Author: Adam Kajzer, June 2011

The Chinese edition of Ryszard Kapuściński’s The Emperor is one of the most important literary events in the world this year.

This is already the third book by Kapuściński to be translated into Chinese. In recent years, publishers in Taiwan have translated Imperium and Travels with Herodotus. In China itself, the translation of Kapuściński’s works is handled by translator Wu Lan. In addition to The Emperor, just now published, a Beijing publisher released Travels with Herodotus in 2009.

In a conversation with Jeremy Goldkorn conducted after the publication of Travels with Herodotus in China, Wu Lan admitted that she had only learned of Kapuściński while translating a brochure about Polish culture for the Polish embassy. On the internet she found a great deal of information about him in various languages, but nothing in Chinese. While in Canada she bought many of his books and began translating Travels with Herodotus. She considers Ryszard Kapuściński something wonderful — someone like a prophet, a pioneer. As she observed, although Kapuściński was preoccupied with Africa, he never ceased studying Asia. Kapuściński believed that China deserved more of the world’s attention, as in addition to its culture it has great potential for development. According to Wu Lan, The Emperor is a book about all countries with political establishments, and every person can find themselves in it as well. She admitted that it is not a book for quick reading on a train or plane. It should be read slowly, and then one can reach its depths.

Wu Lan noted that Kapuściński is now relatively well known in China, though he has not yet achieved there the level of recognition he deserves.

In her view there are no linguistic problems in translating from Polish into Chinese. The difficulty lies in the author’s vast knowledge, which touches on many different fields of life. When translating Travels with Herodotus she had to read many books about Africa and learn the cultural context of the stories described.

Shortly before his death, Ryszard Kapuściński spoke about China in the context of American foreign policy after 11 September 2001 (Focus, Polish edition, September 2006): China is already a demographic and economic power. And this great power harbours no expansionist ambitions. It is an example of a great contemporary force that poses no threat to its neighbours. China attacks no one and launches no great military expeditions to other continents. It turns out that it is possible to develop without conquest, without slaughtering other nations and exalting one’s own. This is a good example for the contemporary world. I deliberately focus on China’s foreign policy and say nothing about the internal situation of the state. In my view, the principal task of the 21st century is a partnership-based openness toward the Other. Without that effort we will simply kill one another.

The conversation with translator Wu Lan is available at: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/upp2IINtI8E/

Basic details of the books published in Chinese:

THE EMPEROR (edition — Beijing)

Title: 皇帝 (Huángdì) — The Emperor

Author: 雷沙德 (Léishādé) 卡普钦斯基 (Kǎpǔqīnsījī) — Ryszard Kapuściński

Translator: 乌兰 (Wū Lán) — Wu Lan

Publisher: 新星出版社 (Xīnxīng chūbǎn shè) — New Star Press (Beijing), http://www.newstarpress.com/

Year of publication: 2011

Price: 22.00元 (approx. 10 PLN)

Cover: paperback

Conversation with translator Wu Lan: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/upp2IINtI8E/

Publisher’s description:

卡普钦斯基足迹遍布一百多个国家，他在埃塞俄比亚海尔·塞拉西政权倒台后，访问了很多曾经为这位"末代皇帝"工作的人，记录整理了他们对皇帝的记忆和印象，构成《皇帝》这本书。

本书延续卡普钦斯基对历史的一贯态度，客观地还原了一个帝王跌宕起伏的一生，揭示了这个非洲"雄狮之主"如何从卫国英雄逐渐转变成独裁帝王乃至被叛军驱逐下台的过程。

《皇帝》发表于1978年，出版后很快被翻译成英文和德文。1983年，被评为当年最佳图书。1987年英国伦敦皇家剧院将其改编成话剧，搬上英国舞台，受到欢迎。1989年，该剧又被搬上波兰话剧舞台，在波兰上演多次。

TRAVELS WITH HERODOTUS (edition — Beijing)

Title: 与希罗多德一起旅行 (Yǔ xī luō duō dé yīqǐ lǚxíng) — Travels with Herodotus

Translator: 乌兰 (Wū Lán) — Wu Lan

Publisher: 人民文学出版社 (Rénmín wénxué chūbǎn shè) — People’s Literature Publishing House (Beijing), www.rw-cn.com. Year of publication: 2009

Price: 19元 (approx. 8 PLN)

Publisher’s description:

全书由28篇互为关联的纪实性散文组成，每一篇记述的都是他到一个国家的亲身经历。这些故事或耸人听闻、或耐人寻味、或扣人心弦、或发人深省，构成一幅幅动感的风云变幻的世界历史画而。作者在夹叙夹忆中，精心选择地插进古希腊历史学家希罗多德所著Ⅸ历史的描写，跟踪古人的脚步，寻访人类的遗迹，利用切换历史时空的方法，引导读者去做深层次的思考。

TRAVELS WITH HERODOTUS (edition — Taiwan)

Title: 帶著希羅多德去旅行 (Dài zhe xī luó duō dé qù lǚxíng) — Travels with Herodotus

Author: 瑞薩德 (Ruìsàdé) 卡普欽斯基 (Kǎpǔqīnsījī) — Ryszard Kapuściński

Translator: 黃建功 (Huáng Jiàn Gōng)

Publisher: 允晨文化 — Yun Chen Wenhua Publishing (Taiwan)

Year of publication: 2009

Cover: paperback

Title: 帝國 (Dìguó) — Imperium

Author: 瑞斯札德 (Ruìsīzhádé) 卡普欽斯基 (Kǎpǔqīnsījī) — Ryszard Kapuściński

Translator: 胡洲賢 (Hú Zhōu Xián)

Publisher: 馬可孛羅 — Marco Polo Press (Taiwan)

Year of publication: 2008

Price: NT$380 (approx. 9 euro)

Cover: paperback

About the book in a literary programme (8 minutes, 26 April 2010, Chinese language): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=618NwvZtnLk

source: kapuscinski.info