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20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-20T11:59:25Z

Fu Jing: /* Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary works such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, have been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.

===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled "Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian" (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, got introduced to the English-speaking world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation done by Jiang Jiansong, "Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life", which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, the bestseller of Lin Yutang, "The Importance of Living", contained many thoughtful extracts from Zhang Chao's "You Meng Ying" (or "Sweet Dream Shadows") (see Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when "You Meng Ying" was introduced to the English-speaking world.

In 1960, Lin Yutang's "The Importance of Understanding" was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, "Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers", translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like "Letter to Li Tzu-jan" included.

"The Chinese Essay" edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's "Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi" ("The Xiangji Studio") and "Xianbi Shilüe" ("My Mother: A Brief Life"), Li Yu's Four Parts of "Xianqing'ouji" ("Pleasant Diversions: Judging Beauty"; "Pleasant Diversions: Accomplishments"; "Pleasant Diversions: Literacy"; "Pleasant Diversions: Clothes"), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as "Xihuqiyueban" ("The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake") and "Liujingtingshu" ("Liu Jingting: Storyteller").

In 2011, the compilation titled "The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" (Chinese-English comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations of short essays and assists in paving the way into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As it is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 16th to 17th centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except "Cai Gen Tan" ("Roots of Wisdom"). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of xiaopin themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in terms of such writing forms as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share certain common traits with those regarding language beauty, deep knowledge or insights. Therefore, due to the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of essays are relatively neglected. In addition, despite some existing English versions of "Cai Gen Tan" provided by Western translators, most of the works were translated by Chinese translators, which could also result in these works not drawing the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, are likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.

From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works to meet the market demands. In other words, these literary works must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs to surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===

1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relevant to the subject. When searching for "Chinese xiaopin", it is possible to find only one piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's "Tao An Yi Meng" rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper was found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, the studies found are shown in the following table.

[[File:table.jpg]]

The number in the brackets shown in the table represents that of papers published in top journals of China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is "Cai Gen Tan", with a total number of thirty seven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation related to this field. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on “Cai Gen Tan” is less than two pieces per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, only two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and conclude that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of “Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties”, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's PhD dissertation, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetics, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of "Cai Gen Tan" focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of reflections on translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, it can be seen that very few studies were conducted on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still quite underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the aspects shown below.

1. Small Amount of Research Papers and the Problem of the Low-quality Studies

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzes a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a full picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on "Cai Gen Tan" and "You Meng Ying". However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflections and Prospects===

Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has an undeniable advantage in terms of being easy to understand, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and hectic schedule. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is a wide range of opportunities for future studies of the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious", because the initial role of the literature is to be read and understood not only by some secluded groups of people, but by readers with any cultural or educational background. If readers’ reception abilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

Summarizing results of our research, we consider it important to stress on the fact that translation, as a cultural communication activity, is influenced by various social factors, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. According to the fact that the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties serve as a distinctive category of prose that reflects different aspects of social life, they deserve more attention from scholars in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-20T11:54:15Z

Fu Jing: /* Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary works such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, have been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.

===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled "Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian" (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, got introduced to the English-speaking world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation done by Jiang Jiansong, "Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life", which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, the bestseller of Lin Yutang, "The Importance of Living", contained many thoughtful extracts from Zhang Chao's "You Meng Ying" (or "Sweet Dream Shadows") (see Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when "You Meng Ying" was introduced to the English-speaking world.

In 1960, Lin Yutang's "The Importance of Understanding" was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, "Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers", translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like "Letter to Li Tzu-jan" included.

"The Chinese Essay" edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's "Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi" ("The Xiangji Studio") and "Xianbi Shilüe" ("My Mother: A Brief Life"), Li Yu's Four Parts of "Xianqing'ouji" ("Pleasant Diversions: Judging Beauty"; "Pleasant Diversions: Accomplishments"; "Pleasant Diversions: Literacy"; "Pleasant Diversions: Clothes"), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as "Xihuqiyueban" ("The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake") and "Liujingtingshu" ("Liu Jingting: Storyteller").

In 2011, the compilation titled "The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" (Chinese-English comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations of short essays and assists in paving the way into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As it is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 16th to 17th centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except "Cai Gen Tan" ("Roots of Wisdom"). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of xiaopin themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in terms of such writing forms as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share certain common traits with those regarding language beauty, deep knowledge or insights. Therefore, due to the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of essays are relatively neglected. In addition, despite some existing English versions of "Cai Gen Tan" provided by Western translators, most of the works were translated by Chinese translators, which could also result in these works not drawing the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, are likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.

From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works to meet the market demands. In other words, these literary works must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs to surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===

1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relevant to the subject. When searching for "Chinese xiaopin", it is possible to find only one piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's "Tao An Yi Meng" rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper was found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, the studies found are shown in the following table.

[[File:https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg]]

The number in the brackets shown in the table represents that of papers published in top journals of China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is "Cai Gen Tan", with a total number of thirty seven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation related to this field. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on “Cai Gen Tan” is less than two pieces per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, only two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and conclude that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of “Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties”, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's PhD dissertation, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetics, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of "Cai Gen Tan" focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of reflections on translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, it can be seen that very few studies were conducted on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still quite underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the aspects shown below.

1. Small Amount of Research Papers and the Problem of the Low-quality Studies

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzes a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a full picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on "Cai Gen Tan" and "You Meng Ying". However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflections and Prospects===

Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has an undeniable advantage in terms of being easy to understand, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and hectic schedule. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is a wide range of opportunities for future studies of the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious", because the initial role of the literature is to be read and understood not only by some secluded groups of people, but by readers with any cultural or educational background. If readers’ reception abilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

Summarizing results of our research, we consider it important to stress on the fact that translation, as a cultural communication activity, is influenced by various social factors, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. According to the fact that the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties serve as a distinctive category of prose that reflects different aspects of social life, they deserve more attention from scholars in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-16T07:24:05Z

Fu Jing: /* Research Reflects and Prospects */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary works such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, have been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.

===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled "Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian" (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, got introduced to the English-speaking world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation done by Jiang Jiansong, "Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life", which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, the bestseller of Lin Yutang, "The Importance of Living", contained many thoughtful extracts from Zhang Chao's "You Meng Ying" (or "Sweet Dream Shadows") (see Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when "You Meng Ying" was introduced to the English-speaking world.

In 1960, Lin Yutang's "The Importance of Understanding" was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, "Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers", translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like "Letter to Li Tzu-jan" included.

"The Chinese Essay" edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's "Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi" ("The Xiangji Studio") and "Xianbi Shilüe" ("My Mother: A Brief Life"), Li Yu's Four Parts of "Xianqing'ouji" ("Pleasant Diversions: Judging Beauty"; "Pleasant Diversions: Accomplishments"; "Pleasant Diversions: Literacy"; "Pleasant Diversions: Clothes"), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as "Xihuqiyueban" ("The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake") and "Liujingtingshu" ("Liu Jingting: Storyteller").

In 2011, the compilation titled "The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" (Chinese-English comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations of short essays and assists in paving the way into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As it is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 16th to 17th centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except "Cai Gen Tan" ("Roots of Wisdom"). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of xiaopin themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in terms of such writing forms as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share certain common traits with those regarding language beauty, deep knowledge or insights. Therefore, due to the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of essays are relatively neglected. In addition, despite some existing English versions of "Cai Gen Tan" provided by Western translators, most of the works were translated by Chinese translators, which could also result in these works not drawing the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, are likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.

