From Steve (via the National Journal):
CLINTON: Lost In Translation
Ex-Pres. Clinton "may be a famously promiscuous consumer of political ideas, but until the publication of his autobiography in China this week little was known about his apparent interest in the musings of Mao Zedong." In the Mandarin version of "My Life," Clinton "extols the wisdom of the Chairman, repeatedly quotes his most famous sayings and enthusiastically recounts a childhood conversation with an unnamed uncle about the mysteries of the Maoist Middle Kingdom." Clinton "also recalls telling his wife to 'shut up' and says that his affair with Monica Lewinsky 'did not affect' their marriage." Clinton, on Lewinsky: "She was very fat. I can never trust my own judgment."
Clinton, "it appears, is the latest victim of Chinese publishing pirates, who counterfeit entire books and rewrite the contents." Acting on employer orders, translators "regularly add invented content to make foreign books more appealing."
The paperback issued in Clinton's name "and with his photo on the cover includes sizeable amounts of 'new' material, while managing to be half the length of the original." Readers "may be surprised" by Clinton's "knowledge of China, from the very first sentence": "The town of Hope, where I was born, has very good feng shui." Clinton "quotes Chairman Mao throughout": "I very much appreciated the famous sentence of Mao Zedong, 'You want to know the taste of the pear, then you have to eat it yourself.'"
The book "purports to be published by the Yili Publishing House." But said a spokesperson: "The real version will be published in September."
One other tidbit from the book: Clinton, on meeting Hillary as a student: "She was as beautiful as a princess. I told her my name is Big Watermelon"
Sorry if that's old news to anyone. I'm off to a slow start after a lovely, long, libation-filled weekend. More on that soon.
posted by ADD @ 06:20
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home