HONG KONG: 24th January 2005 -- The mammoth task of translating the Biographical Memoirs of Don Bosco into Chinese has been completed as of 2005, with the publication of the fifth of a five volume series.  The project began in 1985 and has been the work of Salesian Fr Lawrence Yao Wei-Ming, currently a member of the Salesian House of Studies community in Hong Kong.  Fr Yao is 71 years of age.  The original idea of this translation project came from Fr Massimino, provincial between 1962-68 and who passed to his eternal reward in 1991.

    The 19 volumes of the original have been condensed into five volumes in Chinese as part of a careful editing and translation project.  It also contains a glossary of key names in both Italian and Chinese.

    The completion of this project has been in view of the centenary of the China Province in 2006.  All members of the Salesian Family in the Province have been asked to read the five volumes as part of their preparation for the Centenary events.  The five volume set has been distributed to all Salesian Cooperator and Past Pupil centres as well as to Salesian communities.

    The China Province confreres are focusing on love for the Congregation, especially as gained through a better understanding of its history and journey through to the present.  The newly completed project is an example of this love in action on the part of the translator, who is wheel-chair bound and has dedicated his time and effort completely to the task.

    It is expected that the entire project will also be available on the web (www.sdb.org) some time in the future.

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