From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works to meet the market demands. In other words, these literary works must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs to surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===

1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relevant to the subject. When searching for "Chinese xiaopin", it is possible to find only one piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's "Tao An Yi Meng" rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper was found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, the studies found are shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the brackets shown in the table represents that of papers published in top journals of China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is "Cai Gen Tan", with a total number of thirty seven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation related to this field. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on “Cai Gen Tan” is less than two pieces per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, only two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and conclude that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of “Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties”, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's PhD dissertation, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetics, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of "Cai Gen Tan" focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of reflections on translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, it can be seen that very few studies were conducted on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still quite underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the aspects shown below.

1. Small Amount of Research Papers and the Problem of the Low-quality Studies

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzes a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a full picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on "Cai Gen Tan" and "You Meng Ying". However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflections and Prospects===

Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has an undeniable advantage in terms of being easy to understand, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and hectic schedule. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is a wide range of opportunities for future studies of the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious", because the initial role of the literature is to be read and understood not only by some secluded groups of people, but by readers with any cultural or educational background. If readers’ reception abilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

Summarizing results of our research, we consider it important to stress on the fact that translation, as a cultural communication activity, is influenced by various social factors, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. According to the fact that the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties serve as a distinctive category of prose that reflects different aspects of social life, they deserve more attention from scholars in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-16T07:22:59Z

Fu Jing: /* Review of Early Research on Translation Studies */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary works such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, have been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.

===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled "Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian" (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, got introduced to the English-speaking world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation done by Jiang Jiansong, "Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life", which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, the bestseller of Lin Yutang, "The Importance of Living", contained many thoughtful extracts from Zhang Chao's "You Meng Ying" (or "Sweet Dream Shadows") (see Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when "You Meng Ying" was introduced to the English-speaking world.

In 1960, Lin Yutang's "The Importance of Understanding" was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, "Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers", translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like "Letter to Li Tzu-jan" included.

"The Chinese Essay" edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's "Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi" ("The Xiangji Studio") and "Xianbi Shilüe" ("My Mother: A Brief Life"), Li Yu's Four Parts of "Xianqing'ouji" ("Pleasant Diversions: Judging Beauty"; "Pleasant Diversions: Accomplishments"; "Pleasant Diversions: Literacy"; "Pleasant Diversions: Clothes"), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as "Xihuqiyueban" ("The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake") and "Liujingtingshu" ("Liu Jingting: Storyteller").

In 2011, the compilation titled "The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" (Chinese-English comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations of short essays and assists in paving the way into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As it is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 16th to 17th centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except "Cai Gen Tan" ("Roots of Wisdom"). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of xiaopin themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in terms of such writing forms as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share certain common traits with those regarding language beauty, deep knowledge or insights. Therefore, due to the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of essays are relatively neglected. In addition, despite some existing English versions of "Cai Gen Tan" provided by Western translators, most of the works were translated by Chinese translators, which could also result in these works not drawing the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, are likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.

From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works to meet the market demands. In other words, these literary works must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs to surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===

1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relevant to the subject. When searching for "Chinese xiaopin", it is possible to find only one piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's "Tao An Yi Meng" rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper was found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, the studies found are shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the brackets shown in the table represents that of papers published in top journals of China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is "Cai Gen Tan", with a total number of thirty seven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation related to this field. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on “Cai Gen Tan” is less than two pieces per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, only two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and conclude that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of “Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties”, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's PhD dissertation, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetics, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of "Cai Gen Tan" focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of reflections on translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, it can be seen that very few studies were conducted on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still quite underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the aspects shown below.

1. Small Amount of Research Papers and the Problem of the Low-quality Studies

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzes a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a full picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on "Cai Gen Tan" and "You Meng Ying". However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-16T07:21:52Z

Fu Jing: /* Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary works such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, have been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.

===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled "Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian" (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, got introduced to the English-speaking world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation done by Jiang Jiansong, "Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life", which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, the bestseller of Lin Yutang, "The Importance of Living", contained many thoughtful extracts from Zhang Chao's "You Meng Ying" (or "Sweet Dream Shadows") (see Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when "You Meng Ying" was introduced to the English-speaking world.

In 1960, Lin Yutang's "The Importance of Understanding" was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, "Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers", translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like "Letter to Li Tzu-jan" included.

"The Chinese Essay" edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's "Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi" ("The Xiangji Studio") and "Xianbi Shilüe" ("My Mother: A Brief Life"), Li Yu's Four Parts of "Xianqing'ouji" ("Pleasant Diversions: Judging Beauty"; "Pleasant Diversions: Accomplishments"; "Pleasant Diversions: Literacy"; "Pleasant Diversions: Clothes"), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as "Xihuqiyueban" ("The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake") and "Liujingtingshu" ("Liu Jingting: Storyteller").

In 2011, the compilation titled "The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" (Chinese-English comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations of short essays and assists in paving the way into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As it is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 16th to 17th centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except "Cai Gen Tan" ("Roots of Wisdom"). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of xiaopin themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in terms of such writing forms as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share certain common traits with those regarding language beauty, deep knowledge or insights. Therefore, due to the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of essays are relatively neglected. In addition, despite some existing English versions of "Cai Gen Tan" provided by Western translators, most of the works were translated by Chinese translators, which could also result in these works not drawing the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, are likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.

From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works to meet the market demands. In other words, these literary works must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs to surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===

1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relevant to the subject. When searching for "Chinese xiaopin", it is possible to find only one piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's "Tao An Yi Meng" rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper was found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, the studies found are shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the brackets shown in the table represents that of papers published in top journals of China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is "Cai Gen Tan", with a total number of thirty seven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation related to this field. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on “Cai Gen Tan” is less than two pieces per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, only two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and conclude that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of “Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties”, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's PhD dissertation, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetics, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of "Cai Gen Tan" focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of reflections on translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-16T07:20:30Z

Fu Jing: /* A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary works such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, have been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.

===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled "Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian" (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, got introduced to the English-speaking world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation done by Jiang Jiansong, "Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life", which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, the bestseller of Lin Yutang, "The Importance of Living", contained many thoughtful extracts from Zhang Chao's "You Meng Ying" (or "Sweet Dream Shadows") (see Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when "You Meng Ying" was introduced to the English-speaking world.

In 1960, Lin Yutang's "The Importance of Understanding" was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, "Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers", translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like "Letter to Li Tzu-jan" included.

"The Chinese Essay" edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's "Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi" ("The Xiangji Studio") and "Xianbi Shilüe" ("My Mother: A Brief Life"), Li Yu's Four Parts of "Xianqing'ouji" ("Pleasant Diversions: Judging Beauty"; "Pleasant Diversions: Accomplishments"; "Pleasant Diversions: Literacy"; "Pleasant Diversions: Clothes"), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as "Xihuqiyueban" ("The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake") and "Liujingtingshu" ("Liu Jingting: Storyteller").

In 2011, the compilation titled "The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" (Chinese-English comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations of short essays and assists in paving the way into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As it is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 16th to 17th centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except "Cai Gen Tan" ("Roots of Wisdom"). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of xiaopin themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in terms of such writing forms as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share certain common traits with those regarding language beauty, deep knowledge or insights. Therefore, due to the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of essays are relatively neglected. In addition, despite some existing English versions of "Cai Gen Tan" provided by Western translators, most of the works were translated by Chinese translators, which could also result in these works not drawing the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, are likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.

From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works to meet the market demands. In other words, these literary works must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs to surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T15:50:07Z

Fu Jing: /* Abstract */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary works such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, have been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.

