Taiwanese novel Banana King Ngoo Tsin-Sui (蕉王吳振瑞) by Lee Wang-tai (李旺台) has drawn the attention of international literary critics, entering consideration for two separate awards.
The novel, translated by Timothy Smith, who is also a translator for the Taipei Times, was placed as the finalist in last year’s Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards for the Multicultural and Historical categories, and has been longlisted for the PEN Translation Prize.
Finalists for the PEN Translation Prize are to be announced before May 8, the day of the Literary Awards Ceremony in New York.
Photo courtesy of the Hakka Affairs Council
Lee said he wanted to accurately portray Taiwan and its people in his novels, and was delighted that his works would allow foreigners to better understand the country.
“I hope Banana King would advance to the final stage and beyond, and continue to move and draw in more international readers to learn about Taiwan and its history, tragedies and triumphs,” Smith said.
The novel’s message on authoritarianism and machinations of “malicious actors” is “pertinent and timely,” providing readers with food for thought on the current social and political developments around the world, as well as how fairness, justice and social uplifting are defined, he said.
The novel’s portrayal of the protagonist and his acquaintances’ resourcefulness highlights the tenacity and perseverance of all Taiwanese, he added.
Smith said part of the challenge in translating the book was the rendition of the original work’s use of Hoklo, commonly known as Taiwanese, alongside portions in Japanese and Hakka, maintaining characters’ perspectives and voices through their own language as they would have spoken it rather than through Chinese alone.
Smith expressed discomfort at “conceal[ing] or pav[ing] over these voices by only using Chinese,” adding that these elements tied into scenes depicted in the novel’s second part of “Chinese-language teachers and their [parochial] attitudes toward multicultural Taiwanese, and Taiwanese national identity and affinity.”
The historical novel is based on the story of Ngoo Tsin-sui (吳振瑞), who created a successful banana-based business that at one point provided the majority of Japan’s banana imports, but was later accused of corruption and jailed after becoming embroiled in political disputes.
Ngoo later received a private apology from government representatives.
While approached by others who sought to right a historical wrong, Ngoo chose to let the past stay behind him, spending his last years in Japan.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS