‘People Are The Same Everywhere’: University Lecturer Translates Chinese Novel Into Maltese
A clever scholar from the University of Malta translated a Chinese book into a delightful Maltese masterpiece!
“Chinese writing is not easy; there are many characters, but it’s a matter of practice. The translation process always presents challenges and difficulties because you are translating from a language that stems from a culture and country far from ours,” Steve Cachia told TVMnews.
The book “Għoliet il-Qasab” is about a boy who embarks on his journey of self-discovery, both within himself and around Shanghai, where he discovers his painting abilities.
Whilst talking about the content of the book, Cachia explained how the Chinese language poses its unique challenges because despite its accessibility and popularity through authors like Yin Jian Ling, the landscapes, cultures, and other aspects of Chinese life from a 100 years ago are not always easy to translate.
“There are many words that don’t exist in Maltese, such as words for trees or animals, Chinese customs, and festivals. So, you have to find alternative expressions or ask if there are similar words in Maltese that have been lost over time, and in the case of trees, plants, and animals, you can use the Latin names,” the lecturer said.
Cachia lived, studied, and worked in Shanghai, China. He is now a lecturer at the University of Malta teaching the Chinese language, history and culture at the Department of Middle Eastern and East Asian Studies.
He speaks Maltese, English, Spanish, Italian and (Mandarin) Chinese fluently!
Cachia revealed how his time in China helped him practice the language, as he talked about the culture shock he experienced:
“The first thing I noticed was the number of people there are. I remember the first time I arrived and had to navigate the streets, crossing a huge road with ten lanes in the center of Shanghai or Beijing.”
“You need to navigate all these people, but if you stop and ask, they will help you, and it’s enjoyable to show interest, especially in their culture, language, and attempting to speak Chinese. It really connects you, and I realized that despite being a vastly different country, people are the same everywhere,” he concluded.
Watch his full interview here.
Would you want to read “Għoliet il-Qasab”?
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