By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter
Translators seldom get recognition in the literary scene. But when in comes to translators of Korean literature into foreign languages _ even a dominant one as English _ the pool is so narrow that a few names inevitably stand out. All the more so, it is a rare case of a mother and daughter pursuing the same goal of bringing the Korean culture and literature heritage closer to the world's audience.
Yu Young-nan has translated the works of important Korean writers such as Pak Wan-so's ``The Naked Tree,'' Yi In-hwa's ``Everlasting Empire,'' and most recently, Yom Sang-seop's ``Three Generations,'' into English.
Her daughter, Kim Chi-young, is also gaining recognition as a professional translator. Her English translation of Lee Dong-ha's ``Toy City'' (Koryo Books; 214 pp., $14) was recently published. The book, in which a young boy narrates stories of growing up in poverty and the struggle immediately after the Korean War, is a semi-autobiographical novel by Lee, first published in Korean in 1982. In a seemingly tranquil tone, a family that moved from countryside to the packed rundown slums in Seoul, and their surroundings are described delicately palpably, sometimes even lyrically, with a prevalent sense of loss.
``I don't know a great deal about those times, so I asked my parents or sent questions to Mr. Lee via email,'' said a smiling Kim during a reading of the book at Kyobo Bookstore in southern Seoul Tuesday. Lee, 65, attended the session along with Kim, 26.