Warsaw: Translators, scholars, and publishers from across Europe gathered in Poland this week to discuss the challenges of bringing Taiwanese literature to international readers, according to the National Museum of Taiwan Literature in Taipei. Their conversations ranged from linguistic nuance and cultural context to the role translators play in promoting Taiwanese works abroad, the museum said in a press statement released on Wednesday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the museum organized a two-day Taiwan Literature Translation Workshop, sponsored by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture, in Poland from June 8-9 as part of Poland's Authors' Reading Month, one of Central Europe's best-known literary festivals. The workshop brought together translators, Sinologists, and publishing professionals from countries including Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Sweden, alongside Taiwanese writers.
Among the discussions, Polish translator Maria Jarosz, known for translating Taiwanese novels including "The Butcher's Wife" and "Children of the Saltpans," highlighted the challenge of translating curse words in Taiwanese literature. Jarosz was cited in the statement as saying that the key is not to find a literal equivalent, but to understand the emotions, tone, and relationships behind the language. The translator's task, she said, is to preserve the literary power of the original work in another language.
Other participants emphasized that translation involves more than converting words between languages. Maciej Gaca, a professor at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland, said translation helps readers understand a society's history and way of life. Ukrainian translator Oleksandra Bespala noted that Taiwanese literature remains relatively unfamiliar to many readers in Ukraine, making each translation an opportunity to introduce a new cultural landscape. She noted that Taiwanese works often touch on themes such as colonial history, postwar politics, the White Terror period, democratization, and linguistic diversity, requiring translators to provide additional historical and cultural context.
The museum said it will continue promoting Taiwanese literature in Europe, with book launch events planned in Spain later this month and other literary outreach activities scheduled in the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands in October.