===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T08:36:13Z

Fu Jing: /* 2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty) */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

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=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid. After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to him, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it is a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T08:21:04Z

Fu Jing: /* 2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty) */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties combine the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999). Therefore, these writings are characterized by involving authors reflection on his personal experience, thoughts on everyday life, with a focus on realism, resulting in a rich integration of art and reality, wisdom and delight.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Generally speaking, there is a wide range of translated works from English to choose from, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other translated versions have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met the Emperor, Feiyan was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T04:25:04Z

Fu Jing: /* 1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature. */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their stories and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T04:08:31Z

Fu Jing: /* 关键词 */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can contribute to the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.

===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接受

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 Classics

2023-06-15T03:59:05Z

Fu Jing: /* Final Exam Papers */

==Final Exam Papers==
Please think of a topic in relation to Chinese classics and their reception history in the West and list your topic with your name here. As soon as it will be approved by the teacher, you can start writing in one of the sub-websites beneath (see bottom of the page).

{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="3"| „Students' Final Exam Topic Suggestions and Teacher Comments“
|-
| 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi
| Current Situation of the Communication and Reflections on the English Translation of The Art of War
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
| The Translation Methods and Strategies of Chinese Classics: A Case Study on Chuang Tzu
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 李心田 Li Xintian
| On the Translation and Reception History of the ''Tao Te Ching''
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIU YUQING - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
| The Translation and Transmission of the ''Yijing'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI YAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu
| On the Dissemination and Translation of the Analects in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
| On the Dissemination and Translation of ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' in Europe
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan
| On the Communication Effect in the English Translation of The Analects of Confucius
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈婧 Chen Jing
| The Translation of Chinese Scientific and Technological Classics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu
| A Literature Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine Translation
|-
| 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
| The English Translations of the ''Shijing'' and Its Dissemination in the English World
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 付静 Fu Jing
| A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina)
| The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Ancient Chinese Literature
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| Mohammed Ali Saleh ALi Al AWDI
| Systematic Literature Review of the History of English translations of the ''Dream of the Red Chamber''
|-
| 李彦 Li Yan
|The Reception and Translation of "Journey to the West" in the West: Cultural Encounters and Value Reconstruction
|
|-
| 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing
| The Reception and Translation of the ''Tao Te Ching'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI XINTIAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 王芳玲 Wang Fangling
| The Influence of Confucianism on Western Philosophy and Ethics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
|}

The deadline has been extended to '''June 5, 2023'''. Please find a paper you want to proof read, contact the author, proof read (by copying each paragraph and make corrections/suggestions in the copy) and sign until June 5. The author then finalizes (works in the suggestions) until the final deadline June 15! Altogether 5,000 English words.

==Structure==
需要有topic、学生姓名、学号、专业、Abstract、Key words、题目、摘要、关键词、不同的章回（比如1. Introduction、2. ...、3. ……、4.……、5. Conclusion、References)、然后还需要每个阶段以后有来源。一个阶段不要超过100英文词。每个章回会有几个阶段没问题。每个阶段以后需要一个同学的这个阶段的修改。总共5千个英文词。

==Tips for writing your final exam paper: How to indicate your references==
*You can use the existing book chapters here as an example.
*Please write the text and indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17. And then, you need to add a section at the end called "References". There you write the full version of the reference: Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学. Similarly, you do it for papers: Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Do '''not''' write any references like in one of the sample chapters:

[1] dsalkfkdsa

[2] adsfadsfag

But only the following way:

(Liu Miqing 2010, 17) in the text

and then

'''References'''
*Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学.

Also, please avoid using the three apostrophes like ' ' ' (without spaces). Use the equal signs to mark headers and subheaders instead. If your paper topic has two equal signs at the beginning and end of your topic, then use three equal signs for your sub headers. Example (without spaces):
= = Topic = =
< c e n t e r > Student Name, Student no. < / c e n t e r >
= = = Abstract = = =
This chapter is on ....
= = = Key Words = = =
Egg, Hen
= = = 题目 = = =
= = = 摘要 = = =
= = = 关键词 = = =
= = = Introduction = = =
Here starts the normal text of the chapter. Please remember to indicate the source of EACH PARAGRAPH, sometimes even of single sentences. You can indicate it like this. (Woesler 2020, 345) And don't forget to mention the full bibliographical entry beneath under ''References''.
= = = The Egg = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = The Hen = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = Conclusion = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = References = = =
Woesler, Martin. (2020). Responsibility and Ethics in Times of Corona. Woesler, Martin and Hans-Martin Sass eds. ''Medicine and Ethics in Times of Corona'' Muenster: LIT

==Sample papers==
You can find the full papers also on the Webpage [[History of Translation Studies]]). They are marked with "Sample paper".
* A Comparative Study between Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theory and My thoughts on the Two Theories
* An Analysis of the Book of Contemporary Translation Theories and Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications
* Comparative Study on Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theroy
* Comparison of Derrida’s and Benjamin’s Translation View
* Impacts of Western Translation Theories on The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish
* On the Comparison between "Sublimation" an "Functonal Equivalence" Theories
* Study on Gladys’ Translation of The Border Town from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics
* The Translation of Culture-loaded Words in Chinese-English Communication
* Translators' Views on Translation Influence Their Translation Behavior

==Sub-Websites to write your final exam paper on==
[[20230630_final_exam|final exam page]]

As a reference, here is the information about last year's final exam papers:

The website where everybody wrote their final exam paper on became too big and produced a database error. Therefore we split the website into 10 small websites. They are sorted like the chapters in the book. Please look for your name and find the right of the 10 small websites to edit your book chapter. Everybody also needs to help to improve other book chapters (copy a paragraph, paste it beneath, make your corrections in the paragraph and sign it).

Here you can write your Final Exam Papers:

*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_1 Part 1, (samples)]
*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_2 Part 2, (samples)]
*[[20230630_final_exam_01]] First group of students: 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi, 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
*[[20230630_final_exam_02]] 2nd group of students: 李心田 Li Xintian, 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
*[[20230630_final_exam_03]] 3rd group of students: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu, 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
*[[20230630_final_exam_04]] 4th group of students: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan, 陈婧 Chen Jing
*[[20230630_final_exam_05]] 5th group of students: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu, 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
*[[20230630_final_exam_06]] 6th group of students: 付静 Fu Jing, 夏玲珑 Madina
*[[20230630_final_exam_07]] 7th group of students: Mohammed AWDI, 李彦 Li Yan
*[[20230630_final_exam_08]] 8th group of students: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing, 王芳玲 Wang Fangling

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T02:30:19Z

Fu Jing: /* A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T02:21:31Z

Fu Jing: /* Review of Early Research on Translation Studies */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones

There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation

The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies

A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

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14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T02:20:49Z

Fu Jing: /* Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad

In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies

From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T01:16:27Z

Fu Jing: /* 摘要 */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国文学典籍的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但文学作品中的女性角色发展仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国文学中女性角色的演变过程，分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，并探讨影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，本文使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于前期的相关研究展开，也包括了作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T01:05:47Z

Fu Jing: /* References */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li. (2013) 张顺生,王丽. Methods to Translate Chinese Literary Titles into English: A Case Study of the Titles in The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J]. Contemporary Foreign Language Studies 当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T00:55:24Z

Fu Jing: /* An Overview of Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]张顺生,王丽.中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J].当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T00:54:53Z

Fu Jing: /* A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

===An Overview of Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]张顺生,王丽.中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J].当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-15T00:52:44Z

Fu Jing: /* An Overview on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
==A Systematic Review on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong. (cite: mingqing xiaopinwen) The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.
===An Overview of Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]张顺生,王丽.中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J].当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-14T14:45:47Z

Fu Jing: /* References */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
== An Overview on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong. (cite: mingqing xiaopinwen) The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.
===An Overview of Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.

[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.

[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.

[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.

