VALLETTA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- A Maltese version of The Analects of Confucius made its debut at the 2022 Malta Book Festival on Wednesday.
The new book was presented by Malta's SKS Publishers at the event, which is set to last until Sunday.
Joe Borg, executive secretary of SKS, told Xinhua at the festival that the company had collaborated with Chinese publisher Shandong Friendship Publishing House on the book.
The Analects of Confucius, or Lunyu in Chinese, is a collection of ideas and sayings from the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius (551 B.C.-479 B.C.). It has now been translated into Maltese for the first time.
"In the past, China has been very helpful to Malta in various sectors, such as the economic sector, the industrial sector, and also in the cultural sector. We as publishers are doing a small bit to further the important relations between the two countries," Borg said.
Stephen Lughermo, a Maltese language teacher at the Zejtun Secondary School, brought his students to the festival on Wednesday. He told Xinhua that he was delighted to see the publication of the Maltese version of The Analects of Confucius, and was looking forward to reading the translation.
"This kind of book and this kind of translation help to bridge the gap between us," he added. ■