Looks like the publishers in Taiwan did a much better job with the cover than CASS (below). It actually looks like something someone might pick up. On the other hand, they took some liberties with the title. Guess I don't get to approve those changes...
Here are links to the book on the website of Eslite and Books.com. Hope it will be available in Hong Kong, too.
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| Cover of the simplified Chinese translation. |
5 comments:
Not to be mean or anything, and I've been following your blog religiously since I was 16, but translating Simplified Chinese to Traditional Chinese can be done accurately with the push of a button because apart from the cosmetic look of characters, there really is almost no difference.
This doesn't seem to be a push of the button translation. Check out the two different titles.
The titles are totally different, indeed. The simplified Chinese version is a direct translation from your English title. The traditional Chinese one means more like "The Red Plot", "The Red Conspiracy", or anything BUT bestowment suggested by the English title.
This is a VERY misleading and unprofessional translation. All I could say is the translator is biased, mischievous, and hating of China.
Commenting from the U.S.,
Norman Tang
Probably more that the publisher in Taiwan is trying to get people to buy the book. But it's funny that I was worried about the simplified Chinese translation and had it double checked by two people. We didn't find any problems. But I didn't have the complex translation checked before publication. And I didn't get to approve the "new" title.
Even the subtitle was intentionally translated wrong. I compared the original English subtitle to both the Simplified and Traditional Chinese ones. The Simplified one correctly depicts the English subtitle but the Traditional Chinese subtitle could be reverse-translated to "The Truth Behind China's Spending in Africa". That with the misleading Title (Traditional Chinese one) really suggests to the readers you're trying to expose the dark sides of Chinese investments in Africa. I believe the translation really deviates from your intention to depict a balance, unbiased view that is based on facts and figures instead of threats and conspiracies. The Traditional Chinese translation of your book really taints your name and you should sue the translator.
I love your works, Professor Brautigam. I will get an English copy of your book and, if opportunity presents itself, a copy of the Simplified Chinese one. I read Traditional Chinese almost exclusively but I will not read this one of your book.
Sincerely,
Norman Tang
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