[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06

[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

[7]张顺生,王丽.中文标题英译方法——《明清小品文》个案研究[J].当代外语研究,2013,No.389(05):43-48+78.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-14T14:43:06Z

Fu Jing: /* An Overview of Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
== An Overview on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong. (cite: mingqing xiaopinwen) The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.
===An Overview of Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

https://bou.de/u/wiki/File:Table.jpg

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.
[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.
[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.
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=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

File:Table.jpg

2023-06-14T14:40:40Z

Fu Jing:

20230630 final exam 06

2023-06-14T14:34:01Z

Fu Jing: /* 202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation) */

=202270081632 付静 Fu Jing 英语笔译(English translation)=
== An Overview on the English Translation of Chinese Xiaopin (Short Essays) of Ming and Qing Dynasties==
===Abstract===
Chinese xiaopin, also known as short essays or familiar essays, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a genre of Chinese classical prose, refers short, informal essays that were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With numerous examples found in Chinese classics, Xiaopin, as a literary genre, is an integral part of Chinese literature. Therefore, English translations and research on these essays are highly significant, as they enable a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese literature and culture for readers worldwide. However, compared with main stream literary work such as poetry, novels and plays, short essays of the Ming and Qing period in particular, has been neglected. This paper, by reviewing the English translation of familiar essays in Ming and Qing Dynasties and the relevant research achievements, summarizes the problems and shortcomings of the current research, and puts forward the ideas and methods of future research, intending to promote the study of the English translation of essays, expand the scope of the English translation of essays, supplement the shortcomings of the English translation of Chinese classical art essays, and deepen the study of the English translation of classics.
===Key Words===
xiaopin, short essays, familiar essays, Ming and Qing dynasties, C-E translation, overview
===题目===
明清小品英译研究综述
===摘要===
明清小品文是中国古典散文的一种体裁，指的是流行于十六世纪和十七世纪期间的短小精悍的非正式散文。明清小品作为散文的一种，分散于各类中华典籍，是中国文学的重要组成部分，其英译传播与翻译研究对“中国文化走出去”有重要意义，因为它们可以让世界各地的读者更全面地了解中国文学和文化。然而，与诗歌、小说、戏剧等主流文学作品相比，古典散文特别是明清小品文一直处在被忽视的地位。本文通过对明清小品散文英译成果的梳理，总结目前研究存在的问题与不足，并针对性地提出今后研究的思路与方法，以期推动小品散文的英译研究，进而扩大小品散文的英译作品推介范围，补充中国古典艺术散文英译的短板，深化典籍英译的研究。
===关键词===
明清小品、散文小品、小品文、汉英翻译、述论
===Introduction===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a kind of Chinese classical prose, existed in traditional classics as early as the pre-Qin period. However, it was not until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) that these essays reached their full glory, which marks this kind of prose as a literary symbol of the era that could match Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu. Since they are normally short in length, diverse in genre, and flexible in style, they become vehicles for displaying aspects of culture and people's wisdom of living in ancient China. The English translation of the essays not only contributes to the development of Chinese civilian culture but also fosters a better understanding of the social life and the mindset of the people during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Western world. Furthermore, researching their translation can foster the development and broaden the dissemination of translated works from the eras.
===A Brief Introduction to the Ming and Qing Short Essays and Their English Translations===
1. The Concept of Chinese Xiaopin and the Characteristics of Them in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Xiaopin, or familiar essays, were regarded as part of and commonly seen in all kinds of classics in ancient China and were established as a distinct genre until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Essays of this kind are short with various forms including xu (prefaces), ji (records), ba (colophons), zhuan (biographies), ming (inscriptions), zan (panegyrics), zhi (necrologies), perhaps biao (memorials), you ji (records of excursions) and chi du (informal letters). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the creation of short essays reached a level of maturity and an independent system of writing theory was established, which had a profound impact on the prose creation of later generations. Qian Mu, an expert in the study of the Chinese ancient civilization of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once emphasized that the primary literary value of Chinese prose can be found in familiar essays.

The essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have the dual character of scholasticism culture and civilian culture and are deeply influenced by the trend of thought of gaining pleasure in meditation, which originated from Laozi and Zhuangzi. Life perceptions of literators about cultivating themselves, living with people, and encouraging the world are truly and delicately expressed in the description of their lifestyle of cultivating family and adapting themselves to their own will and leisure (Zhao Botao, 1999) Therefore, these writings are characterized by personalization, lifestyle, and realism, as the integration of art and reality, wisdom and fun.

2. The Main Schools and Representative Writers and Their Works

During the period from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, the development of familiar essays reached its peak, with an unprecedented level in the number of works, the variety of schools, and the excellence of writing styles in the history of ancient Chinese prose. The main schools of familiar essays in this period were the Gong'an school represented by the Three Yuan Brothers (Yuan Hongdao, Yuan Zongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao) and Jiang Yingke, Jingling school represented by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun in the late Ming dynasty and Tongcheng school represented by Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, Yao Nai. Some writers were famous for their works during this period, including Hong Yingming, Chen Jiru, Zhang Dai, Li Yu, and Zhang Chao (Zhao Botao, 1999).

3. Translation of Works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Typically, English versions of translated works are chosen, excerpted, or abridged, with the works of multiple authors combined in a single collection.

In 1926, a Japanese translator, Isobe Yaichiro, brought the first English version of the book Cai Gen Tan entitled Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian(Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017), which may be the first time when Chinese xiaopin, or short essays, entered the English world. Since then, other versions of it by different translators have appeared (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017). The first and most researched version in China is the translation completed by Jiang Jiansong, Cai Gen Tan: My Crude Philosophy of Life, which is published in 2001 as one of the Library of Chinese Classics series (Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan, 2017).

In 1937, in the bestseller of Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, many pieces of thoughtful writing in Zhang Chao's You Meng Ying (or Sweet Dream Shadows) were translated as quotations ( see in Chapter VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO), which was also the first time when You Meng Ying was introduced to the English world.

In 1960, Lin's The Importance of Understanding was published in the United States, and it featured a significant excerpt from You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows). This time, the original maxims were organized by subject and supplemented with commentaries, annotations, and other contextual information, making them more accessible to Western readers.

In 1978, Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays by Yuan Hung-tao and His Brothers, translated by Jonathan Chaves, was published by Weatherhill, New York, with many short essays of Yuan Hongdao like Letter to Li Tzu-jan included.

The Chinese Essay edited and translated by David Pollard was first published by The Chinese University of Hongkong Press in 1999 and later by Columbia University Press in 2002, with many familiar essays of Ming and Qing writers translated and introduced. These works include Gui Youguang's Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi (The Xiangji Studio ) and Xianpishilve (My Mother: A Brief Life), Li Yu's Four Parts of Xianqing'ouji (Pleasant Diversions:Judging Beauty; Pleasant Diversions:Accomplishments; Pleasant Diversions:Literacy; Pleasant Diversions:Clothes), and some famous articles of Zhang Dai's, such as Xihuqiyueban (The Full Moon Festival at the West Lake) and Liujingtingshu (Liu Jingting: Storyteller).
In 2011, the compilation titled The Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Chinese-English Comparison) was published under the guidance of Zhou Xiaotian and Wang Hong. (cite: mingqing xiaopinwen) The collection features a systematic and comprehensive translation of 127 exceptional works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. To a certain extent, it fills the gap in the availability of English translations for short essays in the eras and offers a window into the life and social culture of these eras, allowing global readers to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

As is shown above, the English translations of familiar essays in the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties (from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries) as a whole appear in the form of selected, abstracted, and abridged works, and none of the other works have been fully translated to date except Cai Gen Tan (roots of wisdom). It is also worth noting that most of those works were translated by Chinese translators, which could indicate that short essays of this period as a whole have not attracted enough attention abroad.

