Beyond Representations of Diversity: Vernacular Islands, Multiculturalism, and the Chinese Translation of Malay Sketches

活动详情 Session Details

英文眼下已经成为新加坡日常生活的强势语言。因此，本地居民都具备英文阅读能力这样的想法貌似理所当然。但事实并非如此。有别于一般译入英文的操作，其他民间语文所参与的翻译实践仍然至关重要。作为相对流通的叙事媒介，英文文学作品的翻译又能指涉哪些被掩埋的历史和当下的困境，以及可能的未来？

这场活动聚焦列入“早报书选2020”的英文微型小说集《马来素描》的中译本。新加坡作家亚非言（Alfian Sa’at）将连同中译本译者苏颖欣围绕小说集的双语实践，分享个人的创作动机，并就受众想象、公民参与，以及多元文化社群之建立等课题进行反思，亦期待同海内外的线上参与者交流。

In Singapore where English has become the dominant language in everyday life, it is easy for many to assume general reading literacy in English. Why then do translations from English to the vernacular languages still matter? What obscured histories, current predicaments, and possible futures can translations of English literary works evoke?

This session brings together Alfian Sa’at, author of Malay Sketches and Show Ying Xin, who translated the collection of flash fiction—one of Lianhe Zaobao‘s Best Books of 2020—to reflect on issues ranging from personal creative motivations, audience engagement, civic participation, to multicultural community building on and beyond the island-state.

主讲 Speakers

亚非言（前译亚菲言）是野米剧团的驻团剧作家。他的出版作品包括三部诗集《激烈时刻》（One Fierce Hour）、《失忆症史》（A History of Amnesia）、《隐形手稿》（The Invisible Manuscript）；短篇故事集《走廊》（Corridor）；微型小说集《马来素描》（Malay Sketches）；三部剧作集以及已出版的剧作《冷静日》（Cooling Off Day）。2001年，他荣获金笔奖（诗歌组）和国家艺术理事会青年艺术家奖（文学类）。他曾三次获得新加坡文学奖提名，参选作品分别是《走廊》（1999年优异奖）、《失忆症史》和他翻译的小说《鳏夫》（The Widower）。他也曾四次赢得《海峡时报》“生活！戏剧奖” （Life! Theatre Awards）最佳原创剧本奖，得奖作品分别是《地标》（Landmarks）、《娜迪拉》（Nadirah）、《你姐姐的丈夫》（Kakak Kau Punya Laki）和《酒店》（Hotel，与Marcia Vanderstraaten合撰）。

Alfian Sa’at is the Resident Playwright of Wild Rice. His published works include three collections of poetry “One Fierce Hour”, “A History of Amnesia”and “The Invisible Manuscript”; a collection of short stories “Corridor”; a collection of flash fiction “Malay Sketches”; three collections of plays as well as the published play “Cooling Off Day”. In 2001, Alfian won the Golden Point Award for Poetry as well as the National Arts Council Young Artist Award for Literature. He has also been nominated for the Singapore Literature Prize three times, for “Corridor” (1999, Commendation Prize), “A History of Amnesia” and his translation of the novel “The Widower”. Alfian has won Best Original Script at the Life! Theatre Awards four times, for “Landmarks”, “Nadirah”, “Kakak Kau Punya Laki” (Your Sister’s Husband) and “Hotel” (with Marcia Vanderstraaten).

苏颖欣，马来西亚人。新加坡南洋理工大学文学博士，目前为澳大利亚国立大学文化、历史暨语言学院博士后研究员兼讲师，亦是自由译者。研究兴趣为东南亚历史与文学，尤其是新加坡、马来西亚和印度尼西亚的知识和文化生产。她也是吉隆坡“亚答屋84号图书馆”共同创办人。

Show Ying Xin is a postdoctoral fellow at the Malaysia Institute, Australian National University and lecturer at ANU’s School of Culture, History & Language. She received a Ph.D. in literature from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is interested in Southeast Asian history and literature, especially the knowledge and cultural productions in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. She is also a translator and co-founder of Rumah Attap Library & Collective in Kuala Lumpur.