Taiwanese-Language Version of 'Taiwan Travelogue' Announced, Translated by Poet Wen Ruo-qiao

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 22. The Taiwanese-language version of the International Booker Prize-winning novel 'Taiwan Travelogue' will be translated by Taiwanese-language poet Wen Ruo-qiao, author of 'Sunflowers Twinkling,' with editing by 'Waiting for the Road' author Hung Ming-tao, and published by Spring Hill Publishing. In an interview with CNA, Wen stated, 'Translating this into Taiwanese is not just a tool to help different language users understand the text; it is a pursuit of cultural significance, as the era and setting of this book were originally environments where Taiwanese was more active.' Wen pointed out that many food and object names in the book belong to the Taiwanese language, and she believes this translation is a way to return the story to its original context. However, during the trial translation process, Wen discovered that restoring the language is not easy. She noted that Taiwanese literature has not yet developed a sufficient 'translation tone' to draw from. Additionally, the team is discussing regional accents and plans to use the contemporary 'Kaohsiung-Pingtung dominant accent' as the basis for the main text. Spring Hill editor Lin Yue-xian mentioned that the project started due to reader demand and the feeling that a 'need of the times' is emerging. Despite the market and cost pressures, the publisher is committed to this project to allow Taiwanese readers to read their own world-class local classics in their native language.