Chinese "muggles" translate Harry Potter book 7

A reader holds a Harry Porter book 7 in his hands. The final volume in the phenomenally popular boy wizard series went on sale worldwide on July 21, 2007. [Photo: CFP]
July 28 - Less than a week after it officially went on sale worldwide on July 21, fans in China have organized themselves to translate into Chinese "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows," the seventh and final volume in the phenomenally popular boy wizard series.
They clearly can't wait for the official translated version, still in production by the People's Literature Publishing House, which will hit shelves in three months' time.
An online translation team called "Hogwarts Translation School" has already finished their own translated edition based on an "leaked version" of Harry Potter book 7. The first 14 chapters of the translated edition were already put online on July 23.
The team comprises more than 60 volunteers, a person nicknamed "Classmate Xiao Wang", who is in charge of recruiting the translators, told weekly journal Youth Weekend.
"Xiao Wang" said most team members, who were selected from around 200 online applicants, are college students, while about one third are high school graduates.
"It's the first time for us to participate in such a large scale translation work, and few of us are English majors," he reportedly said.
The volunteers were divided into groups, and each responsible for several chapters. Every chapter will go through translation, revision, proof reading and final review.
The first 14 chapters are ready, while the remaining 12 are undergoing proofreading and final review.
The team's work has drawn tremendous attention online, as their translated edition has been downloaded as many as 10,000 times on Monday night alone.
When asked whether their work will negatively affect sales of the official translated version, "Classmate Xiao Wang" was well prepared. "I've contacted the publishing house and checked out relative laws," he said, "and what we have done is within the law."
The translation team has also conducted an online poll which found seven out of 10 respondents will buy the official edition even after reading the volunteers' work.
Zheng Xin, an attorney with the Beijing-based Hao Tian Xin He law firm, said this kind of non-profit behaviour is permitted by Chinese laws.
However, Sun Shunlin, an official with the People's Literature Publishing House, expressed his concern. He argued that the translation released online might be used by some pirates and be sold as books, which will do harm to the official edition of translation.