Qiu Xiaolong’s 'Death of a Red Heroine' in Chinese Translation. A Macro-Polysystemic Analysis

Despite the literature available on the linguistic specificity of the works by Chinese authors writing in languages other than their native language, the observable phenomena in the Chinese translations of such works remain generally unexplored. In fact, the analysis of such Chinese-language renditions reveals complex phenomena at the level of linguistic hybridity, translation norms, and political and ideological interference, calling for a more in-depth description of the recontextualization undergone by the prototexts, and for a comprehensive analysis of the ‘external politics’ involved in the translation process. A brief outline of such factors, as exemplified by Hong ying zhi si (2003) – the Chinese translation of Shanghai-born writer Qiu Xiaolong’s first English-language detective novel, Death of a Red Heroine (2000) – will be herein attempted. To do so, a representative range of linguistic and extra-linguistic features observable in Hong ying zhi si will be described and the relevant translation strategies will be commented upon. Finally, by adopting a macro-polysystemic model, a preliminary attempt will be made to reconstruct the network in which the Chinese translation of Qiu’s novel is situated

Chinese children’s literature in Italy – interview with Paolo Magagnin

Intervista sull'esperienza di traduzione di letteratura per l'infanzia in Italia

I Sing the Body Electric. Corporal Representations in Guo Moruo’s The Goddesses

This paper aims to explore the forms of the representation of the body in Guo Moruo’s (1892-1978) The Goddesses (Nüshen, 1921), and to identify their conceptual sources in a comparative perspective, in order to highlight the significance of such a representation in the aesthetics of Guo’s early poetry. Many of the poems contained in The Goddesses celebrate nature, physicality, and the communion between man and the universe, while being constantly permeated with an allegorical idea of rebirth. In this aesthetic universe, the discourse of the body occupies a prominent position. The origins of such modes of corporal representation can be traced back to the many-sided literary, philosophical, and even scientific sources that the poet absorbed and subsequently developed in his own writing, tapping into both the classical Chinese tradition and imported models. Moving from the existing research on the corporal representations in Guo Moruo’s poetics and on their sources, and through a close reading of The Goddesses, I intend to provide a detailed account of the several forms and levels of body discourse in Guo’s early poetry. I will specifically focus on the bodily description of death and resurrection, the role of corporal discourse within the overarching theme of pantheism, anthropomorphism and zoomorphism in the depiction of the inanimate world, and the allegorical use of technical-scientific language (drawn from anatomy, biology, physics, and mechanics) in the representation of the body. The intra- and interliterary sources of inspiration shaping Guo’s modes of corporal representation will be pointed out, with a special emphasis on the role played by Tagore, Whitman, the Judaeo-Greco-Roman tradition, and the literary avant-garde of the early 20th century. Finally, the stylistic and ideological implications of such stylemes will be highlighted, in order to identify their significance against the background of Guo’s broader artistic and conceptual landscape

Chinese Children's Literature and the Challenges of Internationalization. Cao Wenxuan's 'Qingtong Kuihua' in Italian Translation

The visibility of contemporary Chinese children's literature among foreign readerships has become a growing phenomenon in recent years, epitomized by the case of the celebrated Chinese writer Cao Wenxuan, the winner of the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award. Cao's acclaimed novels are characterized by stylistic sophistication, idyllic overtones, emotionally charged descriptions of tragic events, a deep-rooted pedagogical intent, and the description of the young characters' identity-building against the background of the shifts occurring in Chinese history and society. Such complexity strikingly emerges in translating these works for non-Chinese audiences: the translation must naturally take into account the formal specificity of the original and process its culture-specific traits, but these features often also undergo a degree of editorial rewriting to adapt them to the intended target readership. Using Cao Wenxuan's 2005 novel Qingtong kuihua ("Bronze and Sunflower") and its Italian translation as a case study, the publisher's forms and degrees of adaptation of the translator's manuscript will be described, with special reference to the treatment of vocabulary, syntax, figurative language, textual features, and aesthetic factors. Finally, a reflection on the adaptation strategy and its implications for the reception of Chinese children's literature by the foreign readership will be conducted

Storie cinesi per l’infanzia globale. Uno sguardo al fenomeno Cao Wenxuan

My contribution aims to provide an overview of the "Cao Wenxuan phenomenon” and its implications for the building of a “China narrative”. First, I will attempt to pinpoint the ideological and intellectual background, as well as the nature of China's editorial policies, which drove the international promotion of the works of the celebrated Chinese author of children's and young adult literature. To do so, I will outline the dynamics of artistic and cultural promotion that led Cao to be identified as the "spokesman" of national children's literature and the ideal candidate for export. I will also briefly touch upon the publishing mechanisms that led to the translation and publication of some of his works, as well as their consecration by the Andersen Prize awarded to Cao in 2016. Secondly - and more importantly -, in order to identity the characteristics and relevance of Cao’s works against the background of China's self-representation strategies addressed to a global audience, I will focus on the image(s) of China that his translated works conjure with regard to the Chinese history, culture, society, and value systems (e.g. views of gender roles, family relationships, institutional education, individual character development). I will specifically investigate the overt and covert ideological implications of the dissemination of Cao’s works in translation and, ultimately, I will seek to assess in which ways and to which extent the national image that Cao’s works convey is embedded in the discourse of self-narration promoted by the Chinese officialdom

Stratégies humoristiques et stratégies de traduction dans 'Shenme shi laji, shenme shi ai' de Zhu Wen

Introduction Aussi bien en Chine qu’en Occident, Zhu Wen 朱文 (n. 1967) est loin d’être un auteur tendance. Sa production n’est pourtant pas méconnue de ce côté du globe, grâce à sa carrière de cinéaste, mais surtout aux nouvelles regroupées sous le titre Wo ai meiyuan 我爱美元 [J’aime les dollars], dont des traductions ont paru dès 2007, d’abord en anglais, ensuite en italien, allemand et français. Cette collection synthétise les thèmes caractérisant la production artistique de l’auteur dans son e..

High-power test results of a 3 GHz single-cell cavity

Compact, reliable and little consuming accelerators are required for the treatment of tumours with ions. TERA proposes the "cyclinac", composed of a high-frequency, fast-cycling linac which boosts the energy of the particles previously accelerated in a cyclotron. The dimensions of the linac can be reduced if high gradients are used. TERA initiated a high-gradient test program to understand the operational limit of such structures. The program foresees the design, prototyping and high-power test of several high-gradient structures operating at 3 and 5.7 GHz. The high-power tests of the 3 GHz single-cell cavity were completed in Winter 2012. The maximum BDR threshold measured for Emax of 170 MV/m and RF pulses of 2.5 \mu s was 3 x 10-6 bpp/m