In the past two days, the phone number of the editor of Nanjing University Press was about to be "exploded", because a news report titled "Hangzhou Man Calls from a Funeral Home: Can You Write About Our Genius Son" swept across the Internet.
In this article, we can see the tortuous childhood of Jin Xiaoyu, a genius translator. Through self-taught foreign languages, he translated more than 20 works in English, Japanese, and German, and was praised by the head of the editorial department for his translated manuscripts, which were free of typos, sentences, or mistranslations, and each book sold well and the readers responded well.
Two publishing houses are the main publishing forces
The reporter of China Press, Publication, Radio and Telegraph learned that most of the works translated by Jin Xiaoyu were published by Henan University Press and Nanjing University Press. Among them, Henan University Press published 9 books and Nanjing University Press published 5 books.
The marketing department of Henan University Press told reporters that from 2015 to 2019, Heda She published a total of 9 books translated by Jin Xiaoyu, namely "Writing Life", "Hip Hop This Business", "The Best Seat in the Theater", "The History of Rock and Roll in Ten Songs", "Dog Son-in-Law Comes to the Door", "Diary of Walking with Language", "Silk Road Chronicle", "Flying Soul", and "Andy Warhol Diary".
"These books translated by Jin Xiaoyu usually sell well, and now there is still a small amount of inventory." According to the marketing department of Henan University Press, many colleagues have called to inquire about these books in the past two days, and Heda She will see the market situation and the editorial department will decide whether to print.
"I received a lot of phone calls on the 18th, all of which were for interviews." The relevant person in charge of Nanjing University Press said in an interview with reporters. According to the person in charge, from 2012 to 2019, Nanjing University Press published a total of 5 books translated by Jin Xiaoyu, namely "Ship Fever", "Seducer", "Andrei Tarkovsky: Elements of Cinema", "Crow", and "Fragments of Time".
The person in charge told reporters that the editor who was first responsible for the books translated by Jin Xiaoyu had left his job, and the copyright of one of the 5 books had expired. In the past two years, Jin Xiaoyu has not translated the manuscript in the agency.
The reporter's inquiry found that most of the works translated by Jin Xiaoyu are literary and art books, involving literature, movies and other topics. Among them, 2 books were included in the humanistic brand "Watchmen" of Nanjing University Press, and 1 book was included in the "Classic Library" of the society.
Talking about the exchange with Jin Xiaoyu, the relevant person in charge of Nanjing University Press said: "Jin Xiaoyu is our translator, and our editor and his interactions are the same as other translators, which are ordinary SMS contacts and email information exchanges, and the communication is relatively small, so it may not be possible to provide more details worth writing again." ”
Most of the books are out of stock in the online store
After Jin Xiaoyu was on the hot search, how were the sales of the books he translated?
When the relevant person in charge told reporters that the books translated by Jin Xiaoyu in the past two days have been completely out of stock, and the search for Jin Xiaoyu as a hot search term in the station is the first. Similarly, on the JD.com platform, most of the books are out of stock, showing that they are being purchased.
The reporter interviewed NandaSha on the sales situation, and the person in charge said: "Jin Xiaoyu's books translated by our company are relatively niche, and the sales volume of each book is about 4,000 to 8,000 copies. After Jin Xiaoyu's report was searched, there were online stores that hoped that our company would stock more, but the specific sales data of these two days I was not too clear, and whether to print or not also had to wait for the marketing department to evaluate and notify. ”
Shiyun Book Club, an independent bookstore that has been open for more than ten years, has always been the default cultural landmark of Kaifeng in the hearts of he university students and even the entire Kaifeng people. Chen Yao, the owner of the bookstore, sent a message about the sale of Jin Xiaoyu's books in the circle of friends on the evening of the 17th.
In the afternoon, the bookstore's online store sold 5 copies of "Dog Son-in-law's Door-to-door", and this book has been unnoticed in the store for more than half a year. Chen Yao felt very strange, until he saw the hot search article, he didn't understand what the reason was.
Just now, Jin Xiaoyu got a sample book of his translation of Benjamin's Epistles. It is understood that the book is expected to be published by the Shanghai People's Publishing House next month. He is currently working on the translation of his second benjamin book, The Arcade Project.
We also look forward to seeing more translations of this "genius teenager".
Here, we list some of the books and related introductions translated by Jin Xiaoyu for the benefit of readers.
9 books translated by Jin Xiaoyu published by Henan University Press
Writing Life
Author: David Lodge
Translator: Jin Xiaoyu
Publisher: Henan University Press
Publication date: May 2015
Introduction: This book is written by the famous British novelist and literary critic David. Rocky's Collection of Essays on Literary Criticism. This book selects several famous Novelists, literary critics, playwrights and even the famous Princess Diana of Wales as the subject of commentary, using their lives and creations as the main clues, to explore the influence of these people on the literary world and society from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century, and also mixed with the author's own interaction with them, and the ongoing friendship with some of them. The whole book not only reviews Graham. Green, Kingsley. The literary achievements of Amis and others also express the author's attitude towards the theories such as structuralism, deconstructionism, and postmodernism that have emerged in the literary world in the past hundred years.
"Hip Hop Is a Business"
Author: Dan Chanas
Publication date: June 2015
Description: Hip-hop veteran Danzanas' acclaimed blockbuster. This book chronicles the fickle history of the hip-hop industry, documenting important players such as hungry street vendors, innovative entrepreneurs, visionary agents, and savvy corporate managers whose business acumen has transformed a marginal, urban subculture of music into a unique mainstream pop culture phenomenon.
