A person on another forum [also a member of this one] asked about how to use the pinyin in a translation. A person with editing experience [also a member of this forum] suggested that the pinyin should be eliminated and only the translated English equivalent be used. This would smooth out the reading experience for the average person with no real knowledge of the Chinese language or customs. I have very mixed feelings about this advice because of my involvement with the editing of ROCH and LOCH and viewing several series. The result is that I've grown used to certain things like the pinyin formal titles, martial and family relationships etc but do feel that in many other cases the pinyin should be eliminated. Following are two sections from one chapter with and without the pinyin. I'd like you forum members that follow the translations to please comment on this.
"Guo Jing saw the incoming force was fierce and he knew the attacker was not an ordinary officer. He immediately shot out his palm using the ‘Divine Dragon Swings its Tail’. His palm hit the man on the shoulder and shattered the shoulder blade into pieces and sent the man flying backward a few feet. The man cried out pitifully. Suddenly Guo Jing remembered, “This is one of the ‘Four Demons of the Yellow River’, the ‘Axe Buries Family’ Qian Qingjian.
Guo Jing knew that his martial arts skill had improved tremendously these past several months and of course he was in entirely different league compared to when he fought the Four Demons of the Yellow River in Mongolia a while back. But to be able to strike the enemy more than ten feet away with only one palm? He was amazed. While he was still reviewing it, more metal objects came flashing toward him. This time it was a saber and a spear.
Guo Jing guessed they must be ‘Saber Breaks Down the Soul’ Shen Qinggang and ‘Lance Seizes Life’ Wu Qinglie. With his right hand forming a hook he caught the spear near its head and pulled it hard. Wu Qinglie tried to resist, but he was pulled along and fell face down in front of Guo Jing. Right at that moment Guo Jing was stepping back to elude the chopping saber so that Shen Qinggang’s blade was heading toward his martial brother’s skull. Guo Jing’s leg flew up and kicked Shen Qinggang’s right wrist. A streak of blue light flashed in the dark night as his saber flew up from his hand; Wu Qinglie’s life was saved. Guo Jing then picked up Wu Qinglie and whirled him against his martial brother. With a ‘bang’, two brothers collided and both passed out immediately."
With the pinyin:
"Guo Jing saw the incoming force was fierce and he knew the attacker was not an ordinary officer. He immediately shot out his palm using the ‘Divine Dragon Swings its Tail’. His palm hit the man on the shoulder and shattered the shoulder blade into pieces and sent the man flying backward a few feet. The man cried out pitifully. Suddenly Guo Jing remembered, “This is one of the ‘Four Demons of the Yellow River’ [Huang He si gui], the ‘Axe Buries Family’ [sang men fu] Qian Qingjian.
Guo Jing knew that his martial arts skill had improved tremendously these past several months and of course he was in entirely different league compared to when he fought the Four Demons of the Yellow River in Mongolia a while back. But to be able to strike the enemy more than ten feet away with only one palm? He was amazed. While he was still reviewing it, more metal objects came flashing toward him. This time it was a saber and a spear.
Guo Jing guessed they must be ‘Saber Breaks Down the Soul’ [duan hu dao] Shen Qinggang and ‘Lance Seizes Life’ [zhui ming qiang] Wu Qinglie. With his right hand forming a hook he caught the spear near its head and pulled it hard. Wu Qinglie tried to resist, but he was pulled along and fell face down in front of Guo Jing. Right at that moment Guo Jing was stepping back to elude the chopping saber so that Shen Qinggang’s blade was hacking toward his martial brother’s skull. Guo Jing’s leg flew up and kicked Shen Qinggang’s right wrist. A streak of blue light flashed in the dark night as his saber flew up from his hand; Wu Qinglie’s life was saved. Guo Jing then picked up Wu Qinglie and whirled him against his martial brother. With a ‘bang’, two brothers collided and both passed out immediately."