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[Abstract]Chinesepoemtranslationisadifficulttask.ThesuccessoftranslationofChinesepoemsdependsonwhetheritcanapproximatelytransmitartisticconceptionofChinesepoemsandleadthereadersintoaspaceofimagination.Itisdifficulttotranslatetheoriginalmeaning,theatmosphereandthecharmcompletely.TheEnglishversionsofmanyoutstandingChineseclassicalpoemswhicharegentlybeautiful,vigorousanddeepusuallycannotpresenttheoriginaltasteandflavorofthepoetry.Thisthesisfirstpointsoutthatartisticconceptionisakindofidealartisticstate,whichcanleadreadersintothesituationandemotionofapoem.ItisimpossibletoexpresscompletelytheprimarytasteandartisticconceptionofChinesepoetrytoeveryreader.Thereasonisthatthedifferenthistoricalcultureconnotationsanddifferenthabitsandcustomsaswellasdifferentthinkingmethodsareformedinwordsandexpressions.ThisthesisthentakestheversionofBellsRingingintheRainforexampletoanalyzethedifficultyoftheconveyanceofthepoembriefly.Inthepointoftheauthor’view,artisticconceptioncanbeeffectivelytransmittedtoreadersbythefollowingthreemeans:first,toexpressamorousfeelingsandideas;second,tounearthimages;finally,tostimulateimagination.Theauthornarratesthreewaysthroughthecomparisonofthetwoversionsof“bellsringingintherain”andotherexamplesforfurtherexplanation.Attheend,theauthorpointsoutthattheyareonlythreeeffectivewaysbutnottheabsolutemeans.
[KeyWords]Chinesepoetry;artisticconception;BellsRingingintheRain;solution
【摘要】汉诗英译是否成功就在于能否成功的传达意境。要成功的传达意境是不容易的,许多好的汉语诗歌翻译成英语后总是会失去原作的艺术魅力、本文首先指出:意境是通过形象化的情景交融的艺术描写,能够把读者引入到一个想象的空间的艺术境界,意境传达的困难在于中西方存在着诸多差异,不同的历史文化,风俗习惯和思维定势都使汉语诗歌的意境传达成为一个难题,本文以《雨霖铃》的译文为例,分析了这首诗歌意境传达的困难,接着通过《雨霖铃》的两种译文对比提出了意境传达的三种有效方式:传情达意,挖掘意象,激发联想。最后作者提出,这只是三种有效的方式,而不是绝对的方式。
【关键词】汉诗英译;意境;《雨霖铃》;方式
1.Introduction
"Poetryisasuperartoflanguage.”[1]Awell-knownstatementismadebyRobertFrost“Poetryiswhatgetslostintranslation”.[2]PoetrytranslationisadifficulttaskanditisespeciallytrueintheChinesepoetrytranslation.“Indeed,poetrytranslationisacreativetask.”[3]BurtonRaffelsays,“Thetranslatedpoemshouldfirstbeanewpoem,agoodone,andshouldbethefavoroflife,insteadoflifelessacademicaccuracy.”[4]TheEnglishversionsofmanyoutstandingChineseclassicalpoemswhicharegentlybeautiful,vigorousanddeepusuallycannotpresenttheoriginaltasteandflavorofthepoetry.Manyfamoussayingsandbeautifullines,whichenjoygreatpopularityduringhundredsofyears,maketheChinesereadershaveadeepsympatheticchord.Butforeignreaderscannotunderstandthemactually,ortheymayevenfeelbewilderedandthemostimportantreasonisthatthetranslationofChinesepoetryislackoftheconveyanceofartisticconception.ThesuccessoftranslationofChinesepoemsdependsonwhetheritcanapproximatelytransmitartisticconceptionofChinesepoemsandleadthereadersintoaspaceofimagination.China’spoetaswellasliteraryandtheoreticiansmostlythinkthatthegreatestachievementofpoetrycreationliesinartisticconception.Itisthesoulofpoetry.Thenwhatonearthisartisticconceptionofpoetry?
