On the afternoon of October 27, the press conference of the 14th Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award was held at the French Cultural Center in Beijing, and the jury announced ten shortlisted works, including five literary works and five social science works. The award ceremony will be held on November 19 at the Temple in Beijing, where the works will compete for this year's Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award.
On the afternoon of October 27, the press conference of the 14th Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award was held at the French Cultural Center in Beijing, and Dong Qiang, chairman of the Fu Lei Prize Organizing Committee, announced ten shortlisted works on behalf of the jury. This year's jury will be chaired by Yu Zhongxian, translator and former editor-in-chief of World Literature magazine. In addition to the permanent judges, the two winners of the last Fu Lei Prize will also participate in the final evaluation. In addition, writers Miao Wei and Chen Guanzhong, as two special guests of the Chinese side, will also participate in the final selection.
This year's Fu Lei Prize received a total of 32 entries, of which social science and literary works accounted for half each, both with 16. Among the ten finalists, there are social science academic monographs such as Pierre Clast's "Chronicles of the Guayaqui Indians", Jacques Le Gauve's "The Intellectuals of the Middle Ages", and Georges Dolby's "The Age of the Cathedral", as well as classic literary works by French writers such as Georges Perec and Henri Michaud, and relatively recently published novels such as David Vonkinos's "The Returned Library". It is worth noting that among the ten shortlisted translators for this year's Fu Lei Award, young translators of "post-80s" and "post-90s" accounted for eight of them.
Dong Qiang (right), Chairman of the Fu Lei Award Organizing Committee, Chen Guanzhong (middle) and Miao Wei, special guests of the Fu Lei Award, at the press conference. Image courtesy of the organizer.
In 2009, with the cooperation and support of Chinese French-speaking scholars represented by Professor Dong Qiang, the French Embassy in China established the Fouret Translation and Publishing Award, which aims to promote the translation and dissemination of French literature and social science works in China. Since its inception, the Fu Lei Prize has been supported by many cultural celebrities represented by two Nobel Prize winners in literature, Leclezio and Mo Yan. Each year, the Fu Lei Prize selects two best Chinese translations from French, one each in literature and social sciences; Since 2013, the "Newcomer Award" has been established to encourage young translators.
This year's Fu Lei Prize ceremony will be held on November 19 at Temple East King Yuan, where these works will compete for this year's Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award.
At the press conference, the Beijing News reporter interviewed Mr. Pei Guoliang, Minister Counsellor of the French Embassy in China. In the interview, Pei Guoliang shared his excellent translations and the special value of the Fu Lei Translation Award for cultural exchanges between the two countries.
dialogue
Beijing News: The Fu Lei Translation Award has just announced the list of books shortlisted for this year's finalists. Of these ten books, which one of them are you most interested in?
Pei Guoliang: I haven't read all of the ten shortlisted books, but I found them to be very good, so it was not easy to choose one of them. As far as I know, the Fu Lei Prize jury selected these ten books from the 32 books that were selected, and the whole selection process was very difficult because the judges loved the books submitted. If I had to pick one of these ten books, I would prefer David von Kinos's The Returned Library. Contemporary literature has great value, and David Vonkinos is a living writer who continues to write high-quality, creative literature more than any other author on the shortlist. In my opinion, reading a writer that you can meet in person is valuable, not only how he writes, but also what he has to say. Not long ago, we invited him to participate in an online event to talk to Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun, and I was deeply impressed by the speeches of both writers. In addition, "The Returned Library" tells a very interesting story about a book editor who discovers a mysterious manuscript in a library somewhere in France, which contains rejects by publishers and book editors.
Beijing News: Mr. Leclezio, Nobel Prize winner and famous French writer, once said at the first Fu Lei Translation Award: "Without translation, we are like deaf and blind." How do you understand this quote from Mr. Leclezio? In your opinion, what value does translation have to cultural exchange and even the evolution of human civilization?
Pei Guoliang: As a writer, Leclezio has an important influence and special significance on the establishment of the Foury Translation Award, and in a sense, Leclezio can be said to be the "godfather" of the Fourley Translation Award. Leclezio has made some comments about the Fouret Translation Prize, and I completely agree with him. This reminds me of another Nobel Prize winner in literature, Portuguese writer José Saramago. He once said, "Writers create their own literature, and translators create literature that is available to the whole world." "I think his assessment is very reasonable, as mentioned at the previous press conference, French literature sometimes has high requirements for readers, even native French readers will find it difficult to understand some French works, such as the works of George Perec. Therefore, I admire these Chinese translators very much, they have translated many of Perec's works, and I know that this is not easy to do.
Beijing News: China is a major importer of French-language books, and in recent years Chinese has been at the top of the list of copyright transfer languages in the French publishing industry. What do you think is the cause of this publishing phenomenon? Why is there such a strong interest in French-language works in Chinese world?
