Hacklog: Blogamundo — poking holes in the language barrier since approximately 1 month from now

Here’s a post from Salon.com’s interesting How the World Works Globalization blog about an amazing translator:

Salon.com Technology | Fragments of the Tocharian

Translation is an under-appreciated art, but Ji Xianlin risked his life for his craft:

…he secretly translated the entire Indian epic, “The Ramayana,” from the original Sanskrit into Chinese, while experiencing the travails that afflicted nearly all Chinese intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution.

Ji’s observation about the utility of translation is trenchant:

It is translation that has preserved the perpetual youth of Chinese civilization. Translation is hugely useful!

We agree.