China and the West

Hu Shi proposed the plan for translating The complete works of William Shakespeare :
1. Invite Wen Yiduo, Liang Shiqiu, Chen Tongbo, Ye Gongchao, and Xu Zhimo to organize a committee for the translation of The complete works of William Shakespeare, with Wen Yiduo as chairman of the committee.
2. The time frame for completing the translations is tentatively set at five years.
3. The committee is totally responsible for the manuscripts of the translations. After the completion of the translation of each play, the manuscript will be sent to the other four committee members for careful editing, to include correction and polishing. The editing of each play by each individual should take no more than three months.
4. During the summer vacation each year, members of the committee should get together and discuss all problems concerning the translations.
5. It is inconvenient to set one style for the translations, but in general, prose with rhythm should be used. It should be noted that the translation should not use paraphrase. Whenever there are difficulties in rendering the original into Chinese, detailed notes should be given.
6. The translations of proper nouns should be consistent throughout the project. Each should make a copy of his transliterations in the form of a table alphabetized according to the original and send it o one translator who will sort them all out and make the transliterations of each proper noun identical overall.
7. Concerning the funding, the total amount for the project is tentatively set at XX yuan. There are three kinds of expenses: (1) translators’ remuneration, tentatively set at XX yuan per play ; total remuneration for each play (including the remuneration for the translator and the four editors) will be XX yuan ; (2) books, approximately XX yuan ; and (3) sundry fees, approximately XX yuan (including paper for making drafts, travel expenses for the annual meetings, committee expenses, etc.).
8. Payment of remuneration in advance : no more than XX yuan per month per person. If the translation of a play cannot be completed within six months, then no advance payment will be given to the translator.
9. When translating, the translator can make detailed annotations to the English original. In the future, another reader of the annotated Shakespeare plays may be published. The methods of remuneration and publication of this reader are to be determined later.
10. If anyone outside the committee has translated a Shakespeare play and is willing to submit it to the committee for review, the committee can accept this translation and review it for him. If such a translation is very good, the committee can edit and publish it and then decide on the means of compensating the translator.