The author tried to explain this phenomenon as follows. From the perspective of characteristics of familiar essays themselves, they cover various writing forms from records of excursions to informal letters, and display writers' life perceptions or understandings in a limited length of passages, which makes them not as unique or distinctive in the writing form as poems, novels or dramas, nor as profound in the content as philosophical or other professional classics, though they do share common with those in language beauty, knowledge or insights. Therefore, under the limited resources and conditions for introduction and promotion, translations of them are relatively neglected. In addition, despite English versions of Cai Gen Tan by Western translators, most of the translated works were done by Chinese translators, which could also imply that those works have not attracted the attention of Western translators who first acted as readers.

From the perspective of translators' motivations, the majority of translation activities, excluding those conducted by the government, maybe likely performed by people for livelihood reasons. In other words, works might be translated by bi-lingual or multi-lingual writers in exchange for payment to make a living. Consequently, if a translator starts a sample translation from an author's book but fails to find a publisher willing to pay for the translation of the entire one, the writer may not continue his work on the remaining parts. Furthermore, the presence of vague information in the original work, which cannot be verified in historical works of literature or may be difficult for the translator to understand properly, or content that does not quite meet the translator's interests may also be factors that prevent the presentation of the full translation.
From the perspective of translation and promotion, the commercialization of translation and publication necessitates that translated works fulfill market demand. In other words, they must cater to readers' expectations as well as possess cultural dissemination value. Nevertheless, when a society's overall material needs surpass its spiritual pursuits, utilitarian reading gains prominence over leisurely reading. Consequently, the public's expectations for literary works, particularly recreational books such as Xiaopin or short essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties, diminish. Meanwhile, the growth of traditional paper media publishing has experienced a decline due to the challenges posed by digital media networks, and this has also significantly influenced the translation and dissemination of literary works, with no exception for short essays of the Ming and Qing period.
===An Overview of Early Studies of English Translation of Representative Works===
1. Searching Results of Early Studies at Home and Abroad
In this part, the author gets results by searching for all relevant materials that are published and can be found before June 5th , 2023 on the CNKI, a major website of data resources for academic research, and the Web of Science, as well as Google Scholar.

Typing "Chinese literary vignettes" into Google scholar, there is only one book review relavant to the subject. When trying with "Chinese xiaopin", there is only a piece of academic dissertation related to the subject, which focuses on the studies of Zhang Dai's Tao An Yi Meng rather than the translation of it. There are also other key words, such as "Chinese short essays", "Chinese familiar essays","little prose", used to search for relevant papers in Google Scholar and the Web of Science, but no relevant paper is found.

When Chinese keywords related to this topic were typed into CNKI, the largest full text database of Chinese academic journals, there are findings as shown in the following table.

[[File:table.jpg]]

The number in the bracket shown in the table represents that of papers published in the core or top jounals in China. As is seen, the most researched work of xiaopin is Cai Gen Tan, with a total number of thirty senven papers but only three of them being high-quality. It is worth noting that there is only one piece of doctoral dissertation searched in this area. In terms of publication frequency, the average number of papers on the most research subject is less than two piece per year.

2. Perspectives or Main Contents of Early Studies
From the overall studies of the Ming and Qing essays, two papers discuss short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties as a whole. Taking the anthology of translated works of essays in the eras as the research object, Zhang Shunsheng and Wang Xiaoli discuss the title translation strategy of those works and concludes that the title translation of essays of this kind is still based on literal and free translation, with aesthetic principles as practical guidance (Zhang Shunsheng, Wang Li, 2013). The other analyzes the overseas acceptance of Short Essays of Ming and Qing Dynasties, discusses factors influencing the circulation and reception of the translation from the perspectives of translators, readers, translations, and translation environment, and formulates corresponding strategy suggestions based on the successful experience of Lin Yutang's translations (Zhang Xiaoxue, 2021). In Li Jie's dissertation for her doctoral degree, several works of Xiaopin are discussed as part of ancient Chinese artistic prose from a perspective of aesthetic communication.(Li Jie, 2008)

Others focus on individual case studies mainly from different perspectives such as aesthetic reproduction, translation strategies or methods, and translators' behavior analysis and so on. According to Ao Zheng, most studies of the English translation of Cai Gen Tan focus on translation strategies or approaches and each of them provides a summary of enlightenment from translation practice (Ao Zheng, 2020). For example, Chen Hui analyzes and discusses Jiang Jiansong's and Paul White's versions in comparison from the perspective of pragmatics. With examples of two versions analyzed from the equivalence of language to the equivalence of social interaction, she points out that in translation classics, translators need to follow the principles of contextual translation, conform to and meet the cultural background and reading expectations of the target readers, and carry out translation with the best contextual effect, so as to truly convey the intention of the original author to the target readers (Chen Hui, 2011). There is also an overview of translation history of different versions of Cai Gen Tan by Wang Yongzhen, who provide a clue of translations of the book and reflects on intralingual and interlingual translations as well as the understanding of the concept of "classics" and factors of being "classics" (Wang Yongzhen, 2017).

Studies on Lin Yutang's translation of You Meng Ying mainly discuss translation strategies from the perspective of aesthetic reproduction by analyzing the translation of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse. There is only one Chinese paper discussing the mistranslation in Lin's version by Xiao Xian and Liu Hongyu who attributed the mistranslation to Lin's "misinterpretation of the background knowledge of the original work" and "insufficient understanding or refinement of the original words and sentences" (Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu, 2007). But regrettably, they do not provide their solutions or translation in response.

===Review of Early Research on Translation Studies===
From the above overview, it can be seen that there is occasional research on the English translation of Chinese short essays written from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, but compared with the research done in other popular translation fields, the research in this field is still very much underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the published papers show shortcomings in the following aspects.

1. Not many of Total Papers and Much Less in High-quality Ones
There may be several possible reasons for it. Firstly, there are relatively fewer English translations of Ming and Qing short essays, and most translated works are not full versions of the original representatives of the times, which results in a scarcity of research materials. Secondly, the majority of translated works are completed by lesser-known translators compared to the more acclaimed translations. Therefore, it is less possible for them to attract researchers' attention, considering the translators' fame or the quality of their translations. Thirdly, at present, most researchers in this field are young postgraduate students, rather than university faculty who are experienced in translation practice and research, and no certain research groups have been established among them, which also makes it difficult to form a joint force to conduct systematic and in-depth research on short essays of the Ming and Qing period.

2. Limited Themes and Overlapping Perspectives without Adequate Originality and Innovation
The majority of research papers examine and discuss translations from an aesthetic perspective, concentrating on translations at micro levels such as words, phrases, sentences, and texts. A limited quantity of research papers focuses on culture and translators' identities, but each of them merely analyzing on a specific case study, which lacks a comprehensive and systematic vision of the translation of short essays during the period and draws a less objective conclusion. Although there are papers that analyze translations from a perspective of translation criticism by making comparisons between different versions of a certain work, most of them show full praise and personal admiration for famous translators, rather than making righteous assessments and providing rational reflection and in-depth discussion on the translated works themselves. In addition, most papers focus on the analysis and discussion of the main text, and the sub-texts of English versions, which could provide a fuller picture of the whole translation practice of the original book though, are normally neglected or discussed in a much smaller proportion of the whole paper.

