Newsletter No. 59

CUHKNEWSLETTER Renditions Celebrates 21st An n i v e r s a r y Ouyang Xiu: Letter to Sima Guang. Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taiwan. Since 1973, Renditions, the Chinese- English translation journal published by the Research Centre for Translation, has been providing its readers with 'a window onto Chinese literature' (Times Literary Supplement, June, 1990) in the f o rm of high- quality translations of the best of classical and contemporary Chinese literature, be it poetry, prose, drama, or fiction. The attractively-produced journal, with it lavish use of artwork and calligraphy, has been called 'the best of its kind' (World Literature Today, Summer, 1989), an opinion wh i ch reflects its excellent international reputation. Renditions has long been valued by scholars who write and translate f r om Chinese sources, but as the quotations above demonstrate, the journal's appeal is not limited to the field of Chinese studies. Throughout its 21 years, it has provided fresh insights into Chinese life and thought to a far-flung readership. The vision of the founding editors, Mr. Stephen C. Soong and Mr. George Kao, gives an accurate picture of the journal 21 years later: 'Its varied content, in text and graphics, is designed for the reading pleasure alike of the serious student and the general reader.' Subscriptions come f r om 27 countries worldwide: 43 per cent of the subscribers are located in the US and Canada, 24 per cent in Europe, 28 per cent in Asia, and 5 per cent elsewhere. Institutions such as university libraries account for 40 per cent of subscribers, while 60 per cent are from individuals. Over the years, Renditions has featured the work of over 500 Chinese authors rendered into English by nearly 250 translators. Like its readers, the translators have come from many countries: the United States, Australia, Holland, Sweden, Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong. They range f r om budding talents i n their twenties to scholars of international reputation and venerable years. Renditions is a trusted source of translations of Chinese literature which are both accurate and eminently readable as literature. Each year numerous requests are received to reproduce contents for classroom use or to reprint selections in anthologies. Through the recognition accorded its flagship j ou r na l, the role of the Research Centre for Translation as an international centre for the exchange of information and ongoing research on all aspects of Chinese language translation has also been enhanced over the years. Building on the expertise gained in developing Renditions, the centre has expanded its publication activities to include two related series 一 Renditions Books and Renditions Paperbacks. Renditions is a s em i - a n n u al publication, appearing in May and November. F r om time to time, a special issue, which may be a double issue, concentrating on a particular topic or literary genre, is published. Recent special issues have included issues on classical prose, contemporary Chinese women writers, Hong Kong writing, contemporary Taiwan literature, and t wen t i e th century memoirs. The issue on Hong Kong writing, which marked 15 years of Renditions, was the f i r s t such collection to appear in English or Chinese. On the occasion of its twenty-first anniversary, issues 41 and 42 will be a Special Double Issue on Classical Letters featuring correspondence by famous historical figures from the Han to the Qing dynasties. Research Centre for Translation NO.59 OCTOBER 1994 5