I believe the value of what you are providing deserves to be preserved in print. It makes me sad thinking of the wealth of choices for translations from the western canon (there’s like 5 or 6 major English translations of Don Quixote) compared to what’s available for Chinese literature. And given what’s lacking in the 2 complete (non-AI) translations of Dream of the Red Chamber, your translation is an overdue new voice.
I can’t speak on the practicalities of print publication but I’ll just say nothing beats holding a physical book in your hand. I would love to one day read your complete translation “to help the wine down after a meal or to while away the solitude of a rainy evening by a lamplit window” (quoted from Chapter 120 of Hawkes/Minford translation).
At Australian National University (ANU), which seems to have the most comprehensive and highest-level Chinese language courses in Australia, there are quite a few units focusing on Literary Chinese. I started the first unit in the series earlier this year and was astonished to find a large number of Chinese international students in the class. Explaining why they enrolled, many said the opportunity to study Chinese classical literature and also be taught in English was interesting. So there is another audience for your translation --- Chinese students looking to improve their English. Most of these students (if not all) were in Australia studying finance, economics, business administration, etc. degrees. I believe Minford still teaches at ANU.
I think it'd be great to have it published, at least an e-book, because in my humble opinion this is the most faithfully translated English edition.
I believe the value of what you are providing deserves to be preserved in print. It makes me sad thinking of the wealth of choices for translations from the western canon (there’s like 5 or 6 major English translations of Don Quixote) compared to what’s available for Chinese literature. And given what’s lacking in the 2 complete (non-AI) translations of Dream of the Red Chamber, your translation is an overdue new voice.
I can’t speak on the practicalities of print publication but I’ll just say nothing beats holding a physical book in your hand. I would love to one day read your complete translation “to help the wine down after a meal or to while away the solitude of a rainy evening by a lamplit window” (quoted from Chapter 120 of Hawkes/Minford translation).
At Australian National University (ANU), which seems to have the most comprehensive and highest-level Chinese language courses in Australia, there are quite a few units focusing on Literary Chinese. I started the first unit in the series earlier this year and was astonished to find a large number of Chinese international students in the class. Explaining why they enrolled, many said the opportunity to study Chinese classical literature and also be taught in English was interesting. So there is another audience for your translation --- Chinese students looking to improve their English. Most of these students (if not all) were in Australia studying finance, economics, business administration, etc. degrees. I believe Minford still teaches at ANU.