Mo Yan stresses sinology in translation work

BEIJING - China's Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan on Tuesday called on sinologists to penetrate deep into Chinese daily life to better translate Chinese literature and provide vivid works for readers.

Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan speaks at a cultural symposium in Beijing on Tuesday. [Jiang Dong/Asianewsphoto]

Mo Yan made the call at a symposium on sino-foreign cultural exchanges held in Beijing, an event which gathered 21 sinologists from 17 countries as well as 15 Chinese cultural academics.

"Sinologists should know both China and the lives of ordinary Chinese people when they want to translate Chinese contemporary literature," he said, adding that sinologists can translate such works more vividly only by better understanding the psychology of the original writer.

In his address to the opening ceremony of the symposium, Mo Yan expressed his gratitude to sinologists' contributions in promoting Chinese culture, vowing his own unremitting efforts to promote Chinese culture via literature.

The symposium is co-organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Chinese National Academy of Arts and the Center of International Cultural Exchange.