MCLC: Martha Cheung

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Nicky Harman <n.harmanic at gmail.com>
Subject: Martha Cheung
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So sad to hear of Martha Cheung's death. Brilliant, lovely translator and
teacher. 

Find an obituary below.

Nicky

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Source: http://t.co/OiiHUR3bKh

In Memoriam Prof. Martha Cheung
By Mona Baker

10 September 2013 saw the sad passing of our distinguished and beloved
colleague, Prof. Martha Cheung. Prof. Cheung was both a leading scholar in
her field and a superb and much-respected teacher, and had served Hong
Kong Baptist University at many levels – as Head of the Translation
Programme, Head of the Centre for Translation, and Associate
Vice-President, to name only some of her roles. Her passing is a
tremendous loss to the University, to her academic discipline, and to the
broader scholarly community, as well as to all who have known and loved
her.

Prof. Cheung was one of the premier translation scholars in the world. In
particular, she was at the forefront of what has become known as the
“international turn”, the drive to bring to the discipline insights beyond
Western-oriented conceptualizations of translation through the exploration
of non-Western approaches. Concerned to be inclusive in this endeavour,
she strove to make available to non-Chinese scholars the full panoply of
traditional Chinese writings on translation, and indeed other writings
that might implicitly be of use to translation scholars. The result was
her 300-page groundbreaking Anthology of Chinese Discourse on Translation,
volume 1 of which, titled From Earliest Times to the Buddhist Project, was
variously hailed as “awe-inspiring”, “superb” and “meticulously
presented”. Such innovative work made her a much sought-after speaker on
the international conference circuit, and at prestigious doctoral research
training programmes such as that at CETRA in Leuven, Belgium, and the Nida
School in Misano, Italy. Prof. Cheung continued work on volume 2 of her
Chinese Discourse project even through her illness.

As a teacher, Prof. Cheung combined the same exacting standards with a
genuine desire to help her students achieve more. She was fully capable of
letting a student know if they were not doing as expected, and she
believed strongly in pointing out directly what could be improved. Yet
such directness was always done with the student’s best interests at
heart, and was combined with a deep sense of kindness and care.

As a colleague, too, she showed the same deep caring attention to both
excellence and emotional support. Asked to glance through a prospective
paper by a colleague, she would come back with pages of detailed written
feedback consisting mainly of sharply-worded queries, yet all prefaced
with the injunction to “take the following in the spirit of a friend”;
many a problematic paper was thus saved, the writer considerably the wiser
for Prof. Cheung’s insights. No doubt many scholars benefited from such
assistance without even knowing their reviewer, for her peer reviews were
always thoroughgoing and designed to provide maximum help: she would never
allow herself to write a few perfunctory lines. Such demonstrations of
complete commitment to the cause of cultivating up-and-coming scholars
were part of a philosophy that sought always to nurture the positive in
people. She once observed that young scholars were not praised enough for
research well done, and that far more such encouragement should be given.

Prof. Cheung loved teaching and scholarship far more than administrative
duties, but she always believed in serving the institution she loved, and
not only accepted important administrative roles—including Associate Vice
President—but brought to her tasks in those roles the same broad
humanistic focus on whole people and the big picture, while still paying
the closest possible attention to minute details. Even when she did not
have an official administrative role to play, she was always an academic
leader, because she invariably exuded an influence that was at once
stabilizing and inspiring. She was loved and respected by everyone at HKBU
who had the good fortune of working with her.

Above all, Prof. Cheung was someone who lived life with a tremendous
energy, throwing herself into whatever new possibilities presented
themselves. The enthusiasm, good humour, and sheer zest with which she
approached her work and life in general were infectious, and a crucial
motivating force for achieving new goals, for inspiring colleagues and
students, and for building the Translation Programme that she loved into
one of the most respected translation programmes in the region. Her
inspired leadership in that programme, as well as in the Centre for
Translation and the Translation Research Summer School, has established
Hong Kong Baptist University as an internationally renowned centre for
translation studies.

Her passing came far, far too soon. But the commitment, positive energy,
kindness and meticulous care with she worked and lived are a legacy that
shall not fade.

A memorial service will be held at the University on Saturday 5 October
from 10:30 to 12:30 a.m. to honour the memory of this dear and much-missed
friend and colleague. More details of the event will be sent later.

Mona Baker