Skin-deep translation may mislead
<p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="translate">translate</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="easy">easy</span>; <span word="to">to</span> <span word="translate">translate</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="context">context</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="hard">hard</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="Times">Times</span> (<span word="NYT">NYT</span>) <span word="carried">carried</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="article">article</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="May">May</span> 4 <span word="book">book</span> <span word="review">review</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="Guo">Guo</span> <span word="Jingming">Jingming</span> "<span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="successful">successful</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>". <span word="That">That</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="pleased">pleased</span> <span word="millions">millions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Guo">Guo</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="fans">fans</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="surely">surely</span> <span word="shocked">shocked</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="people">people</span>.</p><p>"<span word="How">How</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="NYT">NYT</span> <span word="stoop">stoop</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="low">low</span>?" <span word="many">many</span> <span word="asked">asked</span>.</p><p><span word="Guo">Guo</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="currently">currently</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bestselling">bestselling</span> <span word="author">author</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="correlation">correlation</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="highest">highest</span> <span word="earning">earning</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> 24-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="respected">respected</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="law">law</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="committed">committed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cardinal">cardinal</span> <span word="sin">sin</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> - <span word="plagiarism">plagiarism</span>. <span word="But">But</span>, <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="order">order</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="refused">refused</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="apologize">apologize</span>, <span word="explaining">explaining</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="needed">needed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="uphold">uphold</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="image">image</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="adoring">adoring</span> <span word="fans">fans</span>.</p><p><span word="Apart">Apart</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="this">this</span>, <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="praising">praising</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="adolescent">adolescent</span> <span word="schmaltz">schmaltz</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="literary">literary</span> <span word="achievement">achievement</span>.</p><p><span word="All">All</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="sketched">sketched</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="detail">detail</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="NYT">NYT</span> <span word="essay">essay</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="whoever">whoever</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="press">press</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="bother">bother</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="article">article</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="focused">focused</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="word">word</span> "<span word="successful">successful</span>" <span word="that">that</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="blur">blur</span>.</p><p><span word="From">From</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="NYT">NYT</span> <span word="article">article</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="deduce">deduce</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="author">author</span> <span word="meant">meant</span> "<span word="commercial">commercial</span> <span word="success">success</span>". <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="translator">translator</span>-<span word="cum">cum</span>-<span word="commentator">commentator</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="obviously">obviously</span> <span word="interpreted">interpreted</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> "<span word="literary">literary</span> <span word="excellence">excellence</span>" <span word="or">or</span> "<span word="high">high</span> <span word="quality">quality</span> <span word="overall">overall</span>".</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ideal">ideal</span> <span word="world">world</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="literary">literary</span> <span word="value">value</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="sales">sales</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ideal">ideal</span> <span word="world">world</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bestsellers">bestsellers</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="blockbuster">blockbuster</span> <span word="movies">movies</span>, <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="necessarily">necessarily</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="except">except</span> <span word="fill">fill</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="leisure">leisure</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p>
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