groups [彝文电子词典及辅助翻译软件 and 壮文电子词典及辅助翻译软件], a proofreading tool for the Zhuang ethnic language [壮文校对软件], and transcoding applications … Continue reading New Software for Yi, Zhuang, Tibetan, Uygur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz Applications →