The Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding participated in “The Reality and Challenges of the Arabic-Chinese Translation Movement” conference hosted by the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).
The event was part of the award’s delegation tour in China on September 16-26, which included visits to Beijing and Shanghai.
The Shanghai Translation Conference brought together a distinguished group of professors, researchers, and translators from both the Chinese and Arab worlds, aiming to strengthen cultural exchange and present a comprehensive vision of the current state and future prospects of translation between Arabic and Chinese.
At the opening of the conference, the director of the SISU’s Institute of Translation Studies, Prof Wang Youyong, emphasised that translation is a bridge of communication between peoples, not merely a transfer of words, but a means of conveying meanings and emotions and deepening mutual understanding.
He praised the pioneering role of the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding in honouring translators and opening broader horizons for cultural co-operation.
He expressed his hope to strengthen partnerships between both sides to prepare a new generation of translators and deepen the roots of friendship between Chinese and Arab civilizations.
Prof Wang also spoke about his belief that translation is not a mechanical process but a profound civilisational and human act, serving as a bridge linking China and the Arab world from the Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The director-general of the Award, Dr Mohammed al-Ahmari, expressed his pleasure at the convening of the conference, affirming that translation is the most honest path to direct understanding between peoples, away from third-party mediation.
He said that the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding aims to be a beacon of civilisational communication, and called for more joint efforts to promote mutual acquaintance and knowledge between China and the Arab world.
The first intervention, delivered by Institute of Middle Eastern Studies director Prof Ding Jun, focused on the early arrival of Islam in China in the year 31 AH with the envoy of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).
This event was considered the beginning of a long path that later resulted in a widespread Islamic presence, now exceeding 20mn Muslims.
His presentation addressed the development of translating the meanings of the Holy Qur’an into Chinese over more than three centuries, beginning in the 17th century with limited attempts to translate select verses for citation in religious texts.
In the 19th century, selected translations of frequently recited chapters and verses appeared, such as the book Tafsir Khatm Al Qur’an.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, full translation projects began, with the first complete version published in Beijing in 1927, based on a Japanese translation.
This was followed by more than 14 translations, including the work of Prof Mohammed Makin at Peking University.
The expansion in the 21st century significantly contributed to spreading Islamic concepts and enhancing exchange and understanding between Chinese and Arab Islamic civilisations.
Professor at the College of Asian and African Studies Dr Lu Yiwei praised the award’s role in promoting cultural dialogue between China and the Arab world.
She affirmed that Shanghai literature forms a distinguished civilisational bridge, rooted in Chinese culture and open to global modernity.
Dr Lu pointed to the history of translating literature into Arabic in the mid-20th century, supported by prominent academic and cultural institutions in China, Egypt, and Syria.
She emphasised that Shanghai literature, through its translations and reception in the Arab world, not only enhanced knowledge about China but also enriched Arabic literature in both criticism and creativity, forming a living model of cultural exchange and human rapprochement between the two civilisations.
College of Asian and African Studies vice-dean Dr Chen Youyang highlighted that the Arabic Language Department at the university, one of the oldest in China, is celebrating its 65th anniversary.
She said that the department has not only trained linguistic competencies but also built bridges of understanding between China and the Arab world through translating and publishing classical Arabic literature such as the works of Naguib Mahfouz, Tawfiq Al Hakim, and Khalil Gibran, as well as translating Chinese thought into Arabic through the notable efforts of a group of professors.
College of Asian and African Studies assistant professor Dr Jiu Shuwen focused her presentation on the challenges that translators face when dealing with cultural symbols and imagery in Chinese texts.
She also reviewed a recent research experience in employing artificial intelligence (AI) through semantic vector technology, which enables the representation of words in a mathematical space and calculates the distance between the original and the translation to measure semantic accuracy.
Dr Jiu noted that AI serves as a supportive tool for translators but cannot replace the cultural and human sensitivity necessary to convey the spirit of texts and build bridges of understanding between China and the Arab world. – QNA