A New Era Begins 1975-78

and teachers of Chinese language and literature. Each issue of Renditions is a veritable book, an anthology o f the best and most enduring in Chinese writings rendered i n to readable English. Renditions was con- ceived as a periodical published to serve the following purposes: (1) to make Chinese writings in the humanities accessible to Western readers; (2) to provide fresh insights i n to Chinese life and thought; and (3) to discuss and exemplify the art of translation. Judging from the response of its subscribers and unsolicited manuscripts, the journal has fulfilled its mission. There have been a Special Fiction Issue, a Special Drama Issue and a Special A r t Issue among the nine issues already published, besides the usual offering o f the classics o f Chinese philosophy, history and biography as well as T'ang poetry, Sung lyrics, Yuan drama, Ming short stories, Ch'ing novels, and a variety of contemporary Chinese writing. Perhaps the best remark on Renditions came f r om The China Quarterly, published i n London: “ A most attractive feature is its catering bo th to those who are highly proficient in literary Chinese, and to those who are only slightly so or know no Chinese at all. . . . How pleasant to be reminded that Chinese can be f un ." Renditions Books One o f the natural off-shoots o f Renditions is Renditions Books. This series o f publication was begun w i t h the following: 1. John Tu r ne r: A Golden Treasury of Chinese Poetry ； and 2. James Watt (guest editor): The Translation of Art ——a collection o f essays on Chinese A r t either written i n English or translated from Chinese. These volumes, distributed by the University of Washington Press, Seattle, U.S.A., have been so successful that the Centre was asked to produce more of the same type. Current publications: 1. S. S. L i u: Chinese Classical Prose: The Eight Masters of the Tang-Sung Period is w i th the printer, and 2. Professor C. T. Hsia and George Kao: An Anthology of Yuan Drama is in the final editing stage. Two more titles are in serious preparation while a new project o f Renditions References has been designed to include a specialized Chinese to English Dictionary. Comparative Literature Division Translation is not merely a mechanical process of translating one language i n to another. A good translator is necessarily a master o f two languages and at the same time deeply steeped i n two cultures. 68