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He has translated extensively from Indonesian, Malay, and Francophone Vietnamese literatures. In 1991 he received the Anugerah Pengembangan Sastera (Literary Development Award) for his "Commitment to the international understanding of Malay literature". The ideas on units of translation and the Hikayat Seri Rama were first developed, in an earlier form, in the

SITTI NURBAJA": SOME RECONSIDERATIONS arah Rusli's novel Sitti Nurbaja was published first by Balai Pustaka in. 1922. 1 It was by far the most popular of Indonesian novels prior to the second world war and still retained a great deal of popularity after it. This is common knowledge. That it is also a novel which has, as yet, not had its fair critica! due, is rather less obvious. Most critics refer to it, after all, at one stage or another in their studies, even if, upon closer examination, rather briefly. (Drs H. B. Jassin refers to the novel nine times in his four volumes of Kruik dan Esei; none of the references are longer than one sentence.) Further, there seems to be a remarkably high degree of concensus as to the position, the themes, and the significance of the book within the structure of modern Indonesian literature. 2 Conventionally it seems the following comments are considered necessary from the critic of Sitti Nurbaja.Firstly, a passing reference to the primacy, or the pioneering position, of the novel in the historica! development of Indonesian literature. To choose three examples: Takdir Alisjahbana's reference to "Marah 1 Marah Rusli was born in Padang, central Sumatra, 1889: son of Sutan Abu Bakar gelar Sutan Pangeran and a commoner, hence his title. Educated Sekolah Radja, Bukit Tinggi; Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bogor, graduated 1915. Broke with his family same year after marrying. without their permission. Practised veterinary sdence for a few years in Sumbawa, then until the Revolution in Semarang. During the Revolution lived at Solo, working parttime with the navy; then, 1948, lecturer in veterinary science at Klaten.