He retires this year and can look forward to his fortieth wedding anniversary in September, but he will continue his mission with a translation of Hsi-you-chi, or Monkey, "the world's first novel, but it has still not been bettered."
從一九六五年回到瑞典建立斯大中文系，馬悅然足足綜理了四分之一世紀的系務，也一直是瑞典漢學界的掌舵人。他計畫在今年正式退休，專心譯作，而西遊記是他最想翻譯的作品。「這是世界上第一部小說，可是到現在沒有一部比得上它！」