In Red Poppies (Chen Ai Luo Ding), by Tibetan author Alai, Goldblatt and co-translator Sylvia Li-chun Lin had to figure out a way to translate "Tian na!" - a mild oath used by all characters.

"The closest literal (and obviously inadequate) English rendering is 'Heavens!' After wrestling with several possibilities, we decided to have each character say something different.

"We used 'Ai caramba!' 'Ach du lieber!' 'Mama mia!' 'Oy gevalt!' and, even, 'Merde!' Alas, we couldn't get them past the editor. Damn!

"I love to read Chinese; I love to write in English. I love the challenge, the ambiguity, the uncertainty of the enterprise. I love the tension between creativity and fidelity, even the inevitable compromises.

"Every once in a while, I find a work so exciting that I'm possessed by the urge to put it into English. In other words, I translate to stay alive. Tian na!"

Goldblatt has just finished Zhang Wei's early novel The Ancient Ship (Gu Chuan) which will be out later this year. He's also translating stories by Yan Lianke. He will give a lecture on Chinese literature at Bookworm, an English library in Sanlitun, at 6:30 pm on Thursday. The launch of Wolf Totem begins 8 pm.

(China Daily March 12, 2008)