New Chinese-English version of ‘The Three Kingdoms’

World
Europe

A new Chinese-English bilingual version of Chinese classic novel “The Three Kingdoms” recently was launched by Shanghai Foreign Language Education press -- the first whole version with 120 chapters rendered by a native Chinese speaker.

This Chinese and English bilingual version, translated by Professor Yu Sumei of East China Normal University and edited by US sinologist Ronald C. Iverson, omitted a small amount of poetry and plot enclosed with necessary footnotes introducing cultural allusions.

Screenshot from Shanghai Foreign Language Education press website

The three-volume book series are compounded with illustrations of the Ming and Qing dynasties, name lists, figures graphics etc. to help readers understand the story context.

Prof. Yu, with experiences of several English-Chinese translated books, spent a total of two years working on this new translation of The Three Kingdoms assisted by her daughter who typed the translation out.

US sinologist Ronald C. Iverson /Amazon Photo

Ron Iverson first visited China in 1984 as the personal representative of the Mayor of Chicago as part of a Sister Cities program.

Early in his visits to China, Iverson discovered “The Three Kingdoms” and came to realize the enormous cultural significance the Chinese people place in the book.

Screenshot from Shanghai Foreign Language Education press website

As an epic-esque masterpiece written by Luo Guanzhong over six centuries ago , the novel depicts turbulent years at the close of the Han Dynasty, when China broke into three competing kingdoms and people were either killed or driven from their homes.

The myth-fact mixing plot shows the loyalty and treachery, the brotherhood and rivalry of China's legendary heroes and villains in a tumultuous period in Chinese history.

(Top image credit: Shanghai Foreign Language Education press)

1071km