Collection of Melancholy Dreams

To promote literary exchange between China and Portugal and introduce renowned Portuguese literary works to Chinese readers, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has collaborated with Jiangsu Phoenix Arts Publishing House to publish a Chinese translation of selected manuscripts by the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, titled "Collected Dreams of Disquiet". This work is part of the "Sino-Portuguese Literary Series."

Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) was a renowned Portuguese poet and writer, hailed as a "central figure of European modernism" and "the writer most capable of deepening people's souls." "Collected Dreams of Disquiet" (Livro do Desassossego) presents Pessoa's posthumous manuscripts in a new light. Its content is vast, with diverse forms and styles, encompassing genres such as diaries, essays, and miscellanies. The themes explored include philosophy, aesthetics, psychology, and society. The work depicts the customs and life of Portugal and Lisbon, with each segment standing alone, and every piece offering thought-provoking insights and moving power. The Chinese translation published this time was rendered by Zhang Weimin, an experienced translator who has received a translation award from the Portuguese Language Society. While Livro do Desassossego is one of Pessoa's important works and was previously known to readers by the translated titles "The Book of Disquiet" and "The Book of Disquietude", the translator chose "Collected Dreams of Disquiet" as the title, based on Pessoa's description of the work as dreams written down.

The traditional Chinese edition of this book is the eighth work in the Cultural Affairs Bureau's "Sino-Portuguese Literary Series." The "Sino-Portuguese Literary Series" aims to collect and select distinctive Portuguese and Chinese literary works, or literary works related to Macau, and translate them into Chinese or foreign languages. This allows authors and readers to transcend linguistic barriers and appreciate the essence and diverse aspects of Chinese and Portuguese literary creation. The series also includes seven other books, such as "100 Sonnets of Camões," "The Enchanter," "A World of Feelings," and "Selected Poems of Du Fu."