Creating Alternatives-Interview with Michael Berry

Q. When did you start reading Chang Ta-chun's books? What contact have you had with the author, and which of his books have you read?

A. I started studying Chinese in 1993 at Nanjing University, while majoring in Philosophy. In 1995 I received a scholarship from the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, and went to study for a year at National Taiwan Normal University.

I've admired Chang Ta-chun's literary works ever since I was introduced to his body of work by a former teacher. I first read My Kid Sister in early 1996 and Wild Child in September 1996 just after it was published.

I first met Chang Ta-chun in early 1996 when he was promoting his new novel The Disciples of the Liar. He gave a one-week lecture tour of Taipei bookstores and I attended almost all of them. Later I audited a course Chang taught at Fu Jen Catholic University.

I ran into Chang again at a conference on modern Taiwanese literature at Columbia University in May of 1998. I am currently a PhD student in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University. My area of study is modern and contemporary Chinese literature and film.

Q. Why did you translate Wild Kids?

A. One acclaimed novelist, when asked why he wrote a certain book, answered: "Writing it seemed to have a higher quality than not writing it, that was all." This may sound overly simplistic, but deep down I genuinely feel that that is what it comes down to. The summer I translated my first novel I could very well have taken a "more normal" summer job or internship, but I felt that translating this novel was of "more quality."

I'm a self-professed bookworm, and through translation I can help authors to reach more readers than they would otherwise have access to. Since translating my first novel, I've been hooked. At this point I feel that translation is already in my blood.

Q. What do you like about Chang Ta-chun's novels, and how do you feel about the translating of My Kid Sister and Wild Child?

A. Chang is not only unique for his well-crafted literary style and wild imagination, but also for his uncanny ability to constantly redefine himself through his literature. From science fiction fantasy to knight errant epics, from political fiction to works on literary theory, Chang never fails to challenge and surprise readers.

What struck me when I read My Kid Sister and Wild Child was how different these books were from his work The Weekly Journal of Young Big Head Spring. Once again, Chang proved able to recreate not only himself, but even his literary alter ego of Big Head Spring. I was also surprised by the way in which these works transcended boundaries. Although set in Taiwan, the novellas speak more generally about what it means to grow up.

Q. What kind of pleasure do you get from translating? Do you think translation should be loyal to the original, or be a re-creation?

A. Although the actual process of translation is for me in itself a wonderful experience, the true pleasure lies once the book has left my hands and been given back to the readers.

Most important for me is loyalty to the original. At the same time however, being "too" loyal to the original can produce an awkward translation. In such cases I will sometimes make a change that preserves the spirit of the original.

Q. When Chang Ta-chun saw your translation, his response was: "This is not my work, his translation is better than what I wrote!" How do you feel about this?

A. Chang's comment is flattering, but in fact the structure, plot, characterization and dialogue are all pure, unadulterated Chang Ta-chun. However the language is all being filtered through me. I also think it would be safe to say that in general, western publishing houses have stricter editorial standards than Chinese presses, and this inevitably results in a more polished presentation of language.

Q. What has been the reaction of readers to Wild Kids?

A. I haven't had much of an opportunity to hear comments directly from readers. The sole exception was during a recent trip to San Francisco. I met someone who, upon discovering I was the translator of Wild Kids, declared: "My wife and I have been fighting over who gets to read it every night!" But for me, the greatest compliment came from Chang Ta-chun himself. Upon completing the initial translation of My Kid Sister I wrote to Chang to tell him and he responded saying: "Now it's your book too." As a translator, that is probably the most positive, reinforcing and touching remark I could ever hope for.