1.1Thedefinitionofartisticconception
Artisticconceptionisakindofidealartisticstate,whichcanleadreadersintothesituationandemotionofapoem.Theblendofsituationandemotionisthebasiccomponentofartisticconception,whichisinvolvedintwoaspects,oneistheobjectiveofimagesinlife,theotheristheidealsubjectivecreationofthepoet,wecalltheformeroneas“jing”,andthelateroneas“yi”.Therefore,artisticconceptionistheunifiedentityofthetwoaspects.[5]
ArtisticconceptionisoneofthemostimportantaestheticconceptionsinancientChina,whichcanbetracedbacktoTangDynasty.InhisTheStyleofPoetrypoetWangChanglinfirstlyputforwardartisticconceptiontogetherwith“物境”“情境”(twoofthreelevelslikeartisticconceptionusedtodescriberespectivelytheobjectandthecircumstancesofapoem).[6]Althoughheproposedthethreelevelstogether,hedidn’tpointouttherelationship.Jiaoran,apoetandamonkaswell,oncepointedouttherelationsbetweenYi(image)andJing(situation).Hethoughtthatthefeelingsofareadertoapoemstartfromitssituation.[7]LiuYuxiwhocarriedonJiaoran’stheoryadvancedthatwecansayinTangDynasty,theAestheticSchool---theleadingschoolofpoetrywhichanalyzespoemwithartisticconception,wasformed.[8]AndinQingDynasty,WangGuoweigaveadeeperresearchontheconnotationandcreationofartisticconception.Ashesaysinhis“CommentsonciPoetry”,“Notonlycanliteraturemotivatethewriterhimself,butalsoitcantouchtheheartsofothers.”[9]MaoDunthenthoughttheconnotationoftheliteraturetranslationisthetransmissionoftheidealcondition.Hesaid"theliteraturetranslationistotransmittheartisticidealconditionoftheoriginalworkinanotherlanguageandmakereaderbeinspiredequally,affectedandgetthebeautifulfeelingwhentheyreadtheoriginalwork.[10]
1.2.Thedifficultiesoftheconveyanceofartisticconception
Formanyyears,lotsofChinesescholarsaswellasforeignresearchersputtheirefforttodothearduousworktotranslateclassicalChinesepoemsintoEnglish.Andamongtheirworks,thereisnolackofexcellenttranslation.Asamatteroffact,justthroughthewonderfultranslationofsomeexcellenttranslator,alotoffamousclassicalChinesepoemshavewontheirworldreputation.However,asakindofartisticappreciation,weusuallyhavealittlepitythatthetranslationofChinesepoetrystillcannotexpressartisticconceptionwhenwereadastheChinesereaders,lotsofChineseclassicalpoemshavelosttheiroriginalromanticcharm,completeinformation,three-dimensionaleffect,andthestatethatcanleadthereadersintoaindefiniteimagination.ItisnotsurprisedtoseethatmanyscholarsconsiderthetranslationofChineseancientstyledpoetrytobeanunsuccessfulfieldsofar.Wecanseethatevenifsometranslationsdisplaythecontentofpoetry,theyfailtotransmit,interpretthemood,theimage,andthesituationofpoetry.BecauseofthehugedivergencebetweentheEastandtheWest,itisimpossibletoexpresscompletelytheprimarytasteandartisticconceptionofChinesepoetrytoeveryreader.
Thereasonisthatthedifferenthistoricalcultureconnotationsanddifferenthabitsandcustomsaswellasdifferentthinkingmethodsareformedintheaspectofwordsandexpressions.
TherenownedtranslatorMr.YangXianyihassaid:"Therearemanyotherfactorsconstitutingcertainmeaningsinoriginaltext.Itissimplynotimpossibletotransmitthesemeaningsforthepersonsunderdifferentcultures.[11]Forexample:theChinesereadershavesomeassociationspontaneouslywithweepingwillowinaChinesepoetry,itisimpossibletocausethiskindofassociationnaturallyifitistranslatedintoanotherlanguage.Inmanypoemstheterminology(poemlanguage)oftenhastheirculturalhistoricalbackgroundcausingthereadertoassociatesufficiently.[12]Thereisnofinaltranslationforanytranslationispartialsinceitishardlypossibleforanytranslatortoseekbalancebetweenvariousrequirement.[13]Ofcourseitcontainstheconveyanceofartisticconception.
2.TheanalysisofBellsRingingintheRain
Here,theauthorwillprobehowtotransmitartisticconceptioninthetranslationofChinesepoetrybytheEnglishversionofBellsRingingInTheRain.
2.1ThecommentofBellsRingingInTheRain
LiuYong’poemsaregoodatdescriptionofdetails,andwritteninapithystyle.Thispoemexpressesthepartingfeelingsanddescribesthesceneofpartingandthepainfulmood.Theemotionisalsoverysentimental.ThispoemisofLiuYong’srepresentativeworks.Thefirststanzadescribesthepartingscene,theauthordescribesthecicadachillily,andtwoloveswerepartingintheroadsideshelter.Theboatwasurging.Theywerereluctanttopart,handinhandwithtearfuleyes,sobbingwithoutaword.Themistywavesinthegreatdistanceandthedistantskyalsoappearedsoheavy.Inthesecondstanza,theauthorsighedwoefully:partingletsthehumanbesadsincetheoldtimes.Thelongertheypart,thesaddertheyfeel.Evenifthereisbrightdaysandbeautifulscenery,thepoetstillcannotcheerup.
“Thecicada”,“theroadsideshelter”,“thesuddendownpour”,“thenationalcapital”“theboat”,“themistywave”and“thesouthernsky”-----theseimagescomposedthedeparturepictureofgloomycolor,brimwiththethickdeepsorrow.TheChinesereadercanfeeltheauthor''''ssadmoodaftertheyreadandproducethesympatheticchord,butasaresultoftheculturalenvironmentandthebackgrounddifference,foreignreadersmaynothavesimilarfeeling,norcantheyinducetothisdignifiedatmosphere.theChinesereadercouldcarryontheverynaturalassociationtoabovetheseimages,formaseriesofpicturesinthebrains,buttheforeignreaderpossiblycannotbeabletounderstandthiscompletely.Inthesecondstanza,whatistherelationbetween“多情”and“自古”?Howtotranslate“晓风残月”?whatis“良辰好景虚设”onearth?Itisverydifficulttodescribethepainfulmoodandthedeepsorrowfaithfullytotheforeigners.
2.2ThedifficultiesoftheconveyanceofartisticconceptionofBellsRingingintheRain
Itisnotcompletelypossibletotranslatetheoriginalpoem,themoodandtheatmosphere,whichisalsoanextremelybigdifficultproblem,suchas:
Firstly,Itisdifficulttoconveytheemotioninthepoem:theemotionhereisnotpresentedexplicitlybutimpliedinthedescriptionoftheimages.Itishardtoconveytheconnotationandassociationsignificanceofimagestotheforeigners.Inaddition,theChinesepoemsusuallyconsistofseveralimages,thepoetcandisplaysomepicturesinfrontofthereadersthroughthedepictionoftheimages.InBellsRingingintheRain,“thepavilion”“eveningclouds”“willowtrees”“waningmoon”---theseimagesconstituteasceneofsorrowdepartureindrearyAutumn.Itisnoteasytoselectproperwordstoconveytheimagesaswellassuitablewordstoconnectthemintheprocessoftranslation.Finally,InBellsRingingintheRain,Chinesereaderscanassociatethewavingwillowtreesandwaningmoontothereluctanceofdeparture.ItishardtobringthesimilarfantasytoreadersinEnglishversion,becausesomeimagecannotarousethesameassociationtotheforeigners.Thereisalsoonepointthatweshouldnotice:theconveyanceofartisticconceptionisacommonproblem,sometimeseveniftheversionembodiesthecharmoftheoriginalpoem,theforeignersmaynotunderstanditcompletelybecauseoftheculturaldifferences.JustastheforeignerscannotunderstandtheloveofLiangShanboandZhuYingtai,Here,theauthoronlywouldliketodiscussthewaystoconveyartisticconception.
3.Threestrategiestoconveyartisticconception
Tobeexact,ZhaoZecheng’sartisticconceptionincludesthreeaspects:Qing(emotion),Jing(situation),andimagination.Tocounterthesethreeaspects,artisticconceptioncanbeeffectivelytransmittedtoreadersbythefollowingthreemeans:first,toexpressamorousfeelingsandideas;second,tounearthimages;finally,tostimulateimagination.[14]
3.1Expressfeelingsandideas
WhendoingthetranslationofChinesepoems,weshouldfirstlymakeclearthemainideaoftheoriginalpoem,thesituationsetinthepoemandideasandfeelingsthattheauthorwantstoexpress,otherwise,wedonottranslatebutcreatepoetry.
InancientChina,therearethesayingslike“idealcanbeconveyedbypoetry,and‘poetryisstemmedfromemotions.”[15]WangGuowei,anaestheteinmoderntimes,indicatesthat‘onlywhenapoetisabletoreflectthereallifeandexpresshisrealfeelingsbyhispoemhashereachedahigherlevelofpoetrycreation.’[16]Inhisopinion,thesimplenaturalscenery,suchasbirds’singing,flowingwater,flowers’blossomanddriftingcloudscannotconsistof‘Artisticconception’bytheirpoems.ThefamousliterarytheoreticianinQingDynasty,YeXiethoughtthatemotionfromthebottomofheartisoneoftheindispensableconditionsinthecreationofartisticconception,andwhetherartisticconceptioncanbeconveyedsuccessfullybythetranslationsornotdependsonwhetherthetranslatorisabletotransmitthefeelingsbetweenthelines,andunderstandpoet’mind.[17]AsEveingsaysinhis‘TranslationandSentiment’,translatorshouldnotonlytranslatethe‘tears’,the‘laughter’,the‘anger’,thereadinesstogivelifeonthebattlefieldandthevisiblethings,butalsothegrief,thehappiness,theindignation,theutterdevotionandtheinvisiblesentiment.[18]Forinstance,hereisseveralversesofBellsRingingInTheRain.AistranslatedbyRewiAlley,andBistranslatedbyXuYuanchong.
“都门帐饮无绪”
AWedrinktoeachother
BCanwecarefordrinkingbeforewepart
“饮”“无绪”thetwowordsaddanxietytotheparting,peopleusuallywoulddrinkwinewhenpartinginancienttime.Thepoetwassosadthathewouldnotliketodrinkatall.‘Drinktoeachother’inAlley’stranslationsdoesnotshowthiskindofmood.XuYuanchongtranslatesthewordsinto‘Canwecarefordrinkingbeforewepart’reflectakindofdisconsolateness,So,XuYuangchong’stranslationisbetter.Ifthepoemembodiesthepoet’emotion,theversionshouldindicateit.Letuslookatanotherverse:
执手相看泪眼,竟无语凝噎
Aweclasphands,faceswet
withtears;unabletosayanything
BHandinhandwegazeateachother’stearfuleyes
Andburstintosobswithwordscongealedonourlip
Totranslatetheemotioninthesetwoverses,wemustgraspthepsychologicalconditionofthepoet.Lookingateachother‘stearfuleyeswithhandconnecting,theywouldliketosaysomething,yetspeechlessforsobbingfinally.“执手”“相看”“泪眼”“无语凝噎”areasuccessionofwordsdescribingthehero’ssorrowandthegrief,XuYuanchonguses‘gazeat’and‘tearfuleyes’todescribethemood,andtransmittheemotion,‘burstinto’indicatestheeruptionofhispreservedsentiment,‘congealed’vividlymanifestthesadness.Obviously,inversionA‘wetwithtears’greatlyweakenstheemotionandcannottransmitartisticconceptionoftheoriginalpoem.Obviously,itisinadequatetoonlydisplaythecontent,wealsoshouldexpressthefeelingsbetweenthelinesproperly.Forexample:
多情自古伤离别,更那堪、冷落清秋节
Thatistosay,peoplealwaysfeelsadwhenpartingsincetheancienttimes.Howdoesalonelypersonliveinthischillyautumn?Herethepoetisdisplayingakindofdisconsolatemood.
Aeverhavepeoplehated
leavingtherefriends,andnow
thecoldautumnwithitssadness
ontopofitall;
BLoverswouldgrieveatpartingasofold.
Howcouldyoustandthisclearautumndaysocold
Comparedwith‘hated’,‘grieve’inBindicatesthatthepoetfeelsbrokenhearted,therhetoricalquestioncorrespondstheoriginalpoemexpressingthepsychologyofsadfeelinginthelonelyautumn,whichconformedtotheartisticconceptionoftheoriginalpoem.Obviously,Bismoresuccessfulintransmittingartisticconception.
Adoesnotdisplaytheemotion,thereforeitfailsinthetransmissionofartisticconception,but,XuYuanchongfullycomprehendsthepoet’semotionofBellsRingingInTheRain,andcarriesonthepoet’ssorrowbychoosingthewords.Finallyhesucceedsinthetransmissionofartisticconception.Transmissionofartisticconceptioniscloselylinkedwiththeemotiontransmission.Sowecanmakeconclusionfromtheexamplesabove,thetransferenceofartisticconceptionisincomplete,ifthereisemotioninanoriginalpoem,butthetranslationfailstomanifestthefeelingsintheverses,.Inordertofurthertheunderstandingtheimportanceofemotionexpressionintranslation,theauthorwouldliketogivemoreexamples:“晓镜但愁云鬓改,夜吟应觉月光寒。”(ToOneUnnamed)byLiShangyin)Thepoemdescribestheimmortallove:hecannothelpthinkingofhisbelovedforhisdeeplovetohersothathedoesnotseehisimagebutthatofhisbelovedwhilelookingintothemirror.Thetwolinesselectedinthepoemdescribethefeeling:thepoetworriesabouthisbeloved’sgrayhaironheadbutnothisownwhenheislookingintothemirror,hedoesnotfeelthechillofmoonlight,butheworriesthatshewillfeelcoldwhenheiscrooningverseatnight.ThefollowingaretwokindsoftranslationsofInnesHerdan(A)andXuYuanchong(B)
AGriefatthemorningmirror---
Cloud–like-hairmustchange;
Verseshummedatnight,
Feelingthechillofmoonlight…
BAtdawnI’mgrievedtothinkyourmirroredhairturnsgrey;
AtnightyouwouldfeelcoldwhileIcroonbymoonlight.
Adescribesthepoet’sworriesabouthisowngrayhair,andhefeelschill,whichistheliteraltranslationwithoutunderstandingthefeelingofthepoettohisbeloved.Soitfailstotransmitthatkindofsentimentinthepoemandrevealtheimmorallove.Xuyuanchongaddspersontodescribetheimmorallove,thusthereadersaremovedbythepoet’sfeelings,andgetthedeepcomprehensionofartisticconception.
Hereisanotherexample:“思君如满月,夜夜减清辉。”(SinceMyLordFromMyPartedbyZhangJiuling)Thepoetusesthemoontodescribethefeelingsofthewifethatsheisdullerdaybydaybymissingherhusband.LetusseethetranslationbyHerbertA.Giles:
Myheartislikethefullmoon,fullofpains,
Savethat’tisalwaysfullandneverwanes.
“Gilescomparesthewife’shearttothepainfulmoonthatneverwane,succeedsinconveyingtheessentialideaofhersorrow.”[19]Inthispoem,thekeypointoftheunderstandingofartisticconceptionistocomprehendthewife’semotion.SinceGilesconveythedistressofthewife’smissingvividlyandincisively,thereaderscanfeelthiskindofpains,thereforeGilessucceedsintheconveyanceofartisticconception.
Theanalysisabovesuggeststhatthetransmissionofemotionisimportanttothetransferenceofartisticconception.Ifthepoemembodiespoet’semotion,thetranslatedversionshouldindicateit,thusthereaderscangetadeepcomprehensionofartisticconception.
3.2Unearthimage.
Besidestheconveyanceofemotionsandideas,atranslatorshouldalsopayattentiontotheimages.Theimagereferstotheobjectinthepoetry,whichreceivesubjectivesentimentoftheauthor.Settingsun,fragrantgrass,weepingwillow,songofthebirds,cicadachirpingandsoonarethecommonlyemployedimagesinancientChinesepoems.Usually,apoetdoesnotrevealthesentimentstraightlybutawakenourmemorybythedescriptionoftheimageandstimulateourfeelingandcauseoursympatheticchord.[20]Preciselytheauthorrevealsubjectivesentimentbytakinganddescribingtheimage,thereadercanentertheartisticconceptionofpoetry.
