The presentation of
09/02/2024
On the occasion of Knowledge Day and the start of the academic year, the
Narine Gijlaryan, the translator of the book, believes that modern children will greatly enjoy it because the events described are not fantastical to them. "What was considered science fiction in Soviet times is now reality. Our children live in a technocratic age and will discover the gadgets that their peers used back then. For instance, in one episode, Siroezhkin mentions creating a robot for housework, and today, such robots already exist."
Gijlaryan also believes that the book will foster a love for school and education, and promote friendship and unity. "The book's message is that no matter how much you might try to claim someone else’s glory, you must still strive for your own achievements."
The book was translated and published in Armenian for the first time. Gohar Manukyan, head of the "Yeraz" series, explained how the idea came about. "When the 'Yeraz' series began publishing children's books, we decided to translate into Armenian books that evoke fond memories for us and that we could pass on to our children. We explored the children’s book market, consulted with libraries, and found that some books had not been published in decades, and "The Adventures of Electronic" had never been translated into Armenian. So, we acquired the rights."
Manukyan recalled watching the movie "The Adventures of Electronic" before reading the book. "At that time, stories about robots were rare. When we thought of robots, we envisioned limited-motion devices. But in this story, we encounter twin brothers, one of whom is a humanoid robot."
"The Adventures of Electronic" contains many important messages. Although modern robots are highly advanced and human-like, the robot in the book is emotional and dreams of becoming human. "I recently read Aram Pakhchanyan’s article about "The Adventures of Electronic". I agree with him that the book’s main message is that schools should be places of learning and enjoyment rather than punishment. The author believes that the school should be a supportive environment where children can learn from their mistakes."
Manukyan also discussed the criteria for selecting books for publication or translation into Armenian. "We aim to make irreplaceable books available today with attractive covers and beautiful fonts. We consider modern trends and participate in various festivals to keep up with global publishing trends.
The series has also started publishing Scandinavian children's literature, which is currently leading in the world. All our books are classified as Ayb, Ben, Gim, Da, to help parents understand the appropriate age group. Our unique font, "Hekiat," was specially created for our books."
Manukyan also revealed a surprise from the publishing house. The "Yeraz" series has translated one of the soundtracks from "The Adventures of Electronic", "The Winged Swing." The song was recorded by students from the "Mihran Arpi" studio and was played in Armenian for the first time on Armenia TV.
Arpi Gabrielyan and Mihran Tsarukyan, founders of the Mihran Arpi studio, shared their experience recording the song. Mihran Tsarukyan noted that the offer came from newmag. "We are delighted that our studio's students performed this song. We worked hard to ensure it sounded beautiful."
Arpi Gabrielyan mentioned that extensive collaboration with the "Yeraz" series editors was required to make the song suitable in Armenian. "Some words did not sound right when sung in Armenian, so we revised and re-recorded them. We discovered that there are children who are not familiar with "The Adventures of Electronic". We achieved our goal: the song sounds fresh but retains the mood of the original."
The general partner of "The Adventures of Electronic" book is VTB-Armenia Bank.