This story is an interesting read because it speaks to the artistry / challenges in translating unusual language. It takes a very skilled translator to keep the original intent of the author, and this article illustrates one reason why. More.

China’s literary scene seems to have found a new icon in Guo Xiaolu, whose book A Concise Chinese English Dictionary for Lovers, published in 2006, has been a runaway success in the UK and has been shortlisted for the Orange Prize.

Writing in a second language, it would seem, is still a huge barrier for the Chinese. But Guo, currently riding the wave, has shown that it doesn’t have to be.

Despite her recent foray into English fiction, the 33-year-old Fujian-born film maker and writer has turned what is her potential weakness into her greatest strength. Rather then trying to rid her language of any Chinglish-sounding phrases, she’s made Chinglish part of her style.

In her book, Guo tells the story of a naïve Chinese exchange student, Z, who falls in love with a hopeless commitment-phobe and artist in Hackney, east London. When Z touches down at Heathrow, her English is, in fact, quite broken, but as the novel proceeds it becomes more and more fluent.

…

“They said it was wonderful but they couldn’t publish it. At the time, I thought I should make it difficult for Westerners to read my Chinese English, but then I realised that no one could follow because I deliberately inserted so many errors; each sentence was upside down. My ambitions to play with the language were too grand and it killed the story.”

Citing examples of her vaguely Dadaist prose (“I on the sky. I not mature yet. Here on the mountain, 1993 eat the barbeque.”), Guo describes the process as having linguistic fun. But the fun truly begins when the book is translated into other languages.

Says Guo, “The Italian version just came out and they say it’s a cool, really funky translation and I said ‘Are there any mistakes?’ And they said ‘No, almost no mistakes.’ I just laughed because the grammar and the structure is wrong in the English original. My German translator is working on the novel and she says that there are loads of mistakes in the German version and I think it’s wonderful.”

Guo’s first critical success abroad, Village of Stone, was a compelling story about a girl who tries to leave her loveless childhood behind. She explores a similar theme of “rural escape” in her upcoming novel, Desperate Kingdom of Desire, about a Chinese ragpicker who sorts through British garbage in China.

Guo’s daring manoeuvre has, for sure, paid off well. Is it all a bit gimmicky? Perhaps, but Guo has shown not only an ability to transcend language, but also an adept use of imagery and metaphors which don’t get lost in translation.

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