Theimageistheessenceoflanguageofpoem.“Imagemodelcapturestheessenceofpictureinproseorinpoetry.”[21]Thepoetsalwaysutilizesthevisualizedlanguagewhichcanstimulatethereader’simaginationandtheassociationtodescribetheimageintheliteraryworks,iftheliteraryfigureisfresh,thentheexquisiteartisticconceptionwillappear.Thetranslatorshouldpayattentiontothetransplantationoftheliteraryfigureandvisualizationofthelanguageintheprocessoftranslation.Thereforetheycanfullymanifestthebeautyofartisticconception.Weshouldtransmittheimagestotranslatethepoem.Imageisthebasicelementofpoems.Thebasicfeatureisthatreaderscanexperiencethefeelingsofpoetsthroughthedescriptionoftheimage.“Wemeantodefineimageastheattributeforthewholementalconceptionofaliterarywork.Insomesense,‘image’hereiscountableaseyeablelinguisticpoint,andalltheimagesinaworkformintoameaningfulwhole,whichisoftencalleditsimagery.So‘imagery’isuncountableasaninseparableentitythatcanonlybeperceivedfromtheentirework”.[22]
Thereareseveralimagesinthispoetryasfollows:cicadas,showers,heavycloud,southernsky,willowtrees,waningmoon.“Theseobjectstobedescribedareneverselectedatrandom,butarethemanifestationofthepoet’sshrewdpowerofobservationanduniqueartisticview”[23]Theseimagesareobjects,butthepoetrendershisemotiontothemthathasbeenthesymbolofdepartureanddistress.Hesetoffthepartingatmospherebythedescriptionofobjects,thusthereaderswillportrayachillanddrearypictureasiftheyhearthesingingofthecicadasandseethepartingscene.Thenhowdothetranslationsgivethereadersthesameexpressionbyunearthingimages?Itisrareforustofeelcoldanddrearywhenhearingthesingingofcicadas,whilethepoetuse"寒"and"凄"todescribeit,forthepainfromthebottomofhisheart."寒"and"凄"uncoverdirectlythepoet’smood,thepersonhavetopartwithhisbelovedandfeelsthecoldnessoftheoutsideworld,whichishisinnermostfeelings.ThefollowingtranslationsarealsopresentedbyRewiAlley(A)andXuYuanchong(B):
ANowcomesthenoteofthecicada,mournfully;
BCicadaschill
Drearilyshrill
ComparedwithRewiAlley’s‘mournfully’XuYuanchong’s‘Cicadaschill’describesthecicada''''scondition,"drearilyshrill"corresponds"凄切"theyestablishedabasicmainkeyfortheentirepoem----cloudyandcold,"drearilyshrill"furtherexaggeratedthisatmosphere.So,“chill”“drearily”describetheprocessofpsychologyandtransmit‘artisticconception’of“寒蝉凄切”.Pavilionisconsideredasasymbolofparting,suddenshowermaybeconsideredasasymbolofthetearsfallingfromtheireyes.Lookattheverses:
对长亭晚,骤雨初歇
Aatourpaceforparting
eveningfalls;therainstormthatbroke
hasclearedaway;
BWestandfacetofaceataneveninghour
Beforethepavilion,afterasuddenshower
WecanseeRewiAlleyomitstheimageofpavilion,whichisveryimportanttotheconveyanceofartisticconceptionasasymbolofparting.InancientChina,peopleusuallypartinpavilion,soChinesereaderscanassociatethepavilionwithdeparture.AndXuYuanchongreservestheimageofpavilionandshowerusing“before”and“after”toconnectthetwosentences,sothatweseethenaturalsceneryandhumanfeelingswellblendedinthebeginningofthepoem.[24]So,Itdoeswellatthetransitionoftheartisticconception.Inthispoem,theimageoftheboatwaitingforthepersondescribesapictureofalonelysail.Theverse:
方留恋处、兰舟催发
Atheboatmanurgesdeparture
Bwearelingeringlate,buttheboatiswaitingforyoutodepart
RewiAlleyonlyuses“boatman”omittingtheimageofboat,andXuYuanchong’stranslationdescribesapicture:twopeopleareloathingtopart,theboatisurgingapersontoembarkquickly,wecanguessthattheboathasbeenwaitingforalongtime.Thepictureofalonelysailisthesymbolofthepartinglover,carryingthevisualfeeling.AndBisbetteratthetransitionofartisticconceptioncomparedtoRewiAlleythatisonlynarrating.Inthispoem,cloudandskyalsoaresymbolical,theheavycloudisthesymbolofhisheavyheart,andtheboundlessskyisthesymboloflongdistance.[25]Theoriginalversesandtranslationsareasfollows:
念去去千里烟波,暮霭沉沉楚天阔。
AandIknowthatsoonIshallbefar
fromhere,overthehills;
atnightamistwillcome
downfromheavens,andsoon
IwillbeinHupeh,where
skiesarehigh,andgroundlow;
BYou‘llgoyourwayfar,faraway,onmilesandmilesofmistywaves
wheresailtheships,andeveningcloudshanglowinboundlesssouthern
skies
Thetwoimages“暮霭”and“楚天”shouldbetranslated.RewiAlleydoesnottransmittheimage:cloud,and“skiesarehigh”doesnotdescribetheboundlessoftheskies.Thereforehistranslationweakenedtheeffectofthetransitionofartisticconceptionoforiginalpoemgreatly.Intheoriginalpoemthefirststanzabeginswithanimageandendswithanother,bothrevealthegriefofparting.[26]Thereforeintranslationthereshouldbethetransferenceofthevividimagetoletthereaderfeelthepoet''''semotionthroughtheimagestounderstandtheartisticconceptionofthepoem.
