SKS Publishers will launch a new publication L-ANALETTI – KONFUĊJU a translation of the analects of Confucius directly from Chinese into Maltese, carried out by sinologist Salvatore Giuffrè , at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) between 24-27 November 2022.The volume, which is being edited by Sergio Portelli, Head of the Department of Translation, Terminology and Interpreting Studies at the University of Malta, includes an introduction comprising information on Confucius’ biography and his times, the key concepts in the text, as well as issues related to language and style, the annotated translation, a glossary of terms and a bibliography.
L-ANALETTI – KONFUĊJU is the first Maltese book to be exhibited and launched at the prestigious BIBF. This publication has been partially financed by the The Malta Book Fund, an initiative launched by the National Book Council to foster cultural growth in the local book market.
Shandong Friendship Publishing House
The book launch is being organised in Beijing by ‘Shandong Friendship Publishing House’, SKS’s business partners in China. The Chinese publishing house had originally invited SKS representatives to attend a seminar on Confucius in Jinan way back in 2017 during which various publications of The Analects of Confucius in different languages were exhibited. SKS Publishers had been invited and agreed to publish a version in Maltese of Confucius’ analects.
The sayings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC) are one of the most influential texts in the world. The Analects (in Chinese ‘Lúnyǔ’, 论语), as they are widely known, are teachings, comments and remarks attributed to the Master by his immediate followers. They embody the philosophy we know today as Confucianism, and have influenced China and other Far Eastern countries for thousands of years. In fact, they have been incorporated into Chinese culture so deeply that it is impossible to discuss China’s national identity without taking Confucianism into account. They teach people the moral values necessary to lead a life of righteousness in the family, in society and when occupying a position of authority.
In the late sixteenth century, the Analects were translated into Latin and started being read and studied in the West. Since then, the text has been translated into English many times, and it was also rendered in at least fifteen other European languages. It is studied in academic Chinese course programmes offered by Western universities, and is considered essential reading for approaching Chinese culture, including that of the present time.