Taipei: Nearly a century after the last volume of Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" was published, Taiwan is set to receive its first complete translation of the modernist masterpiece in October.
According to Focus Taiwan, the new Chinese translation, based directly on the original French text, will be available in paperback starting October 2, with a hardcover edition to follow later in the month. Linking Publishing announced this development, noting that the previous 1992 edition was an adaptation of a Simplified Chinese translation.
The seven-volume novel, originally titled "€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬ la recherche du temps perdu" and translated into English as "Remembrance of Things Past," is a stream-of-consciousness narrative featuring over 2,000 characters and exploring French high society from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
As per a press release, this translation project has been a four-year endeavor led by Wu Kun-Yung, former president of the Association Tawanaise des Traducteurs de Fran§ais (ATTF). Seven Taiwanese translators, including Chiu Jui-luan, Chen Wen-yao, Hsu Yawen, Shih Wu-ken, Chen Yu-wen, Ma Siang-yang, and Lin Te-yu, each tackled one volume, translating more than two million words collectively.
The translators are seasoned professionals with extensive experience in translation and have been recognized multiple times for the ATTF-BNP Paribas Translation Prize, a prestigious award for local French translators. Wu expressed that translating Proust's complex prose is both challenging and meaningful, marking a significant milestone in a translator's career.
Lin Te-yu, one of the translators, identified numerous mistranslations in the previous edition, attributing them to Proust's notoriously intricate writing style. He emphasized that the new translation seeks to bring readers closer to Proust's original work.
To enhance readers' understanding, Linking has enlisted five experts from music, literature, history, art, and food to create a comprehensive reader's guide to accompany the seven-volume set.