00:00It's a world of books, authors, publishers and literary minds all gathered in London for this year's London Book Fair.
00:08Among them, Chinese author Liu Zhenyuan, whose works have been translated into multiple languages.
00:14I put this question to him. How can Chinese literature go global?
00:19For Chinese literature to go global, it's all about perspective, whether you see China or a Chinese village through the world's eyes
00:28or view the world from a Chinese village. The two are worlds apart.
00:33I believe going out is essential first as a person, then as a writer.
00:38A writer's perspective must broaden, as must their view of the world.
00:43Despite its rich legacy, Chinese literature still struggles to reach a global audience.
00:49A major reason is translation. Technology may offer new solutions.
00:54AI tools like DeepSeek and ChatGPT are making inroads as generative AI evolves.
01:01Some publishers are already experimenting.
01:04So let's put AI to the test. I'm asking DeepSeek to translate a famous Chinese poem into English.
01:11It is about the beauty of plum blossoms written about a thousand years ago.
01:15By the wall, several plum branches stand. Alone, they bloom, defying the cold hand.
01:21From afar, I know they are not snow. It's clear, for a subtle fragrance reaches me here.
01:27So we get the full translation in seconds, but I'm not sure if it has captured the tone and the cultural depth of the original.
01:35And that is where human expertise remains crucial.
01:38For some, AI has no place in literature, at least for now.
01:43I welcome AI in many ways and for many uses and functions and applications,
01:50but I don't think it necessarily has a beneficial place in literature.
01:56I think it actually sort of, I think it's quite negative and would detract a lot from the joy of reading in a way and also the joy of creating.
02:08You know, convenience isn't necessarily going to improve things.
02:12It's not an essential quality that leads to better experience, always.
02:17For now, literary translation remains largely in human hands.
02:21This year's London Book Fair marks the release of the Chinese edition of Blades of Grass,
02:26the story of George L. Wing Hogg, a project that demands cultural understanding, something AI is still learning.
02:34But AI's role is expanding.
02:36Research shows that the global AI translation market could reach $6 billion by 2031.
02:43Still, for many, literature is more than just words.
02:47It's art crafted not just for meaning, but for feeling.
02:51Li Jianhua, CGTN, London.
