Tintin liberates Tibet
2002-05-24 07:55
Beijing - Intrepid cartoon reporter Tintin has triumphed in yet another adventure by freeing his exploits in Tibet from Chinese political interference, it was announced on Wednesday.
When the first official editions of Tintin books in mainland
China were published exactly a year ago, the author's widow was
aghast to see translators had changed the title of Tintin in
Tibet to Tintin in Chinese Tibet.
Although the book does not even mention Tibet's political
status, Beijing is always keen to stress its claims over the
Himalayan region it has ruled, at times brutally, for the past
half-century.
Fanny Remy, the widow of Tintin author Herge, protested to
Belgian publishers Casterman, who in turn refused to allow the book to be re-printed with the modified title, which they had initially approved.
On Wednesday - the 95th anniversary of Herge's birth - a new
collection of all 22 Tintin books in Chinese was launched at the
Belgian embassy in Beijing by Casterman and the China Children's
Publishing House (CCPH).
"We simply wanted from the very beginning to keep a translation
that was in accordance with what Herge did in the past," said Willy Fadeur, head of copyright at Casterman.
"For instance, if we take another example, Tintin in the Congo,
we would not want to have today a translation 'Tintin in the
Republic of Zaire'," he added.
"Casterman's position is to say: In the translation, we must
keep to the original title. We are glad that for this new launch,
we are coming back again to this original title."
He praised CCPH's attitude over the issue, saying he was "very
glad and happy that our partner shares the same opinion".
The Chinese publisher is directly controlled by the Chinese
Communist Party Youth League.
All the Tintin adventures were published in China a year ago,
with the exception of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.
That book, first published in 1930 as a scathing attack on
Stalinism, "frankly contains too many anti-communist views", CCPH
said at the time.
Herge - otherwise known as Georges Remi - sent his hero, along
with faithful dog Snowy, into 23 adventures over 50 years. His
exploits sold some 200 million books in more than 50 languages. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA