Donkeys Bray Crimson

驴叫是红色的。全村的驴齐鸣时村子覆盖在声音的红色拱顶里。驴叫把鸡鸣压在草垛下，把狗吠压在树荫下，把人声和牛哞压在屋檐下。 Donkeys bray crimson. When donkeys cry in concert, a crimson vault of sound envelopes the village. It keeps the rooster’s crow under the haystacks, the dog’s bark under the trees, and the human voice under the eaves. 狗吠是黑色的，狗在夜里对月长吠，声音飘忽悠远，仿佛月亮在叫。羊咩是绿色的，在羊绵长的叫声里，草木忍不住生发出翠绿嫩芽。鸡鸣是白色的，鸡把天叫亮后，便静悄悄了。 Dogs bark black. When a dog howls … Continue reading Donkeys Bray Crimson →

Abudan’s Roza: The Stamp of Approval

Roza was the most honest, down-to-earth villager in Abudan, and he served as the village representative for most of his life. Whenever someone from the county or township came down to the village to conduct a survey, the village head would arrange for them to visit Roza’s home. Poorly spoken, he had just one response … Continue reading Abudan’s Roza: The Stamp of Approval →

And this is a donkey we’re talking about

That was when the village distributed farm fields to each family by drawing lots. One day, Yüsup’s donkey was walking past Qurban when it farted right in his face. Qurban swung his ketmen and gouged the donkey’s back, leaving a deep gash. Yüsup was indignant. “A donkey’s just an animal,” said Yüsup. “It doesn’t know … Continue reading And this is a donkey we’re talking about →

Abudan’s Mazar

The significance --- and even the definition --- of 麻扎 (mazar) plays an important role in Abudan Village, as portrayed in Liu Liangcheng's novel, The Audible Annals of Abudan (《凿空》刘亮程著). In its first appearance in the tale, the narrator briefly defines it in brackets: . . .一块棉花地和一片麻扎（墓地）。 Simply put, mazar = cemetery. But that equivalency … Continue reading Abudan’s Mazar →

Newly Published: Memoir of Fan Jinshi, Pioneering Buddhist Grotto Archaeologist

The story of Fan Jinshi (樊锦诗), female graduate of New China's first four-year program in archaeology, who went on to spend 50-plus years in the desert overseeing the study, restoration and preservation of Buddhist cave-temples in Gansu Province, is now available in English --- via my translation --- as Daughter of Dunhuang: Memoir of a Mogao … Continue reading Newly Published: Memoir of Fan Jinshi, Pioneering Buddhist Grotto Archaeologist →

Profile: Literary Translator Bruce Humes in Tainan

In Letter from Tainan, I speak with China hand Thomas Bird --- author of the newly published Harmony Express --- about today's Tainan, and mainlander-dominated Taipei back in 1978 when I had just made my side-door entry into China: Humes describes a very different cityscape from the malls and skyscrapers of contemporary Taipei: “First-floor garage-like … Continue reading Profile: Literary Translator Bruce Humes in Tainan →

Shanghai Baby’s Translator, Author Wei Hui & Abu Ghraib

At the turn of 21st century, three young female Chinese novelists were busy boldly writing about their sexuality, orgasms and all, and being lambasted for it by the critics and Chinese society at large. The trio were Jiu Dan, who chronicled the exploits of China's“Little Dragon Girls” in Singapore in Crows (乌鸦); Mian Mian, author … Continue reading Shanghai Baby’s Translator, Author Wei Hui & Abu Ghraib →

非洲文学：中文译本 African Writing in Chinese Translation

Last Update of this List was in mid-2023 & No Further Updates Are Planned African Writing in Chinese Translation 107 Authors 273 Translated Works （包含大陆、港台等版本） (PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan editions) This “mini” database is an ongoing project and is for reference only. To date, most of the original texts are in … Continue reading 非洲文学：中文译本 African Writing in Chinese Translation →

Q & A with Bruce Humes, Translator of Eco-fiction Novel “Last Quarter of the Moon”

Thomas Bird: You translated Chi Zijian’s The Last Quarter of the Moon in 2012. It has now been rebranded and newly launched as part of the Vintage Earth series. How do you feel about it 10 years on? Bruce Humes: I feel the book is more relevant than ever. On the one hand, it highlights the challenges that face … Continue reading Q & A with Bruce Humes, Translator of Eco-fiction Novel “Last Quarter of the Moon” →

Last Quarter of the Moon: Re-launching as One of 8 Novels in “Eco-fiction” Genre

As of July 7, 2022, Penguin is launching a collection of novels "to change the way we think about — and act upon — the most urgent story of our times: the climate crisis": " VINTAGE EARTH is a collection of novels to transform our relationship with the natural world. Each one is a work of creative activism, a … Continue reading Last Quarter of the Moon: Re-launching as One of 8 Novels in “Eco-fiction” Genre →