Transcript Word Level
A Review on Zhang Peiji’s Selected Modern Chinese Essays 2012211034 郭丽 2012211045 徐苗苗 Introduction Aesthetics Representation Reproduction of Style Functional Equivalence Selection of Subjects and Shifts Flexible Treatment Stylistics Introduction FSR FSR FSR Non-FSR Non-FSR Non-FSR Introduction Formal System Representation Sound Level Word Level Syntactic Level Non-formal System Representation Emotions Artistic Concept Style Introduction Sound Level Word Level Syntactic Level Emotions Artistic Concept Style Rhythm in prose mainly refers to the regular wave movement of the passage, i.e. the general way a passage moves and flow. long sentence pattern express serious or complex ideas, because such kind of sentence pattern moves slowly. short sentence pattern expresses a light and happy mood. Sound Level “江南，秋当然也是有的；但草木凋得慢，空气来得润，天 的颜色显得淡，并且又时常多雨而少风；……秋并不是名花， 也不是美酒，那一种半开，半醉的状态，在领略秋的过程上， 是不合适的。”（郁达夫《故都的秋》) There is of course autumn in the South too, but over there plants wither slowly, the air is moist, the sky pallid, and it is often more rainy than windy……Unlike famous flowers which are most attractive when half opening, or good wind which is most tempting when one is half drunk, autumn, however, is best appreciated in its entirety. Sound Level In Chinese version, three parallel sentence are used to compare the autumn in south of Yangtze River with that of Peiping. The three sentence patterns are composed of one object verb plus an auxiliary word “得” and an adjective as the complement. In Zhang Peiji’s English version, he also used three parallelisms to represent the formal beauty of the original text: “ plants wither slowly, the air is moist, the sky pallid” and to avoid monotony of structure , the third phrase “the sky pallid” with ellipsis of “is”, is more idiomatic in English. He put together the “famous flower” with “half open”, “good wine” with “half drunk”, and at the same time adding some transitional words as“ unlike, however”, which makes the translation more readable and harmonious for the readers. Sound Level Introduction Sound Level Word Level Syntactic Level Emotions Artistic Concept Style As to the word level of the source language, the basic means carrying aesthetic information can be grouped under the larger framework of ‘diction’ which involves choice of words, register, collocation, etc. In addition, various figures of speech are also the basic means carrying aesthetic information of source language. (Liu Ming) Appropriateness Word Level To express precisely the original meaning The selection of words should be in agreement with the context, grammar and logic. 秋蝉的衰弱的残声，更是北国的特产。 (郁达夫《故都的秋》) The sporadic feeble chirping of cicadas is especially characteristic of autumn in the north. Word Level The word “特产”means “某地或某国特有的 或特别著名的产品”. In English it means “special local product; specialty’’. However, if we translate this sentence into “The sporadic feeble chirping of cicadas is special product of autumn in the North”, the English readers would feel confused. In fact, “特产”here has its implication, it does not refer to “product” but the “local characteristic of a place”. Word Level Introduction Sound Level Word Level Syntactic Level Emotions Artistic Concept Style In essay translation, the beauty at syntactical level is generally manifested in the pattern or structure of sentences or paragraphs. Most of the sentence patterns or structures also can be reflected by figures of speech. Compactness Parallelism Antithesis Repetition Syntactic Level Compactness means using no more words than needed. It is acknowledged that wordiness has nothing to do with aesthetic quality. Word Level 月光如流水一般， 静静地泻在这一片叶子和花 上。薄薄的青雾浮起在荷塘里。叶子和花仿佛 在牛乳中洗过一样，又像笼着轻纱的梦。 （朱自清《荷塘月色》） The moon sheds her liquid light silently over the leaves and flowers, which, in the floating transparency of a bluish haze from the pond, look as if they had just been bathed in milk or like a dream wrapped in a gauzy hood. Word Level In order to make the translation more idiomatic, more readable and more concise, Mr. Zhang combines the original three sentences into a long one, which makes it more harmonious. Moreover, the words selected which based on the whole beauty of the original text are mostly “small” words with abundant meanings. For example, the first sentence “The moon sheds her liquid light silently over the leaves and flowers” is very concise, which reflects the beauty of simplicity of the original text. Word Level It can be used to express strong feelings, highlight a special viewpoint and add touches of its own to the atmosphere 有喜有忧，有笑有泪，有花有实，有香有色，既 须劳动，又长见识，这就是养花的乐趣。 (老舍《养花》) Joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, flowers and fruit, fragrance and color, manual labor and increased knowledge—all these make up the joy of flower cultivation. Syntactic Level Zhang Peiji employs five corresponding sentences, making an effort to achieve formal similarity. What is worth mentioning here is in the original text there are only four parallel structures but in the English version there are five nominal phrases which show the translator’ technique in dealing with the material. “既须劳动，又长见识”, are endocentric phrases, but Mr. Zhang transfers them into nominal phrases , one is to conform with the first four nominal phrases , the other is to increase more visual effects. Syntactic Level To express the opposing, similar or related ideas or thoughts. Syntactic Level 朋友是暂时的，家庭是永久的。 （巴金《朋友》） Friends are transient whereas families are lasting. In the original sentence, the two sentences form powerful comparison through two same structures. It shows how friends and families mean to many people. In order to achieve the same aesthetic effect, Zhang Peiji adopts the same structure with two words opposite in meaning: “transient” and “lasting”. At the same time, considering the difference between Chinese and English language, in the English version, the link word “whereas” is added to make the sentence more coherent. Syntactic Level 你年青的，年青的，远隔河山的姑娘哟，你的名姓我不曾知道，你恕 我只能这样叫你了。 那回是春天的晚上吧？你替我剪了发，替我刮了面，替我盥洗了，又 替我拔去了一根白发。 啊，你年青的，年青的，远隔河山的姑娘哟，飘泊者自从那回离开你 后又飘泊了三年，但是你的慧心替我把青春留住了。（郭沫若《白 发》） O young lady, you young lady of the distant land! Excuse me for addressing you as “young lady”, for your name is still unknown to me. It was probably on a spring evening. You cut my hair, shaved my face, gave me a shampoo and applied some vanishing cream. Finally, in the mirror I saw you plucking out a white hair from my head while parting my hair. O young lady, you young lady of the distant land, I have been leading a wandering life for another three years since I saw you last , but it is your feeling heart that has been the cause of my sustained youth. Syntactic Level In the source text, Guo Moruo repeated “你年青 的，年青的，远隔河山的姑娘哟” to express his gratefulness to the girl who has the feeling heart for her parting his white hair. In translation, Zhang Peiji retained the same repeated sentence structure, thus, the target reader will feel the same emotion as the source reader. Syntactic Level Introduction Sound Level Word Level Syntactic Level Emotions Artistic Concept Style “emotion is the soul of prose” . Prose is a window through which the readers can perceive the inside heart of the writer. Zhang identifies himself with the author to make his horizon fused with that of the author. Emotion 渐渐地太阳从浓雾中钻出来了。那也是可怜的 太阳呢！光是那样的淡弱。随后它也躲开，让 白茫茫的浓雾吞噬了一切，包围了大地。（茅 盾《雾》） Gradually, however, the sun managed to show through the dense fog. Yet how pitifully pale it looked! And soon it disappeared altogether, leaving the white thick fog to engulf everything and shroud mother earth. Emotion the first reading, it is a scene that the sun comes out in a thick fog. But reading again it can’t be hard to find that it is a depiction of the depression and rejection mood of the writer Mao Dun. The words “可怜”“淡 弱”“吞噬”express his strong hate for the dense fog (the dark reality of China at that time). In the translation, the two sentences are skillfully combined into an exclamation one “how pitifully pale it looked”, which also gives the target readers the same sense of feeling as the original. Emotion Essays are about author’s own affections or feelings on the subject that he writes. So, when reading the essays, we can always see the personality of the writer, that is, the writer imprints his personality on all his writings. Zhang treats the original text as a whole unity, then further to analyses the author’s intention and character, grasp the essence of the text, and the feature of its language and its tone. style 不上一点钟，差不多先生就一命呜呼了。 (胡适《差不多先生》) Consequently, Mr Cha Buduo kicked the bucket before an hour was out. style The language of Hu Shi is ironic and relaxed, which means to reveal the deeprooted shortcomings of our nation. In the excerpt, the phrase “一命呜呼”depicts the scene when Mr Cha Buduo is about to die, which is full of satire. In order to reproduce the satire , Zhang Peiji applies the slang “kicked the bucket” which has the same effect of the Chinese phrase“一命呜呼” style “the fusion of scene and emotion”. Only when the objective natural scenery and the subjective feeling of the author interact with each other can the works arouse the readers’ wide imagination which in turn makes literary work full of fuzzy beauty. Artistic Conception “那短篱边牵延着的毛豆叶子，已露出枯黄的 颜色来，白色的小野菊，一丛丛由草堆里钻出 头来，还有小朵的黄花在凉劲的秋风中抖颤。 ”(庐隐《异国秋思》) Soybean leaves on the low hedges are beginning to turn brownish yellow. Clusters of white chrysanthemums are vying to break through the rank weeds while tiny yellow ones are shivering in the chilly wind. Artistic conception “枯黄、白色、黄色, 抖颤、凉劲” are all used to describe the scenery of autumn. The cool colors may make readers feel desolate but not chilly. Behind the bleak scenery, we can still feel the power of life. In translation, the colors“brownish yellow, white, and yellow” well represent the original colors and the verbs “vying” “break through” also can make us feel the power of life. This is also the empathy of the also works here. He perceives the implied meaning behind the words and then reproduces it before us. Artistic conception Thanks!