"The Best Seats in the Theater"
Author: Ann Part
Publication date: November 2015
Synopsis: The Best Seats in the Theater is a collection of essays by Ann Parquet, one of The most high-profile contemporary novelists in the United States. The author takes the reader into her real world of life, stretching from her childhood to today, from a disastrous early marriage to a happy post-marital affair. The collection covers many topics, including relationships with family and friends, the hardships and joys of writing, and opening unexpectedly happy bookstores. This collection of essays can be thought of as an autobiography of the author.
A History of Rock and Roll in Ten Songs
Author: Greer Marcus
Publication date: November 2016
Introduction: The History of Rock and Roll in Ten Songs is the latest collection of music reviews by Greer Marcus, one of the most famous rock culture critics, cultural researchers, music critics, and writers in contemporary America. In this book, Marcus completely breaks the chronicle of the previous history of rock and roll, selects ten rock songs between 1956 and 2008, and with a unique delicate brushstroke and his huge accumulation of knowledge of music and history, deeply investigates the story behind these songs: the birth of a song, the evolution of different versions of the song, the singing and interpretation methods and even different art forms, the profound cultural significance behind it, the change of social and cultural trends, the change of the music industry, etc., all-encompassing, is a unique, Insightful and in-depth works of musical culture criticism.
"Dog Son-in-Law Comes to the Door"
Author: Tawata Leaf
Publication date: March 2018
Introduction: In an ordinary town along the Tama River, a cram school nicknamed "Just Come" is very popular among children. Kitamura Mizuko tells them the story of "the dog son-in-law comes to the door", and it turns out that there is really a "dog man" who comes uninvited, and she and this person named Taro begin a wonderful two-person life.
The Diary of a Walk with Language
Publication date: July 2018
Introduction: This book is a collection of essays written by Leaf Tawada based on what she heard and saw while living in Germany, and is part of her "Self-Observation Diaries" series. She begins with a subtle sense of discord encountered in everyday life, and in a humorous and humorous way, she explores the irreconcilable rupture between German and Japanese cultures, which are hidden behind the language differences.
Chronicle of the Silk Road
Author: Hisao Matsuda
Publication date: August 2018
Introduction: The Silk Road Chronicle is a cultural journey of Japanese historian Matsuda Shouo on the Silk Road. Dunhuang, Samarkand, Bamiyan, Tehran..... This collection of essays, while roughly exploring the oasis cities scattered along the Silk Road from east to west, grasps the local history, history and customs of regional characteristics, trade conditions, Zoroastrianism, Islam, etc. From the unique perspective of historians who comprehensively depict the history of Asia, it vividly describes the past of Central Asia.
Flying Souls
Publication date: January 2019
Introduction: With its astonishing literary intensity, bold and avant-garde writing, and the shell of a fantasy story, the book challenges the limits of subjectivity and openness. The author became a popular author with this book, and the work also won the National Book Award, the highest literary award in the United States. In addition to the same title "Flying Soul", this book also contains four stories: "Stolen Reading", "Spore", "Naked-Footed Worshipper", and "Light and Gelatin Leipzig".
The Diary of Andy Warhol
Author: Andy Warhol
Publication date: July 2019
Introduction: Andy. The Warhol Diaries is a book by American pop art master Andy. Warhol's collection of diaries, compiled by Warhol's personal secretary after the artist's death, compiled from his voluminous diary. This tome anthology chronicles Warhol's life from November 1976 to February 1987, covering anecdotes from the Oscars, anecdotes from the New York fashion scene, the artist's travels to and from London, New York, and Paris, and even a detailed breakdown of the artist's daily expenses, making it the most authentic record of Warhol's world of life, thoughts, and emotions.
Five books translated by Jin Xiaoyu published by Nanjing University Press
"Ship Fever"
Author: Andrea Barrett
Publisher: Nanjing University Publishing Co., Ltd.
Publication date: May 2012
Description: The novel depicts a young doctor working at an isolation station on Gross Isle, Canada. It's a brutal story, but it's told without the slightest flinching. Barrett's convincing blend of truth and fiction conveys a unique worldview through her prose, which is simple and refined, and can evoke people's emotional memories.
The Seducer
Author: John Benville
Publication date: November 2013
Introduction: The protagonist of the book is a fictional mathematical genius of poor origins and a reclusive personality, Gabriel Swann. Unfolding in Swann's self-narration, The Seducer is a modern interpretation of Faust.
Andrei Tarkovsky: Elements of Cinema
Author: Robert Bird
Publication date: May 2018
Introduction: The book deals with Tarkovsky's major film works, with a wide range of discussions and informative materials, with more than 100 precious images attached, and a long introduction to the book. Here, you're not dealing with obscure movies, but engaging puzzle games.
The Crow
Author: Boria Sachs
Publication date: April 2019
Introduction: This is a minimalist history of crows that you must love to read, this is a collection of fantasy stories featuring crows, which is a classic work that bird lovers can't avoid. Saxophone put aside the boring scientific language and academic language, told the classic or little-known story about the crow, subverted the human stereotype of the crow with a rare broad vision and vivid brushstrokes, and used the crow as the starting point to explore the mysteries of history, culture, literature, art, folklore, nature and other fields.
Fragments of Time
Publication date: November 2019
Introduction: This is a wandering essay dedicated to literary and artistic youth, roaming literary geography, tracing the secrets of time and passing. Paris to Hemingway is a feast of flow, and the same is true of Dublin to Banville: Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, etc. gather here to find their literary dreams in Dublin. Under the guidance of Banville, a wonderful and unique trip to Dublin unfolded, returning to that golden age of creation full of literary atmosphere.
Source: Xinhua News Agency