(From Hunan Normal University) At two o’clock on 14th August, 2014, the first “Irish Literature Translation prize” was announced at Sinan Mansion in Shanghai. Ma Ainong’s translation of Claire Keegan’s collected stories: Walk the Blue Fields, which was published by People’s Literature Publishing House, won the best award. Professor Caobo’s translation of Samuel Beckett’s Murphy, published by Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House, came the second receiving nomination award. The other two nominations were Yin Shulin’s translation of John Banville’s The Infinities (published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House) and Fang Bolin’s translation of Eugene O’Neill’s Netherland (published by Shanghai 99 Reader Corporation) .
The award ceremony is hosted by Mr. Austin Gormley, Irish consul general in Shanghai, with participants including Irish deputy consul general, the chief executive of Shanghai Book Fair, representatives of evaluation experts, the publishing houses as well as Chinese and foreign media reporters. After the ceremony, Irish Beckett drama director Mr. Thomas Caron, and journalist Mr. Clifford Coonan from Irish Times had an interview with Professor Cao Bo.
As one part of Shanghai Book Fair, “Irish Literature Translation Award” is hosted by Irish consul general in Shanghai, and is co-hosted by Shanghai Book Fair, Shanghai Book Review, “Irish Literature Communication Association” and Ireland Trad Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with an independent review panel. The establishment of the award aims to commend China’s translators’ and publishers’ great contributions to Irish contemporary literature translation, boosting the spread of Irish literature in China.
Murphy is the Nobel prize winner Samuel Beckett’s first published novel. Professor Cao’s translation of Murphy and Watt can be viewed as a turning point of China’s acceptance of Beckett, as it marks a shift of attention from the late period to the early period of Beckett’s works, paving the way for the translation and publishing of Complete Works of Samuel Beckett.
