Chutzpah!: Latest Issue Devoted to Writers of non-Han Descent

Good news from the bimonthly Chinese literary magazine Chutzpah! (天南): the latest edition (Issue 14) is devoted entirely to writing by authors of non-Han descent. Several languages are involved here—most are published in Chinese, but some were written in other tongues and then translated into Chinese, while one has been rendered in English. The latter … Continue reading Chutzpah!: Latest Issue Devoted to Writers of non-Han Descent →

Chi Zijian, la mort des shamans et des éleveurs de rennes

Bertrand Mialaret examine la traduction anglaise du roman chinois de Chi Zijian, Last Quarter of the Moon (额尔古纳河右岸, 迟子建著), l'histoire de la crépuscule des Evenki dans la dernière partie du XXe siècle (l'article français en entier): Les Evenki ont de l’amour pour leurs rennes qui sont beaucoup plus qu’un troupeau, presque des partenaires. « In my eyes, … Continue reading Chi Zijian, la mort des shamans et des éleveurs de rennes →

Uyghur Authors in China

2023 4Q note Apologies for the links below, several of which are now "dead." Not sure how many died a natural death versus those that were pro-actively "disappeared" by the authorities in the wake of the large-scale incarceration of Uyghurs, including writers such as Perhat Tursun, implemented since 2017. In 2013, it’s not easy to … Continue reading Uyghur Authors in China →

《额尔古纳河右岸》的英文译者: “因为书里的故事感动了我”

伦敦出版商 Harvill Secker 一月 17 日推出了东北作家迟子建的第一本译成英文的小说，《Last Quarter of the Moon》。为了《中华读书报》，慷慨先生找到我，进行了有关我翻译这本小说的采访：《读书报》：为什么使用现在这个英译书名，而不是原书名《额尔古纳河右岸》的直译？徐穆实 [Bruce Humes]：首先要明白一个事实：书名一般由出版方来定，译者甚至原作家的想法只是建议罢了。要知道，外文版权是外国出版社拥有的，当然是他们说了算。我的建议本来是直译：The Right Bank of the Argun。这书名不仅忠实原作，也方便引起西方读者的好奇心。因为用“右岸”表达河流的方位有点莫名其妙，西方读者习惯用东南西北来表达。就算西方读者不知道这条河是几百年以来中俄边境的界线，单凭这种奇特的表达方式，也会引起他们的好奇心。但英格兰的出版人被早些出版的《额尔古纳河右岸》意大利译文的书名 Ultimo quarto di luna 所吸引，就把它译成英文的 The Last Quarter of the Moon。全文可以在此下载 PDF 版。

Echoes of Samarkand: Salar Literary Conference Held in Qinghai

A conference highlighting writing by Salar authors (撒拉族文学) was held in January 2013 in Xunhua County (循化), Qinghai Province, home to most of the 100,000 Salar (撒拉族) who consider themselves descendants of Muslims who migrated in the 13th century from Samarkand (present-day Uzbekhistan, and once home to Omar Khayyam) in search of religious freedom. Subsequent contacts … Continue reading Echoes of Samarkand: Salar Literary Conference Held in Qinghai →

Eight Peoples of Northeast China Featured in Ethnography Series

The first 8 of 55 volumes—one for each officially recognized ethnic minority in the PRC—have been jointly launched by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Liaoning Publishing Group (辽宁出版集团). The series is titled <走进中国少数民族丛书> (Inside China’s Ethnic Minorities). Each book focuses on the culture and history of one ethnic group located in the northeast: … Continue reading Eight Peoples of Northeast China Featured in Ethnography Series →

“Pamir Kyrgyz Traditional Song Conference” Held in Xinjiang’s Akto County

Just a few weeks after 40 Uyghur masters of the rhymed epic tales known as dastan gathered in Hami to stage and talk about their threatened art form (Dastan Training Session), some 60-plus performers of traditional Kyrgyz songs have gathered for a similar get-together in Xinjiang’s Akto County (阿克陶县) bordering on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. According … Continue reading “Pamir Kyrgyz Traditional Song Conference” Held in Xinjiang’s Akto County →

Manchurian: 10 Million Manchus, A Handful of Native Speakers

The language of the last imperial dynasty to rule China, a Tungusic tongue called Manchurian (满洲话), will soon be accessible only in dictionaries. Verna Yu reports for the South China Morning Post from Sanjiazi village, Heilongjiang, in A Language Lost: When Ji Jinlu , 66, was a boy, he was unable to speak Putonghua until he … Continue reading Manchurian: 10 Million Manchus, A Handful of Native Speakers →

Throat Singing: UNESCO Deems Mongolian Art Form to be Made-in-China

In A Showdown over Traditional Throat Singing, the Washington Post reports: ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — For nearly two decades, Odsuren Baatar [pictured], a master of Mongolian throat singing, has been visiting China to teach his craft — making the human voice soar, quiver and drone, its pitches in eerie unison like a bagpipe.When he first started … Continue reading Throat Singing: UNESCO Deems Mongolian Art Form to be Made-in-China →

Ran Ping’s “Legend of Mongolia”

Legend of Mongolia (蒙古往事) is a fictionalized biography of Genghis Khan, the leader who united the fiercely independent tribes known today as the Mongols, thanks to his iron resolve, military savvy, shrewd alliances, and willingness to shed blood. Written mainly in Chinese prose, the book is peppered with original poems by the author, Mongolian words, … Continue reading Ran Ping’s “Legend of Mongolia” →