Cutting Edge Publishing's new edition of "Why Shengxiao is Silent" retains Chinese words, sparking backlash from Taiwanese readers

Book cover of the new edition of "Why the Shengxiao is Silent". (Picture taken from Cutting-edge EYE Bookstore Facebook)

[Reporter Dong Baiting/Reporting from Taipei] Cutting Edge Publishing is expected to release a new edition of the best-selling novel "Why is the Shengxiao Silent" by the well-known Chinese writer Gu Man on October 6. It has not yet been officially launched. An announcement recently released by the official Facebook fan page "Advanced EYE Book Shop" has caused an uproar in the publishing industry and the online community. Cutting Edge Publishing stated in the post that this re-publication is based on the explicit request of the author Gu Man, and the text remains intact and will not be rewritten based on idioms in different regions. Commonly used Chinese words such as "bus", "screen", "mouse" and "print" are all retained. The editorial department also included a terminology comparison table in the book to assist reading, such as noting that "network" corresponds to "network", "Internet" corresponds to "Internet", etc.

The announcement post quickly went viral, triggering a backlash from a large number of readers and people in the arts and literary circles in Taiwan. Writer Song Shangwei left a message questioning that respect should be mutual. If the author does not understand the differences in writing and culture in different countries and regions, why should Taiwanese readers unilaterally respect their personal habits and culture. He pointed out that when the same concept enters different languages ​​and regions, local translations and expressions will naturally occur. Works can have authors, but the language does not belong to any one author. "Would a country with an English-speaking system require this? Would a country with a Japanese-speaking system require this? This is obviously just to see you as soft and look down on you." He believes that respecting the original author does not mean that he must hand over his own language habits, and even the words must be accepted intact. This is essentially asking others to obey his language authority, and even bluntly said that it is better to publish the simplified version directly.

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Writer Xie Zhiqiao also left a sarcastic message. This approach is equivalent to no translation. He just opens the word processing software to "convert from simplified to traditional". He also questioned whether the author will insist on not using "print" and must write "print" if the book is translated into English in the future.

Many readers even expressed their dissatisfaction in the comment area. They believed that since they purchased the Traditional Chinese version issued by a Taiwanese publishing house, they expected a reading experience that conforms to the Taiwanese context and local habits. If it is just a simple font conversion and retention of daily Chinese vocabulary, and even requires readers to go back and look at the comparison table, it not only loses the meaning of introducing the Traditional Chinese version, but also means that the publishing house has given up its professional editing and control responsibilities.

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