Shakespeare, the international brand

Following up on yesterday's post concerning the difficulty of translating a poem, the Christian Science Monitor had a great article about efforts to translate Shakespeare into Chinese.

Much more difficult that translating poetry, Shakespeare is meant to perform. There are new efforts at translating the plays.

Such is the challenge facing the translators whom the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) hopes to recruit to come up with fresh and catchy translations that will speak to modern Chinese audiences.
The plan, says RSC spokeswoman Liz Thompson, “is to have the writers and translators and interpreters embedded in the rehearsal room with the director and actors, watching them working on the words” as they prepare English language productions in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Maybe we could plan a trip to see the Chinese production due in 2016 of the "Merchant of Venice" on the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death?