Asweknow,InaChinesepoem,therearealwaysmanyimages;thesevividimagesbringthebeautytopeople.Inordertoachievethesimilareffect,thetranslatorshouldcarryontheappropriatedescriptiontotheimages.Forexample,“小楼西角断虹明,栏杆私倚处,遥见月华生”(ImmortalAttheriverbyOuYangxiu)portrayabeautifulscene:thebrokenrainbowappearsafteraheavyrain,twopersonsareleaningonrailswatchingtherisingmoon.TeresaYee-whaYutranslatesthelinesinthisway:
Acrossthewesterncornerofthe
Smallhouse,abrokenrainbowhangs
brightly,asIrestonthebalcony,
awaitingmoonrise.
Theimageoftheoriginalpoemisbrokenrainbow,whyistherainbowbroken?TeresaYee-whaYuonlyuses‘brokenrainbow’,whichfailstomanifesttheestheticsenseofthemoonraisesslowly,thereforethebeautyisinferiorthantheoneoftheoriginalpoem.ThetranslationbyXuYuanchongis:
Animperfectrainbowisseen,
ShutoutofviewbyWesternTower.
Weleanonrailsalone
Towatchtherisingmoon.
XuYuanchonguses‘shutoutofviewbywesterntower’,givingpeopleamorevividpicture:Abovethesmallbuilding,abrokenrainbowappears,--twopeoplearecloselyleaningintherail,watchingtheslowingrisingmoon,thephraseshutoutdescribesthebrokenrainbow,thetypicalimagematchestheimageverb,hasexaggeratedtheoriginalpoemmainkeyoftheoriginalpoem,so,comparedtoTeresaYee-wha’sYu.XuYuanchong’sisbetterintransmittingartisticconception.
Theanalysisabovesuggeststhatunearthingimagesisoneofeffectivewaystoconveyartisticconception,ofcourse,inthetranslationtechniquesofimage,apartingfromunearthingimages,thereareotherwaystoconveytheartisticconception,suchasfootnotingandparaphrasing,whichthisarticleonlydiscussesoneofeffectiveways.
3.3Stimulateimagination
Intheauthor’sview,theconnotationofstimulatingimaginationisthatifthepoetleavesagreatspaceofimaginationtothereaders,soshouldthetranslator.Itisofgreatimportanceforthetranslationstostimulatethereaders’imagination.JustasXuYuanchongpointsoutinhisNewConceptofTranslationinNewCenturythelowstandardofliterarytranslationistoresembleorreflectthetruthoftheoriginalpoems,whilethehighstandardistokeepthebeautyofpoemsinsourcelanguage[27]Thetranslatorshouldtryhisbesttobringtheadvantageoftargetlanguagesintofullplay,whichmeansmakingfulluseofthebestformofexpressionoftargetlanguageaswell,andtomakepoemsunderstoodfinally.Thetranslationsofliteraryworksshouldbewonderfulandsplendid.Althoughwecanreadorlistentotheliteraryworks,wecannotvisualizethemlikewatchingpicturesorgetauditoryimageslikelisteningtothemusic.Therefore,iftheliterarylanguageisdull,tediousandinsipid,itcannotstimulatetheimaginationofreaders,thuscannotconveyartisticconceptiontoreaders,letaloneletthemgrasptheartisticimagesintheoriginalworks.Itisthetranslators’responsibilitytotakeadvantageoftargetlanguagetoreachthetranslationtostimulatereaders’imaginationfinally.
