Fu Lei prize celebrates power of translation

Gathering writers, scholars and lovers of language under one roof, the 17th Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award celebrated three voices who bring French thought and literature into Chinese. On Nov 22, Huang Hong, Wang Su and Zhao Tianshu were honored in the categories of literature, social sciences and young talent at the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum.

The three winning titles are Jean-Paul Dubois' 2019 Goncourt Prize-winning novel Not Everybody Lives the Same Way, translated by Huang, Alain Ehrenberg's historical exploration of depression in The Weariness of the Self, translated by Wang and Roger Caillois' classic study of a fundamental dimension of human social and spiritual life, Man and the Sacred, translated by Zhao.

This year, the Fu Lei prize received a total of 54 books for consideration, including 32 in the social sciences category and 22 in the literature category.

Founded in 2009, the Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award honors outstanding translations of French works into Chinese and promotes their publication and circulation.

Ma Zhencheng, who recently passed away, was the first recipient of the award. He translated works by French writers including Simone de Beauvoir and Michel de Montaigne, and Czech author Milan Kundera. At the ceremony, Dong Qiang, chairman of the Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award committee, paid tribute to the esteemed translator.

Dong highlighted the growing importance of translation in today's increasingly insular world.

"Looking at the Fu Lei prize and the legacy of generations of translators, we firmly believe that no country can thrive in isolation. Translators are the best bridge connecting us with the world," he says.

In his speech, French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary emphasized that the work of translators remains essential, even amid rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and new translation technologies.

"They cannot … be an alternative to human translation, which alone can convey the richness, nuance, and precision of language," he said while addressing the translators at the ceremony. "You do not merely transcribe words from one language to another; you convey emotions, ideas, and stories."