Feature: Argentina to embrace more Chinese culture by book translation

BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Argentine readers will soon be able to read Chinese works of literature in their own language.

The Chinese Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, in conjunction with the China Intercontinental Press (CIP) publishing house, has opened the first publishing venture in Argentina to print Spanish translations of Chinese books.

"It is the initial step to establishing a relevant relationship between Argentina and China in the publishing field," the executive director of the cultural center, Alejandro Razzotti, told Xinhua at the opening ceremony.

"There is still a lot left to do in the area of translating Chinese authors' works into Spanish, and translating Argentinian authors' works into Chinese," said Razzotti.

The editorial venture will first embark on translating books from the collection "Jewels of contemporary Chinese literature," including such titles as "Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh," by Mo Yan, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in literature; "Stone From Kata Tjuta," a book of poetry by Yu Jian; "Cell Phone," by Liu Zhenyun; and "El Don," by Mai Jia.

Also, the CIP, one of the biggest publishing firms in Beijing, picked Buenos Aires, the Argentine city with the highest reading rate, to establish its translation software.

The move is expected to not just familiarize readers in both countries with key works from the other, but also bring together publishing sectors, authors, universities and booksellers, said Razzoti, describing the bilateral initiative as "historic."

China Intercontinental Press, which handles more than 3,000 titles in 20 different languages, has partnered with publishing houses in more than 30 nations, and sells books across the world.

"Books are an absolutely central feature of a culture," and as such can play an important role in bringing the two cultures closer together, said Razzotti.

Graciela Rosenberg, president of the Argentinian Cook Chamber, said the publishing venture and the installation of the translation software -- "That's China Bookshelf" -- marked "a significant step" in cultural exchange.

"It is important ... to have both cultural and business exchange with China," Rosenberg told Xinhua.

Publishers from the two countries have collaborated before, but this is the first time that a publishing venture has been specifically established to offer Argentinians translations of Chinese books, and eventually Chinese readers translations of Argentinian authors. Enditem