Francesca Bistocchi, graduated in Translation at the Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori A. Spinelli in Milan, collaborates with the Confucius Institute of the University of Milan and carries out her activity as a freelance translator. Since 2024, she has been a member of the Permanent Translation Workshop (OTP) of the University of Milan-Bicocca. Her translation works mainly focus on contemporary Chinese literature, with a focus on the Chinese science fiction scene. For Future Fiction, she translated the novel “The Anticillin Experiment” by Wang Jinkang, “Spore” by Tang Fei and the story “The Era of Post-Consciousness” by Su Min in Il Sole Cinese.

She is currently working on the novel “The Zoo at the Edge of the World” by Ma Boyong, soon to be published.

In the work of translating this book, what were the greatest challenges but also the greatest surprises that you encountered?

Challenges and surprises are two constants that can be found in all translations but that, from time to time, manifest themselves in different forms. Surprises and challenges arise from the encounter – and the clash – with the text, and it is precisely in this dynamic tension that the power of translation is revealed: in the ability to undermine beliefs, cultural axioms, ideas, clichés. In this book, challenges and surprises were certainly not lacking, and they arose mostly from the journey that the novel took me on to rural China in the 1970s, in the midst of the Cultural Revolution – a crucial historical period that profoundly shaped Chinese society in its daily behavior, shared values ​​and even in the ways of expression and communication. Slogans, dazibao, people’s communes, agricultural work, work points: the entire historical context that forms the backdrop to the story was both a challenge and a surprise. Although I had already addressed these issues through previous readings and research, it was only through the work of translation that I was able to immerse myself with depth and continuity in the complexity of that historical and cultural context, grasping its linguistic and ideological density.

Why read this book? What does it add to the wide range of Asian titles available in our country?

First of all, it is a novel and in the science fiction panorama of Chinese works in Italian translation, short fiction abounds. This form certainly allows the reader to enter a deeper, more multifaceted and articulated dimension of Chinese SF. And then Wang Jinkang is considered one of the greatest exponents of Chinese science fiction, one of the “Three Generals” together with Liu Cixin and Han Song, although in Italy his work is still scarcely widespread, published mainly by Future Fiction. Beyond his narrative style, WJK addresses highly topical issues for the contemporary context. Probably also influenced by his scientific training, he tends to orient his production towards socio-technological speculations, which investigate the consequences of biological manipulation and technological innovation on society.

In the novel in question, which at first reading might appear to be an implicit criticism of the Maoist totalitarian system, a broader and more universal reflection is instead outlined: the author questions the impact of any political-ideological system that pursues the forced collectivization of thought, to the detriment of individual uniqueness and autonomy.

From a writing perspective, what does the author excel at? What are the main themes of his works? In what aspects do you think he is an author to read and value?

From a writing perspective, WJK’s prose stands out for being clear and compelling, capable of combining scientific rigor and narrative depth. In his works there is always a reflective component that stimulates the reader to question moral, social and philosophical issues.

The main themes concern the impact of science and technology on society and human identity. Thanks also to his professional training as an engineer, he rigorously addresses the moral dilemmas linked to scientific research: the responsibilities of the scientist, the limits of experimentation, and the risks that the loss of control of a certain technology brings with it.

How do you organize the work of your translations, do you have places you prefer or routines you follow for each book?

I must admit that I am a bit chaotic in this respect: there are obviously some places that I prefer – I love to isolate myself and translate in my partner’s cabin in the mountains with the sound of nature in the background – but the truth is that I translate everywhere: on the train, at the bar, in the kitchen, on the sofa, on the terrace.

If by routine you mean work organization, I am quite precise about that. The first step, after reading of course, is to gather as much information as possible about the author, since often the biography, the cultural context and the professional horizon reveal deep and recurring thematic elements in his or her production. Then I proceed with the first draft – which I would perhaps have my cat read – and from there I begin a process of continuous revision, potentially infinite, in the search for the perfect balance between fidelity and naturalness in the target language.

You have been successfully translating for several years – what results or awards have pleased and made you most proud?

Translating has certainly given me the opportunity to get to know the authors, to establish valuable relationships of exchange and comparison with them.

What makes me most proud of this work is making stories accessible that many people could not read otherwise; making my expertise available to others, lending my voice to authors who deserve to be heard. Feeling like a bridge that unites worlds is truly a wonderful feeling.

Why do you think it is important to translate works from Chinese to Italian? And in particular, why are Chinese science fiction works important, in your opinion?

It is not important, but fundamental. Opening up to literatures that are outside our comfort zone means acquiring new critical lenses to read and understand the world. It means abandoning conventional and prepackaged scales of thought, allowing us to see the Other – and therefore see ourselves – in a new light. It is important to translate from all the languages ​​of the world, none excluded, because each language is the bearer of visions of the world, of cultural values, flavors, habits, ideas, symbols that are unique and unrepeatable. Science fiction, in particular, is the field of imagination par excellence: through the formula of “what would happen if”, it is able to open potentially infinite imaginative horizons, alternative temporalities, to combine and communicate past-present-future, ancient-new, tradition-innovation.

Interview by Marco Bonaglia