A project organized and sponsored by the Royal Norwegian Embassy
was formally launched on April 17 in Beijing. The project aims to
enrich reading for schoolchildren in China's western provinces with
a new source of literature: Norwegian folk tales.
Speakers at the ceremony, held at the Beijing Children's Palace,
included visiting Norwegian Minister for Children and Family
Affairs, Laila Daavoey; UNICEF's Representative to China, Dr.
Christian Voumard; and officials from the Ministry of Education
(MOE).
The collection of Norwegian fairy tales collected by Asbj?rnsen
and Moe was first published in 1841, and has brought great joy to
Norwegian children ever since. This year, the Norwegian Embassy in
Beijing produced the Chinese translation of the book, and UNICEF
China agreed to distribute 2,500 copies to schools and
schoolchildren in the underdeveloped western region.
UNICEF is working with MOE in 12 western provinces and the books
will be distributed to 500 village schools participating in the
UNICEF-assisted project. Another 180 primary schools participating
in UNICEF's Distance Education project will also receive
copies.
The Distance Education primary schools will develop
Internet-based fairy tale discussion groups and share their
experiences with other schools, as well as linking up with
Norwegian schoolchildren.
Zhong Shujia, a young Chinese diplomat working for the Chinese
embassy in Oslo,
translated the book.
The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers
Grimm are already well known to Chinese readers. Until now,
however, few have discovered the folk tales of Norway.
The tales in this collection were passed down through the
generations by word-of-mouth in the Norwegian countryside. They
were not written down until the 19th century, when Peder Christian
Asbj?rnsen and J?rgen Moe visited hundreds of villages,
transcribing the stories as told to them by local people.
The collection was first published in 1841 and today is regarded
as one of Norway's national treasures. The tales of fearsome trolls
and powerful kings, of beautiful princesses and crafty heroes, have
had their impact on generations of Norwegians and are still widely
read.
The Norwegian Embassy organized the launch of the book with
UNICEF and the Beijing Children's Palace to coincide with the visit
to China by the Norwegian Minister of Children and Family Affairs
Laila Daavoey.
During the ceremony, Ms. Daavoey formally handed the books over
to UNICEF. An actor from the Central Academy of Drama gave a
performance based on a selection of the folk tales, with the help
of a primary school student who was chosen randomly from about 100
who attended the event.
(China.org.cn April 18, 2005)