3. More Individual Case Studies But Less Systematic Studies
A majority of papers focus on individual case studies rather than systematic and in-depth ones on a translator and all his translations or on a writer and all his translated works. According to Zhang Nanfeng, translation studies in China "tend to focus on only one or a few translations of a work rather than provide an in-depth study of a writer's works or a translator's entire translations, and a comprehensive and in-depth study of a genre or a period of translation is even rarer." He also shares his worries about when systematic knowledge reflecting the translation phenomenon will be accumulated by doing research in an existing way (Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:14-15). Given the short size of essays in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the incomplete translations of representatives, there is a lack of sufficient corpus to support the analysis of individual cases. This probably explains why there are fewer research papers on translations of other works than those on Cai Gen Tan and You Meng Ying. However, individual cases do not represent familiar essays of the Ming and Qing period as a whole. Translation studies on individual cases cannot comprehensively and deeply explore the translation strategies for short essays as a genre, and it is also difficult to verify the effectiveness of a translation theory to guide the translation practice of works of this kind. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the historical context and translation environment when examining translators or their translations. Without this comprehensive approach, any conclusions drawn will inevitably remain partial and incomplete.

===Research Reflects and Prospects===
Xiaopin of Ming and Qing dynasties, as a transition form between ancient and modern prose, not only has obvious characteristics of the times to deeply reflect the social culture and life patterns in a certain context of the social environment but is also unique due to its short size with sufficient content, poetic and elegant language, as well as intelligent and witty thoughts. Characterized by its literariness, insights, wits, and readability (being easier to be understood linguistically compared with ancient prose in China), xiaopin, or familiar essays during the Ming and Qing period has a natural reader advantage, especially in today's social environment with a fast pace of life and fragmented time patterns. The promotion of short essays of this kind can cater to the needs of a wide range of readers to use their fragmented time to get relaxed spiritually. Therefore, the promotion of the English translation of short essays in the eras can not only add more vivid and realistic details for Westerners to understand Chinese literature and its development, as well as Chinese attitudes and reaction to the world in a fuller picture but also provide a just right solution to the global readers' pursuit of self-cultivation or personality in nature.

In the future, there is still a wide space for the translation and dissemination of short essays of the Ming and Qing period into English and even into multiple languages, as well as the translation studies of them.

In terms of the production of translations, given the characteristics and nature of Ming and Qing essays, such as pursuing personality and innate sensibility shown in the works, future English translations for untranslated works or retranslations of existing translations may be more appropriate to be completed by freelance or commercial translation companies than those work for the government since some translation flexibility may be lost in the latter's versions. However, considering the relatively unfavorable market for literary translation, the government could also offer financial support to promote such projects. This may include providing subsidies for literary translation projects completed by freelance translators or translation companies, using the quantity and quality of translations as a reference. Such incentives would encourage more translators to engage in literary translation and ultimately improve the overall quality of translations. In addition, for the translation of literary works, it is also necessary to abandon the mentality of "not to translate non-serious literature and not to translate non-classical works". Instead, the nature of "literature" needs to be viewed with a more inclusive and open-minded attitude rather than being regarded as something "elegant" or "serious". The final destination of literature is life, life for all. If readers' acceptabilities and needs are ignored because of the exclusive pursuit of traditional "elegant or serious" literature, the value of literature itself is lost.

From the perspective of translation studies, more research angles or topics are waiting to be found, from the influence of original creation conditions or historical environment on the translatability of the source text to the important role that the relevant historical documents play in the application of certain translation strategies or the production of the final translation. Alternatively, in terms of interdisciplinary research, analysis of a translator's behavior, as well as the acceptance and dissemination effect of a certain translated work, from an economic or psychological perspective can also be explored.

In summary, translation, as a cultural communication activity, involves various fields of society, and the understanding of translation activities should not be limited to the translation field itself. While the short essays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a distinctive category of prose involving various fields of social life, deserve more attention in the literary translation field.

===References===
[1]Zhang Xiaoxue 张晓雪（2021）.“翻译说服论”视角下中华典籍外译与传播策略研究——以明清小品文英译为例[On the Extraverted Translation and Circulation of Ancient Chinese Classics from the Perspective of Persuasion - A Case Study of the English Versions of Some Short Essays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties][J]. Journal of Xiangtan University(Philosophy and Social Sciences) 湘潭大学学报(哲学社会科学版) 2021,45(05):171-176.
[2]Wang Yongzhen, Gu Yiyan王永真,顾怡燕（2017）.《菜根谭》译史初探[A Preliminary Study on the Translation History of Cai Gen Tan][J]. Shanghai Journal of Translator.上海翻译,2017,No.134(03):62-68.
[3]Chen Hui陈惠(2011).语用视野下《菜根谭》英译评析[A Review of the English TranslationS of Cai Gen Tan from the Perspective of Pragmatics][J].Social Sciences in Huna.湖南社会科学,2011,No.145(03):186-188.
[4]Xiao Xian, Liu Hongyu肖娴,刘红裕.(2007)《幽梦影》林译本误译评析[Criticism on Lin Yutang's Translation of Quiet Dream Shadows][J]. Journal of Maoming University茂名学院学报,2007,No.56(05):71-73+76.
[5]Zhao Botao 赵伯陶.（1999）《明清小品：个性天趣的显现》Xiaopin in Ming and Qing Dynasties : The Display of Personality and Enjoyment, Guangxi Normal University Press, 1999.06
[6]Li Jie李洁. （2008）The Same Music in Different Notes -- A Study on the Aesthetic Communication in the Translations of Chinese Classical Artistic Essays琴声何处不悠扬——中国古典艺术散文英译的审美沟通研究[D]. Suzhou University苏州大学,2008.

=202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)=

==The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature==

===Abstract===
Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

===Keywords===
Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = = =
===摘要===
中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

===关键词===
中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

===Introduction===
The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

===Chapter I. Women's Images in Western and Chinese Literatures: Brief Comparison.===

===1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.===
Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling":
"Her consciousness is clear and strong,
She finds salvation in her work,
She gets a reward for all she did:
Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina)
However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features.
In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.

===1.2. The Image of a Woman in Chinese Literature and its Specific Features: Overall Review.===
To begin with, it is important to stress the fact that Chinese literature itself is a valuable source of historical knowledge about one of the most high-context cultures existing nowadays. Chinese literature is still being studied by literary critics and sinologists around the world: a great contribution to the study of this scientific field was made by such scholars and researchers as Daniel Hsieh and Hu Ying whose main points will be analyzed and mentioned in this sub-chapter.

"Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction" by Daniel Hsieh is focused on the study of the most popular and influential female character prototypes in literary artworks circulating in times of the Six Dynasties as well as the Tang period. According to the researcher, the literature containing female portraits would display a wide range of historically valuable topics such as the place of a woman in the society of previous epochs, the perception of women through the prism of male author's perception, specificity of male fantasy, as well as unleashing the unique blend of Chinese folklore, setting a solid ground base for further research of such fundamental literary pieces like "Dream of the Red Chamber", which can be considered as a treasure of utterly detailed female character description.

First "小说" (xiaoshuo) are showing the noticeable pattern of Chinese men being attracted to "dangerous" and "mysterious" types of female characters. Fox-spirit serves as a perfect example of this tendency in the story of "Chunyu Jin" (淳于矜), being just one of the precedents among many other mystical Chinese female characters the display of which has reached its culmination in the literature of Ming and Qing dynasties. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 55)
Despite the deep impact that Confucianism had on every sphere of Chinese people's lives, people managed to find their way out to satisfy their heart's longings, sometimes mixing reality with the worlds of their dreams, fueled by enticing romantic stories of Tang and other periods. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 60)
The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to the popularity of "小说", the woman appeared not only as a mother or an exemplary daughter or wife model, but she was depicted as an object of male sexual fantasies. Sometimes the fidelity and love of a woman were valued more than her beauty. It is also noticeable how female characters of that time tend to break some of the Confucious canons, by being the first ones to approach the main male character, even though in reality it was something to never be done by a woman, making her human nature debatable in eyes of the man. (Daniel Hsieh 2008, 61)

Hu Ying when reviewing the book "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014) by Li Wai-yee, points out the importance of conducted research in the way it provides readers with a profound explanation of what role female characters played in the time of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from introducing clear and detailed information on women's education and their lifestyle based on poetry, the author states that a diverse set of female characters often served as "intermediaries or tropes" for a more appealing portrayal of male characters. (Hu Ying 2014, 285)
The Tang dynasty and in particular the works written in this era served as an impetus for the development of not only genres and their branches, but also in terms of bringing diversity to the description of female characters. The relationship between a man and a woman increasingly began to be presented from a brand new perspective not restricted and limited by Confucian canons. The novels expanded the image of a woman not only with a more detailed and aesthetic description of her appearance, but also with the ability to find a way out of difficult life situations. Due to the rise of "xiaoshuo" popularity in ancient China, different categories of female characters began to appear, making women's intellectual characteristics valued equally to their looks.

