Cover of the book "The Chinese Way: Miracles and Secrets".
The cover of the Arabic edition of "Going North".
Cover of the Arabic edition of "Piggyback".
No. 74 Liberation Avenue in the center of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is a beige 7-storey old building. This is the headquarters of Egypt's Hikmet Cultural Group (hereinafter referred to as Hikmet), and the bustling Tahrir Square is close at hand, but the people in the building are unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the outdoors, and are concentrated in translating Chinese literature and historical works. The person in charge, Ahmed Saeed (Chinese name Bai Xin), said that since its establishment more than 10 years ago, Hikmet has focused on the translation, publication and promotion of Chinese books, and has been praised as "a garden for enhancing Chinese exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations."
"Marco Polo of Contemporary Arabia"
In late spring and early summer, the Cairo kapok is in full bloom. Under the scorching sun, Bai Xin came to the office. The symposium on the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, hosted by Hikmet, is about to be held, and Bai Xin is busy with the preparatory work for the conference these days.
Bai Xin's office is located on the fifth floor. His desk, shelves and sofas are stocked with books related to China, including original Chinese and more translated into Arabic. In addition, there are various certificates and medals displayed in the office, among which the "Youth Achievement Award of the 9th Chinese Book Special Contribution Award" and the "Foreign Expert of the Chinese Book Overseas Promotion Program" certificates are particularly eye-catching, and they are also the most proud of Bai Xin.
In 2005, Bai Xin graduated from the Department of Chinese at the School of Language and Translation at Al-Azhar University in Egypt, after which he went to Ningxia University for postgraduate studies in ethnology. In 2011, he and two Chinese partners founded Wisdom Palace Culture Media Co., Ltd. In order to let the Arab world know the real China, Bai Xin chose to use a book to tell the local people about all aspects of the Eastern country. In addition to translation and publishing, the company has also launched an Arabic e-book library and undertaken many large-scale Sino-Arab exchange projects. "I have always wanted to use the language I have studied for many years to connect the people of Argentina and China. Bai Xin said.
Bai Xin stayed in Ningxia for 8 years, during which he made many Chinese friends and formed a happy family with a Chinese girl. Bai Xin said: "I have been to 23 provinces in China, and I am deeply impressed by China's vast land, long history and splendid culture, and I hope that more Arabs will understand and love Chinese culture and fall in love with China." Because of his footprints all over China, especially his positive contribution to Sino-Arab cultural exchanges, Bai Xin is known as the "Marco Polo of contemporary Arabia", and his story has been reported by mainstream media in China and Argentina many times.
"More and more Chinese literature is being favored by Arab readers"
In 2011, Bai Xin founded Hikmet in Cairo and has been working tirelessly, translating and writing dozens of books. Being in Hikmet is like coming to one of China's largest publishing houses or book distribution companies. Standing in front of the building, you can see banners written in Chinese and Arabic "Hikmet Culture" hanging in different parts of the building. Entering the corridor, on one side of the wall are prominently hung "Egyptian Chinese Theme Books Overseas Editorial Department", "Egyptian Chinese Translation Association", "Chinese Examination Center" and other qualification certificates. On each floor, shelves of China-related books are neatly arranged. Chinese knots, Chinese paintings, Chinese fans, and Chinese lanterns can be seen everywhere, which makes people feel more intimate.
Translator Mukhtar has been working with Hikmet for a long time and has translated Xu Zechen's "Going North" and other excellent contemporary Chinese literary works. "Going North is a novel about China's Grand Canal, which is imposing and fascinating, containing the spirit of the Chinese. When it comes to translation, Mukhtar opens up the conversation, "The story of 'Going North' spans a hundred years, and it is by no means easy to translate. I researched a lot of material and did my historical and cultural research in order to accurately present the essence of the original in Arabic. ”
There are more than 80 well-known translators like Mukhtar in Hikmet, more than 30 of whom have obtained doctorates, and they have translated and published more than 1,000 Chinese books in various fields such as politics, economics, literature, history, philosophy, art, children's picture books and Chinese language teaching. Among them, contemporary Chinese literature has deeply attracted Arab readers with its unique artistic value and charm of the times. Hikmet has translated and published a large number of literary works by contemporary Chinese writers. Bai Xin said with deep feeling, "More and more Chinese literary works are favored by Arab readers, and through this window, readers can perceive the ever-changing and prosperous contemporary China." ”
In 2023, Hikmet translated and published Chinese writer Liu Liangcheng's novel "Piggyback", which was distributed in 22 Arab countries. This novel was highly praised by the famous Arab literary critic Munir al-Atibai, and is considered to reflect the "equal coexistence of man and all things", integrating literature and readability, "When I first read this novel, I didn't even think that the author was Chinese. He understands our people's lives and spiritual world very well, and I also feel the commonality and resonance between Arabic Chinese. ”
After the translation and publication of "Piggyback", Hikmet continued to pay attention to readers' interpretations and comments on the work. BAI XIN SAID THAT THE TRANSLATOR TRANSLATED THE TITLE OF THE BOOK AS AL-MIRSAL, WHICH MEANS "MESSENGER, MESSENGER, MESSENGER", AND "PIGGYBACKING ITSELF MEANS COMMUNICATION." In this sense, the novel has also become a 'piggybacker' – starting from China, going to the Middle East, and integrating into the world, which has strongly promoted the exchanges and integration between China and other countries in literature and culture."
"China is a big book that will always be worth translating, reading, and studying"
Through more than 140 bookstores and distributors in Arab countries and around the world, Hikmet sells excellent Chinese books to the world, which has been well received by all parties. From the Cairo International Book Fair, the Rabat International Book Fair, the Riyadh International Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, to various seminars and cultural activities related to China, Bai Xin has tirelessly told the story of China to the Arab people on various occasions, which has been widely welcomed.
"China is a big book that will always be worth translating, reading, and studying. With the introduction of Chinese culture to the world, Arab-Chinese relations have accelerated their gears, and the Arab people are eager to understand China through reading, learn Chinese and Chinese Chinese language and culture, and pay more and more attention to China's successful experience in development and the great achievements of Chinese-style modernization. Bai Xin said.
Bai Xin has made unremitting progress on the road of introducing, translating and disseminating Chinese culture, and has gained a lot. He has also published a number of books to educate Arab readers about the reasons behind China's historic achievements. Published in 2015, China's Path: Miracles and Secrets is the first book dedicated to Arab readers to introduce the development process of the People's Republic of China and summarize the achievements of the People's Republic of China, especially the successful experience of reform and opening up. One month after the book was published, the King of Jordan presented it as a precious state gift to visiting Chinese officials. China in the New Era, published in 2022, uses objective, plain brushstrokes and rich cases to deeply interpret China's reality and future development path. "China is a dynamic country, and I hope that Arab readers will start from my work to understand the way of thinking and values of the Chinese people, and how China chooses its own development path. Bai Xin said.
In Bai Xin's view, as an important international public good, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative is of great significance to the people-to-people bonds, cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Arab and Chinese civilizations. The Arab civilization has a long history, and China has a long and splendid history and culture, and through exchanges and dialogues, the two sides can draw the essence of each other's cultures and promote the complementarity and common development of civilizations. Such people-to-people exchanges can not only enhance the friendship between the two peoples, but also help promote the diversity of world civilizations, so as to promote the common prosperity of global cultures.
At the end of the day's work, it's dusk. At this time, Bai Xin had the leisure to admire the increasingly bright kapok on the streets of Cairo. In his eyes, the red kapok in full bloom symbolizes the prosperity of Arabic Chinese exchanges. "We are willing to use books as a medium to contribute to building a bridge of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. ”