MCLC: Sandalwood Death review (13)

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Nicky Harman <n.harmanic at gmail.com>
Subject: Sandalwood Death review (13)
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Jeff’s latest contribution to this debate is extremely illuminating. I
have a couple of comments in response. I’ll keep them brief:

1. Yes indeed, there should be more reviewing of Chinese-to-English
translations written by non-Chinese-speakers who can evaluate the
translation as a piece of literature. Personally I find it a continual
frustration that Chinese fiction is often reviewed as a comment on what’s
happening in China and not as an independent piece of writing, a part of
‘world literature’. And the more famous those reviewers the better. I’d be
delighted if a work I had translated was reviewed by Margaret Atwood.

2. These reviewers don’t have to comment on the accuracy/quality of the
translation. However, both the fact that it is a translation and the
identity of the translator should be made clear, either by them or in the
heading to the review. I’m not sure that I can see how mentioning the
translator by name is a potential distraction.

Nicky