Pei Guoliang: Since 2013, Chinese has become the number one language for the translation and publication of French books, and we are very happy to see this trend. Last year (2021) was another special year, because the number of transfer contracts signed between China and France exceeded 2,000 for the first time, and we hope that the cooperation between the two countries in the field of publishing will continue. In my opinion, China and France share a common tradition, and we both value the language of our own country, especially aware of the importance of written language. From this point of view, Chinese and French readers understand each other well, and the French are happy to share and communicate their culture, heritage and customs with other cultures in French. In addition, from the perspective of the publishing industry, there are quite a few French-speaking writers who are able to produce dynamic works, and contemporary French-language literature is fruitful, and a large number of excellent works emerge every year. Francophone literature can respond to some of the troubles that people encounter in their lives today, which may be part of the reason why French-language works are so popular in China.
Beijing News: In addition to the Fu Lei Translation Award, what cooperation do you think China and France can carry out in the field of cultural publishing? What are your expectations for the future of book publishing in China and France?
Pei Guoliang: The French Embassy in China has been committed to recommending French literature and academic works to Chinese readers, for example, we just held an event to introduce French classics that have not received enough attention in China. The French grew up reading these works, and unfortunately most of them are not yet well known to Chinese readers. Ten days ago, we also held an online exchange of Chinese and French writers, hoping that writers from the two countries can find intersections in the exchange of their respective creations. We find that there are many similarities between the creations of writers from both countries, and although these works are written in French, they can still be available to the whole world. We are also happy to provide a window for cultural exchange so that more French people can understand Chinese literature. Because I found that the best way to understand a country is to read the literature of that country.
Beijing News: Last question, which French writer has left a profound influence on you in your personal reading career? Can you recommend a French-language writer you admire to Chinese readers?
Pei Guoliang: Marguerite Duras is one of the most impressive French-language writers. I love reading her works because many times you can't help but be fascinated by her words even though the novel doesn't have any specific plot. When I first read her work, I realized that you like to read certain books, probably not because it tells a wonderful story or teaches you something, but simply because of the beauty of the writing, which I have never seen before.
Attached: The 14th Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award was shortlisted for the final evaluation
Social Sciences:
The Taste of Beauty: Essays on Houmai's Films, by Eric Houmai, translated by Li Shuang, CITIC Publishing Group, April 2022.
This book is a collection of important critical articles written by Hou Mai between 1948 and 1979, which were published in Modern Magazine, Art, Battle Newspaper, and the Handbook of Cinema, where Hou Mai was editor-in-chief from 1957 to 1963. Hou Mai believes that the essence of film lies in the ontology of art, not the uniqueness of its language, and this view runs through all articles. This collection of essays shows Hou Mai's portrayal, interpretation or criticism of literary adaptations, authors' films and other film trends and new concepts at that time, as well as comments on the works of famous directors such as Maunau, Hitchcock, and Delier, etc., showing the dual identity of Hou Mai's film masters and film critics in a three-dimensional and harmonious manner, and unfolding a vivid picture of the development of film art in the 20th century, which is a powerful supplement to the study of modern film aesthetics.
The Chronicle of the Guayaqui Indians, by Pierre Clast, translated by Lu Guiye, Shanghai People's Publishing House, September 2021.
The Guayaquis, a group of nomadic Indians in the dense forests of Paraguay, have their own language, customs, beliefs and social institutions. From the 16th century onwards, Western colonists and local residents continued to occupy and devour their territories, evading, fighting, exiling, and eventually being cornered. In 1963, the author of this book, the French anthropologist Pierre Crest, entered the tribe, and in eight months, Crest witnessed the birth, adulthood, marriage, revenge, death, festivals and rituals of the tribesmen... And their biggest secret: cannibalism. Crest explores the subtle and unconscious logic behind their actions with an unbiased mind, recording "the weight of their existence" with precision and a bit of trembling.
The Broken Love: A Part of the Hand History, by Sabina Melchior-Bonais, translated by Chen Xiaolin, China Environment Publishing Group, April 2022.
Perhaps everything about love has been said for a long time. However, this is not the case: no historian, for example, has yet set his sights on the subject of broken love. This work by historian Sabina Melchiol-Bonay fills precisely this gap. From the perspective of "sensual history", the author explores the roots of love germination and disillusionment; Through the interpretation of individual love tragedies, the impact of society, legal system, culture and customs on marriage and love in specific historical periods is analyzed.
The Age of Cathedrals: Art and Society, 980-1420, by George Dolby, translated by Gu Xiaoyan, Nanjing University Press, September 2022.