===Summary of the Chapter I===
As in the case of Western works, the spirit of patriarchy also remained present in the literature of Chinese authors. At the initial stage of the development of poetry, female images served as a kind of "tool" with which it was possible to fully reveal the image of a man. Confucian canons and morality had a significant impact on the ideal image of a woman. Since Confucianism is deeply rooted in every sphere of Chinese culture, for many centuries the most valuable character traits of female characters were the following: modesty, loyalty, humility, gentleness, and erudition. With the development of writing tradition the perception of female portraits has also evolved, setting the "fertile soil" for fantastic depictions of women, not bound by traditional moral and literary canons. Since then the female image has undergone major changes, which will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs.

===Chapter II. Identification of the Main Female Image Characteristics in Chinese Literature of Han, Tang, and Yuan Dynasties.===

===2.1. "飛燕外傳", Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (汉朝) (Han Dynasty)===

The earliest example of Chinese palace literature that is of big importance in terms of depicting female characters is "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", also known as "Unorthodox Biography of Zhao Feiyan". Ling Xuan, a former chancellor of Huainan in his preface to "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan" states, that the plot is viewed through the prism of "women's gaze", due to the fact that information was told from women's perspective by one of the palace concubines who was a relative of Zhao Feiyan. (Milburn Olivia 2018, 95)
The main female characters of this novella are Zhao Feiyan and her younger sister Zhao Hede, previously existing historical figures, whose biographies were quite controversial. When analyzing all literary pieces inspired by the impact sisters had on the situation in the palace, many of them contain a description of them being criminals, except for "飛燕外傳", which mainly focuses on the aesthetic part of their lives ( Milburn Olivia 2018, 97).

This exact novella portrays young Zhao Feiyan (whose given name was Yi Zhu) as an educated, intelligent, gifted dancer, talented not only in music, but also in learning Taoist practice. In one of the episodes, Feiyan holds her breath to maintain her body temperature at the level required to remain warm in cold weather. According to "飛燕外傳", a young woman got her name "Feiyan" (飛燕) or "Flying Swallow" due to her dainty figure and being light on her feet.

Hede's appearance is also described in an appealing, but rather abstract way, providing freedom for the reader's fantasy. Hede's body was described as smooth as if smeared with ointments, so after bathing her skin was never wet. In addition to this, Hede mastered the art of singing.

Even when they were servants, the sisters began to comprehend all the subtleties of the art of singing and dancing, furtively imitating dancers and singers. They could listen to singing all day long, sometimes they were so carried away by this pastime that they forgot about food. By that time, they knew they were in dire need of both money and a dress since almost all their savings were spent on trifles like ointments, bath fragrances, and powder.

Before describing the main events in the plot, the author briefly describes the life and occupation of their relatives to show the reader characters' origin. Their father, Feng Wanjin, was a songwriter, which, apparently, influenced both sisters' passion for the art of dancing and singing. The work describes Feiyan's ability to control body temperature through the use of breathing practices.

When she first met Emperor Feiyan, she was frightened and did not want to become his concubine. The emperor could not "bend" the young women's spirit for several days. When, after some time, the ladies of the palace, close to the king, asked him about the young girl, the emperor described her as soft, as if she had no bones, as well as being gentle and timid, After the appearance of the younger sister in the palace, the ruler begins to pay more attention to Hede and moves away from the elder Zhao. Feiyan begins to be jealous and worried about her position - she did not want to lose the title of "Lady Zhao" and just at that time one of the old servants - Fanyi - reminds the king of his duty - to bring a concubine closer to her, who will give birth to an heir. The work says that being too saddened by the lack of attention from the emperor, Feiyan begins to meet with servants and officers. At the same time, Hede tries to "protect" her sister's reputation with the emperor. But after Feiyan's birthday, the sisters' relationship deteriorates. Feiyan becomes more impulsive and begins to get involved in drugs that supposedly could prolong youth. Having quarreled with Feiyan over a slave, Hede calls out to her sister, reminds her of their difficult past together, and both sisters reconcile.

The author describes in detail the clothes of the youngest of the sisters - Hede, when she is going to the palace, saying that Hede took a bath twice, perfumed herself with the fragrant infusion of aloe from Jiuqu, and cleaned herself up like this: she twisted her hair into a knot "in a modern way", subtly drew her eyebrows with black mascara. in the style of "the outlines of distant mountains" and completed her dress with a careless touch, adding a red dot to her face. Lacking proper clothing, she wore a simple short-sleeved dress and an embroidered skirt and completed the outfit with plum-patterned socks. This passage provides valuable knowledge not only about the fashion trends of traditional China, but also about the personal preferences of the girl. Unlike her older sister, who used to bathe herself in water to which she added seven incense, Hede preferred a cardamom bath.

It is also notable, that this short novella contains depictions of certain erotic scenes, which, despite a very veiled description, also can serve as a source for characterizing the heroines. The main characters are described with an indication of all their vices, which adds realism to the work. The image of the fatal temperamental beauty Feiyan and her calmer but no less attractive younger sister Hede are still rightfully considered as striking female images in the initial stage of the development of the genre of biographies.

In many literary works, female characters are involved as key figures, or they can influence the development of the plot to a great extent. However, in the period of the Han dynasty, it is quite hard to find many writings in which the woman would play an important role in the development of the main storyline unless it's a story based on a real existing person, like in case with "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan". Another problem is quite acute and topical regarding this literary piece: even though Zhao Feiyan is considered to be one of the most famous, or, we can say, notorious characters in Chinese history and her biography is well-researched by Chinese scholars, the biggest contribution to the study of her character in the West was made by Olivia Milburn, what can be proved by some of her research papers. "Zhao Feiyan waizhuang" is not well-researched at the moment, even though it is of great historical and literary importance for Chinese literary framework.

===2.2. 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (唐朝) (Tang Dynasty)===

"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" or "Song of Everlasting Regret" is a dramatical poem written by renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, that had a great impact on the literary scene not only in China, but also abroad ("The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu) (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In this poem, the author tells the story of the love relationship between emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, who was accused of being linked to the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE.). In order to triumph in a battle, imperial warriors insisted on the slaughter of the consort, which eventually was carried out. A grief-stricken ruler successfully attempts to reach his lover's "soul" in another realm with a Taoist monk's assistance, being given a promise to reunite with her in the afterlife.

Equally to the case of analyzing Zhao Feiyan's portrait, studying Yang Guifei's image in this exact poem would not be right without considering the historical background. The execution of the consort can rightfully be considered the culmination of the poem, hence, it would be reasonable to study this part, relying on scholars' research papers as the solid ground for further assessment of Yang Guifei's portrait.

In the research article " History of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness" Russian sinologist Alexandre Storozhuk claims that Yang Guifei had an influential position in the palace due to the emperor's favor, that created a fertile ground for nepotism and her secret relationship with general An Lushan. (Storozhuk Alexandre 2009, 169) There are various theories regarding the relationship that emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had and what was the real reason behind the concubine's execution. According to the most trustworthy version, the emperor had a clue about the relations between An Lushan and his consort, because she danced a Sogdian dance, that was interpreted by the ruler as a sign of Yang Guifei's disloyalty. (Fay Beauchamp 2009).

