Not P but DeLillo: Zero K Chinese Translation

Sat Nov 4 06:02:42 CDT 2017

Surely my last post on this. I don't translate well, I guess, Iceland
Spar-like intended.

Others, I would, would try to volunteeringly handle.

Mark

On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 6:37 PM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Yes, it's certainly possible. But I'm not sure I would be able to handle
> all that. Also, given the relative small size of Taiwan, I'm not sure how
> successful crowd funding would be. Furthermore, it would be hard to reach
> readers in China if I decide to have it published in Taiwan. Given all
> that, it should only be a last resort.
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 12:37 PM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Self-publishing is still done by professionals if one wants a book as
>> good as......
>>
>> They need to be located and paid....and have a project manager.......
>>
>> One still lacks all of the "making public"--the root definition of
>> publishing--that a house can do...
>> but that CAN be outsourced too.
>>
>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 10:51 AM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Sorry for being slow. I'm finally seeing what you are getting at.
>>> Self-publishing is probably quite difficult, and I'm not at all sure if
>>> there are enough people who are interested in funding such a project. I'm
>>> very moved by your enthusiasm though.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 10:19 AM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> maybe we get in touch with some who know how to be one's own publisher
>>>> in Taiwan?
>>>>
>>>> To see if the rights can be procured oneself and let the crowd-funding
>>>> begin?
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 10:05 AM, Mike Jing <
>>>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have no idea. I guess I'll have to get in touch with publishers in
>>>>> Taiwan and see if there's any interest.
>>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 9:50 AM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> That's what I was asking about re possible crowd funding.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> But, who knows anything about Taiwan possibilities on one's own?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 9:46 AM, Mike Jing <
>>>>>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Oh, Taiwan is not bound by this arrangement, and is certainly a
>>>>>>> possibility. It was even suggested by the people at Yilin Press. It might
>>>>>>> be a last resort.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 9:40 AM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> yes, what about Taiwan?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 9:23 AM, Mike Jing <
>>>>>>>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Mr. Pynchon is represented by Andrew Nurnberg Associates in China,
>>>>>>>>> and they have a deal with Yilin Press in which Yilin gets first option on
>>>>>>>>> every Phychon book translated into Chinese (in China). Yilin Press has
>>>>>>>>> already published Chinese translation of V, The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's
>>>>>>>>> Rainbow, and Vineland. Curiously enough, the Chinese version of Inherent
>>>>>>>>> Vice is published by another Chinese publisher.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> In fact, it was Ms. Jackson who, in response to my letter to Mr.
>>>>>>>>> Pynchon, referred me to Andrew Nurnberg Associates, who in turn got me in
>>>>>>>>> touch with Yilin Press. I was trying to ask some questions about GR, but
>>>>>>>>> didn't get a response from him since the Chinese translation was apparently
>>>>>>>>> already taken care of, which I totally understand.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 8:33 AM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Taiwan is historically famous for copyright infringements of many
>>>>>>>>>> English language books...
>>>>>>>>>> publishing them in English without the language rights, with no
>>>>>>>>>> payment to the publisher therefore
>>>>>>>>>> author.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> We just had a Taiwanese copy of Southern & Hoffenberg's Candy
>>>>>>>>>> turn up in the donated books
>>>>>>>>>> of our local Community Book Sale....
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I'm sure enforcement has tightened since the 60s, know little
>>>>>>>>>> really but just saying.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Hey, if you got permission from Ms Jackson, therefore Tom too, to
>>>>>>>>>> publish your translation, Mike,
>>>>>>>>>> with a normal foreign rights deal or a different royalties deal,
>>>>>>>>>> do you think we could crowd fund the
>>>>>>>>>> cost?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 6:09 AM, John Bailey <sundayjb at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> A few years ago I was in Taipei and stepped into an ordinary
>>>>>>>>>>> mainstream bookshop and it was one of the best I've ever visited.
>>>>>>>>>>> Picked up some Chinese classics translated into English and some
>>>>>>>>>>> English-language novels too (including Ishiguro's Never Let Me
>>>>>>>>>>> Go,
>>>>>>>>>>> coincidentally). It was the only time I've been to Taiwan but I
>>>>>>>>>>> really
>>>>>>>>>>> got a sense that it's a great place for readers.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 8:24 PM, Mike Jing <
>>>>>>>>>>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> > Taiwan is certainly a possibility. As a matter of fact, it is
>>>>>>>>>>> suggested by
>>>>>>>>>>> > the publisher that I explore that route. There are subtle
>>>>>>>>>>> differences
>>>>>>>>>>> > between the Chinese language used in Taiwan and mainland
>>>>>>>>>>> China, and in
>>>>>>>>>>> > Taiwan they use traditional Chinese characters instead of the
>>>>>>>>>>> simplified
>>>>>>>>>>> > ones. I'll have to find out more about publishers in Taiwan,
>>>>>>>>>>> and the exact
>>>>>>>>>>> > copyright terms of GR in China.
>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>> > On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 5:07 AM, John Bailey <
