The Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese) translation of the world-renowned classic Le Petit Prince, has sold more than 10,000 copies since its 2020 release, with Ancropolis publishing house managing editor Cheng Ching-hung (鄭清鴻) saying he hopes the book will expose more people to the beauty of the language.
Cheng said in a recent media interview that the book has gained wide attention in Taiwanese society ever since it hit the market four years ago.
Citing one of the most famous lines in the book, “It is only with the heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye,” Cheng said reading Le Petit Prince in Mandarin and Hoklo are two totally different experiences.
Photo: CNA
Reading these lines in Taiwanese allows people to reconnect with their language, making the translation of this literary masterpiece all the more meaningful, he said.
Cheng said translator Tsai Ya-ching (蔡雅菁) first brought up the idea of a Hoklo version of Le Petit Prince after seeing the Cantonese version in Hong Kong, which prompted her to consider producing a Hoklo version.
Translating the work was not easy, and involved referencing the Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Italian versions of the book.
The two discussed and refined words and phrases, putting in a great amount of time and effort to bring the Hoklo version to life, Cheng said.
Cheng, now in his 30s, grew up in Pingtung County. Being raised by his grandparents, Cheng was familiar with Hoklo from a young age.
He sometimes translated content on TV shows for his grandparents, which helped him develop his close connection to the language.
“I am glad they did not make me think speaking Mandarin is superior to Taiwanese,” Cheng said.
However, Cheng’s interest in Hoklo was sparked by reading The Steelyard (一桿秤仔), written by late Taiwanese poet Lai He (賴和), who was dubbed the “father of Taiwan’s new literature.”
This made him realize there are people who write literature in Hoklo and that it could have a powerful effect in written language as well as in spoken form, Cheng said.
Cheng later received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in 2009 and 2013 respectively, in Taiwanese language and literature, and then became an editor.
In 2020, Cheng launched a program to translate a series of world classics into Hoklo, including Pride and Prejudice, Night on the Galactic Railroad and Anne of Green Gables.
Cheng said that Hoklo has historically been overshadowed by Mandarin and that many people are not aware that the language has its own characters.
Hopefully by translating world classics, more people will be encouraged to learn, speak, read and write in Hoklo, he said.
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