Group photo of exchanges at the Taiwan Literature Translation Workshop. Front row, from left, Huang Chongkai, Xiang Yang, Director of the Institute of Oriental and African Studies of the Czech Academy of Sciences Ludani, Polish translator Maria Jarosz, Slow Work Culture Huang Peishan, Polish translator Agnieszka Walulik; back row, from left, Polish publisher Elżbieta Brzozowska. (Provided by Taiwanese Library)
[Reporter Hong Ruiqin/Tainan Report] Taiwanese literature going global not only tests the creative power of writers, but also tests the cultural translation skills of translators. The "Literature National Team" jointly promoted by the Ministry of Culture and the National Center for Taiwan Literature continues to deepen international exchanges and recently held a series of "Writer Reading Month - Theme Country Taiwan" events in Poland, where many European translators shared their experience in translating Taiwanese literature. Among them, Polish translator Maria Jarosz bluntly said that "dirty words" in Taiwanese literature are the most difficult to translate, because the key is not the literal words, but the accurate communication of emotions, tone and character relationships.
Mary Yao, who has translated works such as Cai Sufen's "Children of the Salt Fields" and Li Ang's "Killing My Husband", said that translators must have a deep understanding of the context of the text in order for the work to retain its original literary power and appeal in another language.
Group photo of exchanges at the Taiwan Literature Translation Workshop. Front row, from left, Huang Chongkai, Xiang Yang, Director of the Institute of Oriental and African Studies of the Czech Academy of Sciences Ludani, Polish translator Maria Jarosz, Slow Work Culture Huang Peishan, Polish translator Agnieszka Walulik; back row, from left, Polish publisher Elżbieta Brzozowska. (Provided by Taiwanese Library)
Oleksandra Bespala, a translator from Ukraine, pointed out that Taiwanese literature is still an unfamiliar field for many Ukrainian readers, so every translation is like opening up a new path. She believes that Taiwanese works often involve issues such as colonial history, postwar politics, white terror, democratization, and ethnic languages. In addition to translating the text, translators also shoulder the important task of helping readers understand the historical and cultural background.
This event is a joint collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, the National Taiwan Literature Museum, the House of Literature in Wroclaw, Poland, the Czech Windmill Publishing House, and the Institute of Oriental and African Studies of the Czech National Academy of Sciences. The Taiwan Literature Library also held a "Taiwanese Literature Translation Workshop" from June 8 to 9, inviting Taiwanese literary translators, Sinology scholars and publishers from the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries to gather for exchanges. Taiwanese writers Xiang Yang, Tong Weige and Huang Chongkai also participated in the dialogue.
The workshop was co-hosted by Táňa Dluhošová, Director of the Institute of Oriental and African Studies of the Czech National Academy of Sciences, and Pavel Drábek, Emeritus Professor of Drama and Theater Practice at the University of Hull in the UK. The discussion covered aspects such as translation practice, publishing promotion and institutional support, and explored the development potential of Taiwanese literature in the Central and European markets to further expand the international publishing cooperation network.
The Taiwan Literature Museum stated that translators are the most important bridge for Taiwanese literature to reach the world. The translation workshop is not just a single exchange event, but an important platform for cultivating the international translator community, deepening transnational publishing cooperation and enhancing the energy of foreign translation, and continues to open up a broader world stage for Taiwanese literature.
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