54th Confucius PhD Forum: Celebration of the United Nations Chinese Language Day

In 2010, the United Nations declared the initiation of UN Language Days, aimed at celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity. "Chinese Language Day" was set on "Grain Rain," one of the twenty-four solar terms in the Chinese agricultural calendar, in honor of Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese characters.

On March 26, 2024, the 54th Confucius PhD Forum was successfully held at the UCD Confucius Institute, marking one of the events in celebration of the 15th "International Chinese Language Day." Dr. Qian Liu, Associate Professor of Translation and Chinese Studies at the University of Warwick, was invited to deliver an public lecture titled "Obsessed with Reading: Reading Translated Love Stories in Early Twenty-Century China" The lecture, conducted both online and offline, attracted nearly a hundred faculties and students.

During the lecture, Dr. Liu and the audience explored the principles of Bovaryism and Quixotism. Through case studies analyzing translations of "La Dame aux Camélias" and "Dream of the Red Chamber" and their derivatives, Dr. Liu demonstrated the interaction between Chinese writers and these translated works, revealing their profound impact on Chinese readers' perceptions of romance, marriage, and life. Dr. Liu's lecture enriched our understanding of translated literature and provided new insights into comparative literature and cross-cultural studies.

Finally, Professor Jiangnan Xie, Chinese Director of the UCD Confucius Institute, presented Dr. Qian Liu with an honorary certificate and commemorative gifts on behalf of the institute.