All really wonderful essays. I think I enjoyed the point from Xu Yixiang the best:
“'What does China think about what’s going on in Venezuela?'...misunderstanding often begins as a demand for simplicity...He nodded along until I finished my mini-lecture, then stood up for a refill."
That point reminds us about the kinds of demands that readers/listeners bring: that those demands are not always correct; that sometimes they won't like or won't be interested in what a text has to say; that sometimes content itself gets subordinated to the needs of establishing communication with the reader.
Thank you for giving space to these very thoughtful voices!
CCG is moving toward a far more comprehensive role in conducting international relations on behalf of the PRC - the interns' statements make clear that earnest and honest involvement by this think tank is gathering momentum. As the PRC's ability to produce materially advances so will its influence on thought and philosophical method internationally. The internship model is showing superb results, another testimony to the realism and effectiveness of Dr. Huiyao Wang's vision which reflects the efficacy of Chinese civilization.
I would collectively respond to the marvelous posts of each of the interns that reality as understood by humans has been extremely well appraised both personally and professionally by them. They each point out the essential feature of observing uncertain realities - the very observation itself modifies those realities. In contributing my own perception of the global sphere to their discussion, I would point out that despite the remarkable precision and resilience of human constructs, we all still reside on "Monkey Island" and share the same constitutional flaws as Sun Wukong (孫悟空) with our fellow "humans".
Interesting one. I see a common thread in 2 or 3 of the pieces which give a sense of "frustration" (prob not the right word, but you know what I mean) about how foreigners understand and/or try to understand China/Chinese. Simplification, orientalism, fit in preconceived frameworks, not the right questions, lack of interest in the nuance, etc. Yes, it is this way. But this is not "China" specific issue. This is a human brain issue. The same situation applies to foreigners (including Chinese) claiming to understand, or asking questions to understand, the US or the French or the Germans or the Indians, their governments, their principles, their people. If there is frustration, or disappointment, or simply a neutral realization of an inferior approach to understanding by foreigners approaching the China topic, feel good that at least there is interest for learning or opining about it, even in imperfect ways, because no one cares about 2/3rds of the countries/cultures/societies on earth. It is lucky to be a topic. And btw I really enjoy your work.
What a fabulous piece. Translators are generally marginalised, not recognised, and generally underrated. Look at the recent Nobel prize for literature, where the Hungarian author's translator - who made it accessible to English language readers, was not noted, not once. The deep thinking that these early-career people in their translation practice have not only given insights into cross-cultural competence but made the articles appearing in these publications accessible to many - an enormous contribution which should not be underrated. Please allow me to copy/paste some of the phrases that resonated with me:
Yirui Li: I used to chase a kind of “immaculate correctness,” scanning media for standard answers. However, translation forced me to abandon that obsession with purity. I learned that only by accepting the shadows that coexist with brilliance can we say we have truly seen “the backside of the world."
Yifan Yan: This experience taught me that if I want to contribute to international communication, I must start with this kind of critical thinking—even when dealing with works widely regarded as authoritative. It is about the meticulous verification of facts and respecting the complexity of history
Yiyang Xu : When moving between languages and social contexts, word-for-word substitution rarely conveys the illocution a speaker intends. Good translation pays attention to use, convention, and context. It tries to reconstruct meaning in a new environment, not merely transfer vocabulary. Understanding across cultures works in much the same way. It is a practical achievement built through participation, careful description, and the patience to learn what another world treats as salient.
thank you to these translators who have made so many interesting articles accessible to english-language readers.
All really wonderful essays. I think I enjoyed the point from Xu Yixiang the best:
“'What does China think about what’s going on in Venezuela?'...misunderstanding often begins as a demand for simplicity...He nodded along until I finished my mini-lecture, then stood up for a refill."
That point reminds us about the kinds of demands that readers/listeners bring: that those demands are not always correct; that sometimes they won't like or won't be interested in what a text has to say; that sometimes content itself gets subordinated to the needs of establishing communication with the reader.
Thank you for giving space to these very thoughtful voices!
CCG is moving toward a far more comprehensive role in conducting international relations on behalf of the PRC - the interns' statements make clear that earnest and honest involvement by this think tank is gathering momentum. As the PRC's ability to produce materially advances so will its influence on thought and philosophical method internationally. The internship model is showing superb results, another testimony to the realism and effectiveness of Dr. Huiyao Wang's vision which reflects the efficacy of Chinese civilization.
I would collectively respond to the marvelous posts of each of the interns that reality as understood by humans has been extremely well appraised both personally and professionally by them. They each point out the essential feature of observing uncertain realities - the very observation itself modifies those realities. In contributing my own perception of the global sphere to their discussion, I would point out that despite the remarkable precision and resilience of human constructs, we all still reside on "Monkey Island" and share the same constitutional flaws as Sun Wukong (孫悟空) with our fellow "humans".
Interesting one. I see a common thread in 2 or 3 of the pieces which give a sense of "frustration" (prob not the right word, but you know what I mean) about how foreigners understand and/or try to understand China/Chinese. Simplification, orientalism, fit in preconceived frameworks, not the right questions, lack of interest in the nuance, etc. Yes, it is this way. But this is not "China" specific issue. This is a human brain issue. The same situation applies to foreigners (including Chinese) claiming to understand, or asking questions to understand, the US or the French or the Germans or the Indians, their governments, their principles, their people. If there is frustration, or disappointment, or simply a neutral realization of an inferior approach to understanding by foreigners approaching the China topic, feel good that at least there is interest for learning or opining about it, even in imperfect ways, because no one cares about 2/3rds of the countries/cultures/societies on earth. It is lucky to be a topic. And btw I really enjoy your work.
What a fabulous piece. Translators are generally marginalised, not recognised, and generally underrated. Look at the recent Nobel prize for literature, where the Hungarian author's translator - who made it accessible to English language readers, was not noted, not once. The deep thinking that these early-career people in their translation practice have not only given insights into cross-cultural competence but made the articles appearing in these publications accessible to many - an enormous contribution which should not be underrated. Please allow me to copy/paste some of the phrases that resonated with me:
Yirui Li: I used to chase a kind of “immaculate correctness,” scanning media for standard answers. However, translation forced me to abandon that obsession with purity. I learned that only by accepting the shadows that coexist with brilliance can we say we have truly seen “the backside of the world."
Yifan Yan: This experience taught me that if I want to contribute to international communication, I must start with this kind of critical thinking—even when dealing with works widely regarded as authoritative. It is about the meticulous verification of facts and respecting the complexity of history
Yiyang Xu : When moving between languages and social contexts, word-for-word substitution rarely conveys the illocution a speaker intends. Good translation pays attention to use, convention, and context. It tries to reconstruct meaning in a new environment, not merely transfer vocabulary. Understanding across cultures works in much the same way. It is a practical achievement built through participation, careful description, and the patience to learn what another world treats as salient.
thank you to these translators who have made so many interesting articles accessible to english-language readers.
Loved these comments. What a smart and talented group of people.