The co-translation of 'Hong Lou Meng' ('The Story of the Stone')
What is it about?
This is an account of the process of co-translation of the Chinese classic 'Hong Lou Meng', often translated as 'The Dream of the Red Chamber', but in this Penguin Books version translated by David Hawkes and John Minford as 'The Story of the Stone'. Based on personal letters between the two and on interviews with several people involved in the translation, it traces something of both the personal relationship between the two translators working over a period of decades and some of the difficulties involved in producing a modern and accessible translation of this important work.
Why is it important?
It relates to the process by which a creative and original approach to translation made accessible a classic work, translations of which had previously been so overburdened with abstruse explanations as to render it difficult to read or understand. It follows the highs and lows of the personal relationship between two translators often working at a distance of thousands of miles apart and over a long period of time. Fundamental to the process is both personal and professional commitment and an honesty of approach.