ThefollowingisanotherexamplefromBellsRingingInTheRain:“今宵酒醒何处?杨柳岸晓风残月。XuYuanchong‘stranslationis
Wherewillyoubefoundatdaybreak
Fromwineawake?
Mooredbyariverbankplantedwithwillowtrees
Beneaththewaningmoonandinthemorningbreeze.
Thepoemaskswherehewillbewhenhewakesuptomorrowmorning.“willowtrees”and“Beneaththewaningmoonandinthemorningbreeze.”stimulatethereaders’imagination,andmakethereadersimaginethescenebythemselves.Forexample:howisthepoet’sconditionwhenheawake?Andwhatwillhebethink?Differentpeoplehavedifferentimages.Peoplecanimagethesceneofthepoetawakinginthemorningaccordingtotheirownunderstandingofthepoem.“Moored”givethereaderslargespaceofimaginationthatistheneedtotransmitartisticconceptiontoreaders.
Fromtheauthor’spointofview,stimulatingimaginationplaysaquiteimportantroleintransmissionofartisticconception.Manytranslatorsnoticethepointintheprocessoftranslation.Forinstance,therearetwoversesintherenownedpoem"SongofaPipaPlayer"(琵琶行)byBaiJuyi:“大弦嘈嘈如急雨,小弦切切如私语;嘈嘈切切错杂谈,大珠小珠落玉盘。”ThetwoversesdescribethemusicbythePipa.“Itisdifficulttodescribeabstractmusicinwords,butBaiJuyicomparesitinturntoapatterningrain,topearlsdroppingonaplateofjade”[28]whichgreatlystimulatethereaders’imagination,“sothatyoucannotonlyhearitbutsometimesevenseeitbeforeyoureyes”.[29]HerearetwoversionsrespectivelytranslatedbyC.Gaunt(A)andXuYuanchong(B)
AThegreatstringswithacrashresound,
Aswhentherain-stormstrikestheground;
Thesmallstringswhispermanifold,
Likesecretconfidencestold;
Andthenthevibrantchordsoutfling
Amingledcrashandwhispering,
Likeshowerofpearls,somelargesomesmall,thatonajade-dishpatteringfall.
BThethickstringsloudlythrummedlikethepatteringrain;
Thefinestringssoftlytinkledinamurmuringstrain
Whenminglingloudandsoftnotesweretogetherplayed
‘Twaslikelargeandsmallpearlsdroppingonplateofjade
C.Gaunt’s‘therain-stormstrikestheground’;‘whisper’‘likeshowerofpearls,somelargesomesmall,’andXuYuanchong’s‘patteringrain’‘murmuringstrain’‘murmuringstrain’allstimulatethereaders’imaginationandconveyartisticconceptionofthepoeminsourcelanguageaswell.Theoriginalpoemdoeswellinstimulatingimagination,sodoesthetranslation.
Stimulatingimaginationisapartoftheconveyanceofartisticconception,wegetartistictreatthroughabundantassociationandfantasy,whichachievetheeffectofartisticconception.Asweanalyzeabove,thetranslationthatarousetheimaginationofreadersconveyartisticconceptioneffectively.Thereisapointwearesurethatevenifthetranslationscannotachievethecharmofthepoemperfectly,weshouldexertourgreateffortstoresembletheeffect.
4.Conclusion
Wecanfindthattheconveyanceofartisticconceptionisnoteasy.However,throughthethreemeans,westillcaneffectivelytransmitartisticconceptionbyexperiencingtheemotionandimagingtheimageoforiginalpoems.Theauthordiscussesthreestrategies:expressingfeelingsandideas;unearthingimages;stimulatingimagination.Theyarethreeeffectivewaysbutnottheabsolutemeans.Inaddition,thereisonepointthatweshouldnotice:whenweproposedrequesttothetranslators,weshouldpayattentiontothefactthatthereadersshouldbequalifiedtocomprehendthepoems’artisticconception.
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