The Chinese translation of the novel Komt een vrouw bij de dokter (Love Life) by Dutch author Ray Kluun has been strongly censored.

Joost Nijssen from the publishers Uitgeverij Podium commented on Monday: "A text should not be substantially altered in translation. Knowing what I do know, I would have had the Chinese translation checked.”

The author has since put the alterations in perspective, noting that the changes only related to sexual issues. He said he would have had a problem had the censorship been political in nature.

“Also, when a character in the novel says ‘I’m going to watch porn’, it has been translated as: ‘I comfort myself.’ Everybody in China knows that actually refers to porn,” says Mr Nijssen.

(gsh/ae)

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