>>>>>>>>>>> sundayjb at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> >>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> Would a Chinese translation published outside of China be
>>>>>>>>>>> possible? In
>>>>>>>>>>> >> Taiwan or another country?
>>>>>>>>>>> >>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 7:47 PM, Mike Jing <
>>>>>>>>>>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > Thanks for the suggestion, Jochen. But I don't think they
>>>>>>>>>>> would have the
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > same confidence in me as you do since I am a complete
>>>>>>>>>>> unknown. Besides,
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > I
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > think my version is distinct enough to be published on its
>>>>>>>>>>> own. There
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > are
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > other differences between the two translations apart from
>>>>>>>>>>> outright
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > errors
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > and mistakes on their part.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > On Tue, Oct 31, 2017 at 6:37 AM, Jochen Stremmel <
>>>>>>>>>>> jstremmel at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> Well put, John. And what I would try, Mike, is asking the
>>>>>>>>>>> publisher if
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> you
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> couldn't be
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> the final editor for the Chinese GR. We all would give you
>>>>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> recommendation, if needed.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> And you could tell them that most of your solutions were
>>>>>>>>>>> checked and
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> double-checked
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> by a heap of (self-appointed) experts.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >> 2017-10-31 10:56 GMT+01:00 John Bailey <sundayjb at gmail.com
>>>>>>>>>>> >:
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>> Sorry to hear that Mike - I for one welcome any Zero K
>>>>>>>>>>> questions, and
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>> might finally read it to help out! Your translation
>>>>>>>>>>> queries and p-list
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>> responses feel like one of the rare good things the
>>>>>>>>>>> internet was meant
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>> to
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>> enable.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>> On 31 Oct 2017 4:46 pm, "Mike Jing" <
>>>>>>>>>>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> Hello Dear P-Listers,
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> GR has to wait. The publisher of the Chinese translation
>>>>>>>>>>> of GR is
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> issuing a new edition, with corrections suggested by no
>>>>>>>>>>> fewer than
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> ten
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> experts. It seems that the new edition isn't out yet,
>>>>>>>>>>> but judging
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> from the
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> samples of suggested changes they sent me, many serious
>>>>>>>>>>> errors still
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> remain.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> In any case, I won't be able to have my own version
>>>>>>>>>>> published anytime
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> soon
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> since they have sole publishing rights in China. I'll
>>>>>>>>>>> have to either
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> wait
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> for it to expire or convince them of the superiority of
>>>>>>>>>>> my own
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> translation.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> But they are already committed, which is understandable.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> That's the bad news. The good news is that I have landed
>>>>>>>>>>> a gig with
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> them
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> to translate Don DeLillo's Zero K, which I have been
>>>>>>>>>>> working on for
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> the past
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> couple of months. It's fairly short, and nowhere near as
>>>>>>>>>>> difficult to
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> translate as GR. But I do have a number of questions now
>>>>>>>>>>> that the
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> first pass
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> is finished. I hope it's OK for me to ask them here.
>>>>>>>>>>> There won't be
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> too
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> many, I promise.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> I should also mention that there is already a Chinese
>>>>>>>>>>> translation of
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> Zero K published in Taiwan translated by a Taiwanese
>>>>>>>>>>> translator.  Of
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> course
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> I have not read it in order to avoid any undue influence.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> Thanks in advance for your kind help.
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>> Mike Jing
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>>>>>>> >> >
>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>> -
>>>>>>>>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
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