I thought Ken Liu did an excellent job dispelling the myths around Chinese sci-fi. There are plenty of people in my own life who discuss Chinese science fiction (when they discuss it at all) only to wonder how much this or that element was censored, or what particular policies the writer is taking issue with. I'm glad Ken Liu decided to start off by encouraging the reader to think more broadly. At the same time, it is unfortunate that he had to do it.
One translation choice which struck me was the use of 'topolect' to refer to Grandpa's native language. I commented about this to a friend who is an avid Ken Liu fan, and they sent me an excerpt from Ken Liu's preface to Waste Tide:
"In Chinese, the contested distinction between languages and dialects is neatly sidestepped by the word fangyan—literally, 'regional speech.' I've chosen to follow the modern convention to translate this word as 'topolect' instead of the problematic and inaccurate 'dialect.'"
He doesn't go on to describe what is "problematic or inaccurate" about the word, or why he chose 'topolect' over 'regional speech', as in his literal translation of fangyan. The choice struck me as unnatural in the point of view of a child of Tongtong's age.
Otherwise, I liked the style of translation. I took special note of the phrases that were used to render descriptions of food, because in my experience with Vietnamese, it can be difficult to describe unfamiliar foods briefly but also descriptively. This was important to Folding Beijing, since food is a major symbol of class and upbringing. I was surprised to learn that "stinky tofu" is the standard English translation for a popular dish.
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