China News Agency, Beijing, June 13th: Sun Xintang: Spanning half the world, why does contemporary Chinese literature have bosom friends in Latin America?
AuthorLing Yun
"From sea to sea, from plains to snow-capped mountains, all people are watching you, China..." Many years ago, Chilean writer Neruda wrote such a fiery poem and visited China three times.
He formed a friendship with the Chinese poet Ai Qing.
The two poets became close friends of foreign countries, leaving a good story for the cultural exchanges between China and Latin America.
Following in the footsteps of Neruda and Ai Qing, the literary exchange between China and Latin America continues, and the epidemic has not been affected.
"Reading during the Quarantine Period - Selected Chinese Short Stories" will be published in Mexico soon.
A few days ago, China News Agency "Dongxi Wen" had an exclusive interview with Sun Xintang, the co-editor of the book and director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University who had worked in Latin America for many years, to interpret the code of Sino-Latin American literary exchanges.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service: Last year, you edited, translated or coordinated as many as 10 Chinese literature books published in Latin American countries. What do you think these Spanish editions have in common? What kind of Chinese literature do Latin American readers prefer?
Sun Xintang:
In recent years, more and more literary works have been translated into Spanish and published in Latin America; more sinologists and young translators have joined the team to translate and introduce Chinese literature; Latin American publishers have begun to pay attention to Chinese books , such as Mexico 21st Century Publishing House, Chile Simprement Publishing House, Chile Roma Publishing House, Argentina Latin America Publishing Group, etc., they began to set up a Chinese book editing room to publish Chinese series books, and have a strong sense of publishing Chinese literary works. Systematic consideration and longer-term planning.
These Chinese literary works are basically representative works of contemporary Chinese literature published after the reform and opening up, reflecting the reality and historical changes of contemporary Chinese society.
For example, Alai's "Mushroom Circle" shows the survival power of people in Tibetan areas; Xu Zechen's "Running through Zhongguancun" and Shi Yifeng's "Chen Jinfang" show the growth and fate of the little people living at the bottom of society; Hu Xian's "Insects in Amber" and Lanlan's "Poet's Work" are the dialogue between Chinese contemporary poets inheriting the thousand-year-old poetry tradition and the contemporary world...
Some Chinese literary works translated into Spanish and published in Latin America.
China News Service: At the end of 2021, the first "Chinese Literature Readers Club" in Latin America will be established in Chile. When did Chinese contemporary literature enter Latin America, and what is the status quo? Why are Latin American readers interested in contemporary Chinese literature?
Sun Xintang:
In the 1970s, modern Chinese literature began to enter Latin America, such as the works of Lu Xun and Lao She.
In the past ten years, the popularity of Chinese contemporary literature in Latin America has increased significantly.
This is related to three reasons: First, China's influence in Latin America has grown, especially in the fields of economy, trade and investment.
Second, in this context, the number of people who learn Chinese or have an interest in Chinese culture is also increasing.
Third, with the promotion of large-scale literary exchange activities, the attention of writers, critics, and literary magazines and media in Latin America continues to rise.
For example, in 2020, the Neruda Foundation's poetry magazine "Notebook" published a special issue of "Chinese Contemporary Poetry", which has extensive influence in Latin America.
It is worth noting that there is still a big gap in the number of Latin American works published in China and Chinese works published in Latin America. One of the important reasons is that the number of Latin American sinologists and Chinese translators is still very limited.
Latin American people know very little about the real China, and literary works are an important way for them to recognize Chinese culture and understand Chinese reality.
Almost all of Mo Yan's works describe China's history and society. At the same time, he has rich imagination and storytelling ability, and is very popular with local readers.
In 2019, in a bookstore in Santiago, Chile, I saw 14 of Mo Yan's works displayed in a prominent window on the street.
Of course, the most popular works in Latin America are also selling well in China, such as Liu Cixin's "Three-Body Problem" and Mai Jia's "Decryption".
A street window of a bookstore in Santiago, the capital of Chile, displays 14 works by Mo Yan.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
China News Agency reporter: You have worked and lived in Latin America for more than ten years, during which you organized a series of "Chinese Writers Forum" activities, and invited many Chinese writers, including Mo Yan, Alai, and Liu Zhenyun, to the local area. comminicate. Why did this activity take place? How to promote in-depth exchanges between Chinese writers and Latin American readers?
