8th Fu Lei translation awards announced in Beijing

French ambassador Maurice Gourdault-Montagne delivers the keynote speech at the awards ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Two pieces of translated writings were named as the prestigious winners of the 8th Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Awards at the Temple Hotel in Beijing on November 26.

The Locust Tree written by Claude Simon and translated by Jin Jufang won the top award for literature. The Consolations of the Forest from famed French adventurer and writer Sylvain Tesson and translated by Zhou Peiqiong won the title of Best New Translator. There was no winner in social science fiction this year.

To promote the Fu Lei awards, contemporary French writer Sylvain Tesson came to Beijing for the event. According to Tesson, translators serve as a bridge to connect two cultures. Without them, many wonderful works would not be fully presented to readers.

For eight years, the Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Awards, founded by the French Embassy in China in 2009, has been dedicated to honoring prominent Chinese translators who work hard to introduce French literature to Chinese readers.

The 8th Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Awards unveiled 12 finalists - six under the category of "social science" and six under "fiction" - at the French Culture Center in Beijing on Tuesday, which were selected from over 50 candidates who submitted applications before April this year.

The finalists are chosen based on criteria of both the importance of the books in French literature and the translators' language level, Sylvie Gentil, a judge, said at Tuesday's news conference.