Sinologist calls for improving translation of Chinese literature

Less-qualified translation and less attention from Western publishers have made the Chinese literature less acknowledged as the world literature, a sinologist said in a recent interview.

Goran Malmqvist, a sinologist and Emeritus Professor at Stockholm University, told the LSE SU China Development Forum here on Saturday that the Chinese literature is less acknowledged as the world literature, though it was developed and matured earlier than that of the Western countries.

"Normalizing and leveling" are the current problems facing Chinese texts translation, such as forging new words, playing with new answers, cutting out and even rewriting the texts and the like, he said.

He believed that poor translations and little attention Chinese literature received from Western publishers are the major obstacles for Chinese culture to go global.

Malmqvist, who is also a member of the Swedish Academy, has translated some 40 Chinese literary works, including the Chinese classic novel Dreams in Red Pavilions.

He said the novel, a masterpiece of Chinese literature which he spent 10 years translating, gained little attention from the Swedish publishers.

"My hope is, in the future, you will see great many translation from excellent masterpieces, not only on modern and contemporary literature, but also on the important masterpieces of the past," he added.