It has taken a bit of time, but Chinese authors have begun to publicize their reaction to Xi Jinping’s speech at the Beijing Oct 15 Forum on Literature and Art Work. While slavish praise has been appropriately abundant, a handful of Art Workers do not appear to be singing in unison. We’ll skip the former … Continue reading Writers React to Comrade Xi Jinping’s Foray into Literary Criticism
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