Georges Dolby was the first contemporary French historian to enter the "Seven Star Library". He studies the relationship between matter and spirituality. This book is Dolby's important work on the history of medieval mentality, and he tells the reader with beautiful brushstrokes how the management of the creation of works of art was transferred from the hands of feudal princes to monasteries in the 11th century; A hundred years later, how the revived city gave the cathedral the power of artistic innovation; And in the 14th century, why did large-scale art return to the hands of princes, and become a tool to show secular values? The value of this book is timeless and has been well received by a wide range of readers.
Intellectuals in the Middle Ages, by Jacques Le Gauve, translated by Gao Jianhong, East China Normal University Press, September 2021.
Intellectuals is a modern word with rich and complex connotations. The "intellectuals" mentioned in this book refer to the people who appeared in the Middle Ages as cities developed as a profession to think and teach their ideas. This class emerged in the early Middle Ages, developed in urban schools in the 12th century, and flourished in universities from the 13th century. Le Gauve examines these "word sellers" in terms of society, politics, religion, economics, and intellectual culture, and to some extent constructs "an anthropology of medieval intellectuals," an "introduction to the historical sociology of Western intellectuals."
Literature:
The Book of Boundaries, by Edmund Jabes, translated by Liu Nanqi, Guangxi Normal University Press, October 2021.
The Book of Boundaries is the third book in Edmund Jabez's "Book of Problems series" and is divided into four volumes: The Little Book of Undoubted Subversion, The Book of Dialogue, The Journey, and The Book of Sharing. As a cross-stylistic experiment between poetry, prose, aphorisms, and philosophical essays, this book is Jabez's musings and can also be seen as his self-talk. In terms of form, the text belongs to the fragmented type, with jumpy thinking and a special style; In terms of content, it focuses on the reflection and inquiry on the nature of human existence, with depth of thought and philosophical insight. The book documents Jabez's quest for the ineffable and shows his struggles with self-subjectivity, identity, and the act of writing in the process.
"Rejected Library", by David Vonkinos, translated by Lv Ruyu, Shanghai Translation Publishing House, June 2021.
There is a "rejects library" in the Brittany region of France, which for more than a decade has dedicated to unpublished manuscripts delivered by the author himself. Delphie, a young female editor, and her fiancé, also frustrated novelist Frederick, visit the library when they discover a masterpiece: The Last Hours of a Love Story, written by Henry Pick. In the process of investigating the authorship, Delphy and Frederick discover that this is a deceased pizza chef, and in the eyes of his widow and daughter, Henry Picker has nothing to do with writing. Through the origin of this mysterious manuscript, the manuscript was published under Delphie's operation and was a huge success, and the rarely received library became famous. A mysterious manuscript is like a butterfly flapping its wings, revealing many hidden pasts, changing the lives of the characters in the book, and providing the author with opportunities to explore many topics.
"Deep in the courtyard, which little bicycle with chrome handles?" By George Perec, translated by Tang Yangyang, Nanjing University Press, January 2022.
A young sergeant named Henri Pollack rode the little bicycle with chrome handles every day between his hometown of Montparnasse and the barracks in Vincenneeuf. In order to stay with his girlfriend and avoid being sent to Algeria to fight, he and his buddy Kara XX and other friends tried to find various ways to exempt them from military service. Perec experimented with experimental narratives, intertextual techniques, and a lot of wordplay in his novels, such as the seventy-two variations of the protagonist's name Kara XX alone. The index attached by the author at the end of the article is playful and lively, providing some clues for interpreting the work.
Burlesque Fiction, by Paul Scaron, translated by Fan Pan, Nanjing University Press, July 2022.
The book depicts a series of funny events that an orchestra encounters while touring Le Mans. At the same time, the author intersperses short stories with different styles through flashbacks, memories, inlays and other means. In general, it is a kind of relocation of real life. Scaron takes a small town in another province as the stage, with real life as the background, and the characters around him as the material, parodifying the heroes and writing the truth. There is no fascinating plot common in linear narratives, nor is there a heroic protagonist deliberately portrayed, the lines are chaotic but contain order, except for the inserted story, full of irony and mockery, a word, all reveal the author's sharpness, humor and wisdom.
"Far Away Inside", by Henry Michaud, translated by Wang Jiaxuan, People's Literature Publishing House, October 2021.
This book shows the uniqueness of Henri Michaud's work: he made all words fade into pretense and return to authenticity; Take the world away from the usual appearances and dive into hidden realities. "Far Inside" throws the reader to the subconscious boundaries: dreams and frightened places, led by despair. Here is violent and heavy, just like Michaud's man named "Feather", who has experienced ups and downs, has been mistreated for being out of place, and is guilty of refusing to cater to life. Michaud's poems are not burdened by melody, but can be heard shouting and clamouring, expanding and agitating, until they spray and collapse. His modernity, unlike any genre, stands in its own right.
Written by Lee Yongbo
Editor/Li Yang
Proofreader/Lucie