![]() ![]() She made the book firm her first choice when it came to finding a job. "I figured my work might help others do better research," she says.ĭuring her internship at the company's history division in the third year of her postgraduate studies, Hu saw her employers put considerable emphasis on publishing ancient texts. She decided to pursue a career in ancient Chinese literature and history, and contribute to carrying forward the quintessential culture of her country. Moreover, she realized that many of her peers-and even some faculty members-faced difficulties comprehending ancient books that were not properly collated. Hu sensed her knack for editing at her academic standards class. "The science behind editing riveted me to ancient classics while bibliography allowed me to understand the depth of Chinese culture and the significance of such works," she says. During her student years, she built a solid foundation for herself in terms of learning how to make ancient texts more comprehensible. If we notice there is enough room to improve the published edition of an ancient text or an author has made a breakthrough in studying such a book, these will be chosen," she explains.Ī penchant for knowing the past prompted Hu to study ancient history for seven years, and get her bachelor's and master's degrees from Peking University. "The standards for choosing an ancient classic can be flexible. She edits submitted drafts, and keeps an eye on both the publishing process and the publicity thereafter. She discusses collating plans and gets projects approved. She is able to decide which ancient texts to publish. Years of experience have given Hu the comprehensive ability to deal with historical books. Once all these preliminary steps are done, further editing, reviewing and publishing can begin. "Sometimes, discussions about a punctuation mark can go on forever," Hu says. Interactions with the author can be a protracted process. The next steps involve cross-referencing the draft using multiple sources, determining its academic value, checking if it is in line with the modern style and norms of publication and finally, coming up with revision suggestions for the author. "We need to ensure the author concerned has done a thorough job, including studying various manuscripts of the book and covering all the merits in them," Hu says. To review the draft by an author who has studied an ancient book is the team's primary duty. Hence, collating manuscripts along with their modern interpretations, while retaining the veracity of their content, is of utmost importance to help scholars who write academic papers and anyone who is keen to understand China's history. Also, ancient texts had no punctuation marks or paragraphs, which can often make them unintelligible to the general masses," Hu says. Since they have been passed down for generations, they are prone to discrepancies. "Most ancient books were originally in the form of manuscripts. She may look like a college student in a studious pair of glasses, but she's a thorough and conscientious "blue-penciler" who fits the meticulous nature of her job to a T. The 35-year-old Beijing resident collates scholarly interpretations of ancient manuscripts, peruses such content for punctuation needs with a fine-toothed comb and ensures a lucid style for unhindered public understanding.Ī member of the editorial staff in the history division of the Zhonghua Book Company, one of the country's oldest publishing houses dedicated to Chinese classical texts, Hu has been collating tomes sourced from the ancient times since 2011. Hu Ke has had her nose buried in books for more than a decade. ![]()
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