Comments on: Stephanie Meyer Red-hot in China: Could it be the Footnotes? http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885 Chinese Books, English Reviews Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:49:27 +0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: JVF http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885&cpage=1#comment-1640 JVF Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:30:27 +0000 http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885#comment-1640 as one who loves footnotes on the same page, a practice that seems to be dying in English publishing, i'm pleased at the suggestion that the practice thrives in China -- as one who loves footnotes on the same page, a practice that seems to be dying in English publishing, i’m pleased at the suggestion that the practice thrives in China –

]]> By: Beam http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885&cpage=1#comment-1637 Beam Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:51:57 +0000 http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885#comment-1637 This is not quite the same thing, but I have been watching Japanese television with fan-made subtitles for some time now. After watching shows with notes and those without, I have to say that I far prefer to having notes than not. Sometimes they seem excessive, and after a while you end up learning so much from these notes that they're unnecessary, but they're always interesting if not directly important to what's going on in the show. This is not quite the same thing, but I have been watching Japanese television with fan-made subtitles for some time now. After watching shows with notes and those without, I have to say that I far prefer to having notes than not. Sometimes they seem excessive, and after a while you end up learning so much from these notes that they’re unnecessary, but they’re always interesting if not directly important to what’s going on in the show.

]]> By: Marta Tomczak http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885&cpage=1#comment-1580 Marta Tomczak Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:17:59 +0000 http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885#comment-1580 Prejudiced-to-the-Chinese-authorities me would vote for point no.4 (unfortunately). I guess a research on how this 'education through footnotes or introductions of all kinds" manipulates the story-devouring reader's image of the West (or East - i assume there must be some heavily ludicrous footnotes available on japanese culture too) could be an interesting thing to do;) I recall a 'preamble' to a dvd version of either 'Desperate Housewives' or 'L world', all in Chinese, explaining to the audience how deteriorated the relationships are in America... Prejudiced-to-the-Chinese-authorities me would vote for point no.4 (unfortunately).
I guess a research on how this ‘education through footnotes or introductions of all kinds” manipulates the story-devouring reader’s image of the West (or East – i assume there must be some heavily ludicrous footnotes available on japanese culture too) could be an interesting thing to do;)
I recall a ‘preamble’ to a dvd version of either ‘Desperate Housewives’ or ‘L world’, all in Chinese, explaining to the audience how deteriorated the relationships are in America…

]]> By: brucehumes http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885&cpage=1#comment-1573 brucehumes Sat, 06 Feb 2010 06:57:11 +0000 http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885#comment-1573 Whether readers actually read and appreciate the footnotes is, of course, open to question! And I'm not seriously proposing that footnotes are driving sales of the "Twilight" series, Joel. But I do question your statement that heavily annotated copy is "the way translated literature has always been published in China," and certainly don't find that to be the case in today's best-selling fiction for under-30s. I check out the bookstore fairly often, and have rarely seen anything like the number and length of those served up in "Eclipse." In business or technology textbooks, sure; but not in light fiction. If one were to research this phenomenon in depth (and I am not going to do so without a grant!), my hunch is that over the centuries you would find more numerous and more detailed footnotes tend to appear in translated fiction when: 1) Readers feel a certain distance between their own culture and the one portrayed in the story, and feel a need for explanations; 2) Readers are truly curious about the "other" represented in the text; 3) Readers seek not simply to read and enjoy, but also to master the culture of the "other" that is present in the text; and 4) When under-employed editors with intellectual pretensions believe they must educate the reader, regardless of what the reader thinks... Whether readers actually read and appreciate the footnotes is, of course, open to question! And I’m not seriously proposing that footnotes are driving sales of the “Twilight” series, Joel.

But I do question your statement that heavily annotated copy is “the way translated literature has always been published in China,” and certainly don’t find that to be the case in today’s best-selling fiction for under-30s. I check out the bookstore fairly often, and have rarely seen anything like the number and length of those served up in “Eclipse.” In business or technology textbooks, sure; but not in light fiction.

If one were to research this phenomenon in depth (and I am not going to do so without a grant!), my hunch is that over the centuries you would find more numerous and more detailed footnotes tend to appear in translated fiction when: 1) Readers feel a certain distance between their own culture and the one portrayed in the story, and feel a need for explanations; 2) Readers are truly curious about the “other” represented in the text; 3) Readers seek not simply to read and enjoy, but also to master the culture of the “other” that is present in the text; and 4) When under-employed editors with intellectual pretensions believe they must educate the reader, regardless of what the reader thinks…

]]> By: jdmartinsen http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885&cpage=1#comment-1572 jdmartinsen Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:23:39 +0000 http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=1885#comment-1572 There are plenty of aspects of Chinese publishing that are not particularly market-driven. Is there any reason to believe that this practice reflects what readers actually want, as opposed to simply representing the way translated literature has always been published in China? There are plenty of aspects of Chinese publishing that are not particularly market-driven. Is there any reason to believe that this practice reflects what readers actually want, as opposed to simply representing the way translated literature has always been published in China?

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