New translation database promotes Chinese literature overseas

2018-01-18   Source: chinadaily.com.cn

Guests join the launch ceremony in Beijing, Jan 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

President Xi Jinping's report at the 19th CPC National Congress attached great importance to the construction of China's soft power and cultural confidence, which required a large number of eminent artistic figures to see literature and art thrive.

To support contemporary Chinese literary talents and elevate the global influence of Chinese literature, the Chinese Culture Translation and Studies Support Network (CCTSS) and Selected Stories magazine jointly initiated an international database of Chinese writers and works in Beijing, Jan 17.

The database aims to contain multimedia introductions of 100 modern writers and their representative works translated into ten languages. This innovative project will eliminate the language barriers between many cultures and introduce China's best writers to the world.

Xu Baofeng, director of the Chinese Culture Translation and Studies Support Network, speaks at the launch ceremony, Jan 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

 Xu Baofeng, director of CCTSS, said the database would "foster the global communication of literature and enable the world to understand Chinese literature more objectively, justly and comprehensively".

Wang Gan, director of the Selected Stories magazine, speaks at the launch ceremony, Jan 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"We want to reveal the finest of Chinese literature to the world," said Wang Gan, director of the Selected Stories magazine. "Cooperation with CCTSS means complementary advantages in both writers and translators resources."

Liu Li, president of Beijing Language and Culture University, speaks at the launch ceremony, Jan 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing Language and Culture University is the main platform of this database. BLCU's president Liu Li said that "the university has always been rooted in Chinese culture and taught foreign students the essence of Chinese literature."

 Huang Zhuoyue, director of Chinese Culture Translation and Communication Research Center, speaks at the launch ceremony, Jan 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

 "China's overseas development in culture falls behind our economic and scientific advancement," said Huang Zhuoyue, director of the Chinese Culture Translation and Communication Research Center. "Business exchange brings profits, while cultural understanding wins people's hearts."

Yan Jingming, vice-chairman of the China Writers Association, speaks at the launch ceremony, Jan 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

 Yan Jingming, vice-chairman of the China Writers Association, pointed out that the situation of global communication had altered as China's overall national strength has been rising. "More Chinese writers and critics have entered the international arena. More sinologists choose to translate contemporary Chinese literature."

"The next step is to let the world know more about Chinese writers, integrate our resources and further promote Chinese literature to the global community," Yan said.