Sun Xintang:
I was working on the promotion of Chinese culture in Latin America. At that time, I found that the cultural exchanges between China and Latin America mostly stopped at activities such as weaving Chinese knots, making dumplings, and playing Tai Chi.
Although these are also Chinese culture, I hope that local people can understand contemporary China, a more three-dimensional China, and literary works are a very good way.
It enables local readers to understand the changes and development of Chinese society and understand the reasons behind the formation of culture.
In order to promote in-depth exchanges between Chinese writers and Latin American readers, on the one hand, when we invite writers, we will select authors who have translated and published relevant works locally, and warm up in advance.
Afterwards, we will jointly hold lectures, speeches, and dialogues with Chinese writers with local universities and literary institutions; on the other hand, we will increase our understanding through more abundant activities, such as participating in the Buenos Aires International Book Fair and the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico. , Buenos Aires International Literary Festival, Mexico City International Poetry Festival, Medellin International Poetry Festival and other large-scale local events, focusing on the display and promotion of Chinese writers and literary works.
Respondents participate in the Buenos Aires International Book Fair.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
China News Service: There are many writers and poets in China who were deeply influenced by Neruda. How do Chinese literature and Latin American literature influence each other?
Sun Xintang:
Latin American literature, especially the "literary explosion" in Latin America, has a huge impact on contemporary Chinese literature.
When I invite Chinese writers to give lectures or speeches in Latin America, they always start by mentioning the positive influence of Latin American literature on their writing.
For example, Alai gave two speeches in Chile and Peru under the title of "Neruda called me to Latin America" and "I am the 'Alberto' written by Llosa".
Chinese writer Alai (first from left) was interviewed by a Latin American reporter.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
In addition, Márquez to Mo Yan, Borges to Maijia, Bolaño to Zhang Yueran, Fuentes to Chen Peng... Chinese writers in Latin America all talk more or less about what they have been subjected to. influences.
The influence of Chinese contemporary literature on Latin America has just started and is still very small.
The nutrients that Latin American writers have absorbed in China are mainly reflected in ancient literature, especially Zhuangzi, Tang poetry and Song poetry.
The title of the book "Bamboo Horse", a collection of Chinese-themed poems published by Mexican poet Quyar, is taken from Li Bai's poems.
As Latin American readers read more and more Chinese literature, I believe this influence will gradually appear in the works.
China News Service: What challenges are there in the dissemination and exchange of Chinese literature in Latin American countries? How to promote better exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Latin American literature?
Sun Xintang:
The biggest challenges faced by the dissemination of Chinese literature in Latin American countries are mainly manifested in three aspects: too few translators; insufficient popularity;
As for how to better learn from each other, a few examples can be used to illustrate.
Many Chinese writers and poets have traveled to Latin America for the first time.
The poet Zhou Sesel once compiled his thoughts and feelings of his trip to Latin America into a collection of poems "The End of the World" and published it.
The Mexican poet Quyal read the English version of the Chinese poet Zhao Lihong's long poem "Gulian and Geyao", and he translated it into Spanish a few days ago and sent it to me to check.
Poets translate poetry, do it well!
I just revised a few semantic and image losses for him.
The poem was published not long ago in the magazine "Altasol" sponsored by the Chilean Vidovro Foundation.
The "dialogue" between Quyal and Zhao Lihong is very wonderful.
The stories of Sino-Latin American literary exchanges are actually being staged every day, even during the epidemic.
Liljana Arsovska, a Mexican sinologist and professor at the Mexican Academy, and I co-edited and translated "Reading in Quarantine: A Selection of Chinese Short Stories" will be published soon. Many young translators are also from the Center for Asian and African Studies at the Mexican Academy Graduate students also participated in the translation work, which was very gratifying.
During the translation process, these young translators have dialogues and exchanges with Chinese writers...
We believe that through more three-dimensional and diverse forms, such as increasing the training and funding of translation talents, the door of future friendly exchanges between China and Latin America will be wider and wider.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Sun Xintang, Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University, Chair Professor at the University of Chile, and Honorary Professor at the Universidad de la Congress Argentina.
In 2014, while working in Latin America, he planned and organized the "Chinese Writers Forum" project, inviting Chinese writers and poets to visit Latin America and establishing exchanges and dialogues with Latin American readers.
This project has now become a brand of cultural exchanges between China and Latin America.