"Nirvana in Fire"/"Lang Ya Bang" Group Read: Discussion Post for Chapters 1-4

[x_los]

We're taking a break from poetry to read Lang Ya Bang/Nirvana in Fire. We did try this before, over a year ago, but now we're doing it in concert with a larger Discord of people. If that's your preferred book-club method, contact superborb for an invite.

I'll be on there, but also doing a weekly post with thoughts over here. Feel free to join in/discuss here if Dreamwidth is your preferred method.

If anyone is interested in dankodes running further poetry content during or after NiF, please let me know what you'd be keen to discuss. I'm happy to work with you on that. I'll probably ask this again once NiF draws to a close.

For the first week, we're discussing chapters 1-4 of Lang Ya Bang. This discussion will draw to a close, and the next session will open, on May 9th.

Chinese text: https://sj.uukanshu.com/book.aspx?id=17338
English translation: https://merelhyn.tumblr.com/post/641747965727358976/the-langya-list-epubpdf

SPOILER POLICY: I personally don't give a fuck or even like to give unearned credence to the concept, so since I'm writing the post, anything's fair game.

Comments

Chapter 3

[x_los]

- Xie Bi is a bit weak-willed or squirrely, afraid of rocking the boat, but then he *does* bear more political and administrative responsibility than Jingrui.
- Yujin is quite perceptive to sense that and forceful in calling him on it.
- Yujin's NHS energy.
- "Hehe," grinned Yan Yujin--this is so awkward in English, be a little freer in your tl lads
- Nihuang's being a 'princess' is still a little weird, in English. We kind of accept Russians being 'princes' and not blood children of the reigning monarch (or a generation up, same), but there's not quite a concept of that in re Chinese literary translation, so it's confusing.

And last time I said:

- 'Yan Yujin was the eldest son of the Royal Uncle, the Empress’s nephew' Oh for real, not her brother anymore? (Wait maybe they just mean *Yujin* is her nephew. That could be clearer--typical slash pronoun confusion. I think when people move cnovels into English, the relative paucity of pronouns often results in this.)
- Yujin needs to stop calling Mei Changsu just 'Su' I have spent too long learning never to abbreviate a Chinese name to anything 1 syllable to let him give me bad habits
- “who we saw outside the little town where we met Su?” [...] “Ah, those envoys sent by the Yu empire to Liang! Weren’t they throwing a fit in the restaurant saying how they lost their letter of credence? They were smashing things and searching people."

CHANGSU.
- you stole their letter for your fake contestant to use while you picked up your hapless cousins?? Mei Changsu's Busy Day over here
- 'Yan Yujin glared at Mei Changsu in resentment. He said bitterly, “Su, even though your intelligence is really something to be admired, this bad habit of correctly guessing everything is really tiresome. It makes people feel very unfulfilled!”' yujin, bb, you have no fucking idea
- '“Sorry, I will reflect on it. I won’t be like this anymore,” chuckled Mei Changsu.'

b i t c h

Re: Chapter 3

[superborb]

Yeah, they mean Yujin is the Empress's nephew. Confusing.

WOULD prefer more 'said' please.