In the poem, on the contrary, Bai Juyi doesn't mention any of Yang Guifei's wrongdoings, instead of it, he states that the emperor is the one who was influenced by her beauty. To support our point of view we will provide extracts from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" translated by Ying Sun.

"Her heavenly glamour could not be concealed forever.
One day she was chosen to entertain the Emperor.
When she turned and smiled, the coquetry created was tremendous,
Rendering all concubines of the six palaces lusterless. "
(Translation from Chinese into English by Ying Sun (c) 2008)

Taking into account these poetic lines mentioned in the first verse, it is possible to draw a vague, yet quite vivid image of Yang Guifei's appearance. In one of the following verses the author depicts her in a more detailed way, describing her skin as "creamy", her face as "flowery" and her hair as "cloud-like". Even though the descriptions of her appearance tend to be to the highest degree appealing, her beauty and the effect that she had on emperor Xuanzong are mainly shown through verses like:

"Between revels and banquets, the Emperor was fully occupied.
Every spring day they toured and by night they copulated.
All three thousand concubines in the rear palaces were ignored.
On only one person was the royal affection concentrated."

Based on the mentioned verse we can see how much Yang Guifei was adored by the emperor, being the outstanding female figure in the ruler's harem, drawing the emperor's attention to her persona. Despite the abstract vividness of her physical portrayal, her character is described solely through her deeds: for instance, the way that she helped her relatives to hold high positions at the court:

"All her sisters and brothers had royal demesnes granted.
Imperial but pitiful glory on the Yang family was bestowed."

Concluding everything mentioned above, we can see that despite some historical evidence of the consort's misdeeds, Bai Juyi managed to some extent rehabilitate the image of Yang Guifei by creating his poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and avoiding mentioning her love affair with An Lushan.

===2.3. 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer" (元朝) (Yuan Dynasty)===

"Snow in Midsummer" also known in the West as "Dou E Yuan" or "The Injustice to Dou E" is a play written in times of the Yuan dynasty by one of the most influential and prominent playwrights of that time Guan Hanqing. Even though there are numerous translations of this literary piece, the most renowned one was done by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Despite its wide dissemination in the English-speaking world, some scholars have detected certain deviations or inaccuracies in terms of cultural representation, syntax, and the possible ambiguity of interpretation of some terms (Cao Guangtao, Liu Zilei 2020, 21).

In this drama play the main attention is focused on telling the story of a girl Dou E (in some other versions of translation called Tou Ngo), that was given by her poor father to the widow Mrs. Tsai, who later gave a new name to the girl - Dou E. She marries Mrs. Tsai's son who dies 3 years after, and in accordance with her deeply rooted loyalty to Confuscious morality, she doesn't accept the marriage proposal from one of the play's antagonists - Donkey, the son of a poor Old Chang who in his turn marries Mrs. Tsai for saving her from Doctor Lu, who tried to strangle the widow. Dou E strongly disapproves of Mrs. Tsai's decision to marry Old Chang, commenting on her age:

"Now your hair is as white as snow,
How can you wear the bright silk veil of a bride?...
You're no tender bamboo shoot, no tender shoot.
How can you paint your eyebrows and remarry?"

Dou E also laments the fact that women's moral character traits such as loyalty, ability to love sincerely, and decency are long gone, which also creates her portrait as of an upright model role of a traditional Chinese woman abiding Confucious canons:

"Unwilling to sleep alone;
First, she married one, and now she has picked another....
And before their husband's graves are dry
They set aside their mourning for new clothes....
Where is the woman whose tears for her husband
Caused the Great Wall to crumble?"

Apart from being headstrong with her beliefs, she also is very kindhearted, which can be noticed in the third act of the drama: to save her mother-in-law, the young woman admits her guilt for the crime she did not commit and gets executed.

The plot involves numerous literary cliches which would often be intervened and widespread in the literature of that time: paranormal things (ghosts in particular), a step-mother figure that usually turns out to be rather negative (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416) and, the cliched fate of the main character to suffer in real life to get revenge on those who wronged them. Stories featuring ghosts can be met in Chinese fiction of all periods. (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 399). Many writings that involved female ghosts would in most cases be related to love stories in which lovers reunite in the afterlife, while the main character of "Snow in Midsummer" Dou E represents a vengeful type of ghost, that seeks justice and craves punishment for those who accused her of committing one of the most cruel crimes regarding Confucius morality: poisoning her father in law. Taking into consideration certain studies dedicated to the analysis of ghost images in Chinese literature, we can get a deeper understanding of Dou E as a female character, as well as emphasize the importance of studying her female portrait.
Among all types of ghosts in Chinese literary pieces, Dou E can be attributed to the "avenging ghost type", which is described in detail in one of the chapters of the study conducted by Anthony C. Yu.

In this exact short play, we consider it reasonable to mention not only the main character Dou E, or, as she was referred to before her father left her Duanyun (Tuan-yun), but also her step-mother, widow Mistress Tsai, who also in a great way contributes to the plot's development. Unlike stepmothers mentioned by Anthony C. Yu in his study (Anthony C. Yu, 1987, 416)., she is represented as a relatively neutral character, if not as a victim of certain circumstances.

Speaking of the reception this play got in the West, we can say that it is highly receptive, especially in modern literary society. It also serves as a subject for many studies in the literary field: the main female character Dou E is compared to Shakespearean characters - Christina-Madalina Dinu in her research "A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare" draws an analogy by outlining main features of ghost images in both works and comparing them. The scholar stresses the fact that both plays have strong connotations to religion and express authors' rebellious tendencies regarding the social system of that time, as well as have justice as the common theme of plays (Christina-Madalina Dinu 2021, 131).

Since it's a play, the plot can undergo slight changes, depending on the preference of the play director. The original version of the text was translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in the second half of the 20th century and recently got changed by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig in 2017, unfolding the story in a modern setting and making some adjustments in the characters set (Ying Keyi, 2021).

===Conclusion of Chapter II===
The evolution of female characters in literary works written in different periods of Chinese history tends to portray women in various ways. Even though it would be incorrect to describe the way women were portrayed in certain dynasties solely based on one literary piece and regard it as the reflection of this whole period, analyzing not very well-known pieces, or analyzing famous and important novellas from a different perspective, supporting the analysis with studies conducted by other researchers would result in a contribution to the research in the literary field.

===Chapter 3 The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West===

===3.1. Reception of Chinese Literature by Western Countries: Variation and Obstacles===

The history of the reception of Chinese female characters in the West can be traced back to the first literary pieces that arrived in the Western world. For instance, the version of "Cinderella" that is known in almost any part of the world, in fact, originates from the oldest version of it, which was previously invented in 9th century China and its original plot is quite different from the version that is familiar to the modern reader in Western countries (Derk Bodde, 2004, 2).

Talking about the reception of Chinese literature in the 18th century, it is valuable to mention Voltaire, one of the most authoritative and prolific philosophers and writers of 18th-century Europe, who also made his contribution to the dissemination of Chinese culture and ideas in the Western world. "The Chinese Orphan" is a play produced by Voltaire, based on the 13th-century Chinese zaju play called "The Orphan of Zhao" that underwent some adjustments before being introduced to the Western public (Derk Bodde, 2004, 6). The play itself was translated by Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare in 1731 and is considered to be the first Chinese play translated into a European language(Liu Wuchi 1953, 193). It also served as the source of inspiration for Goethe's "Elpenor", that wasn't finished (Derk Bodde, 2004, 10).

Fashion for Chinese culture that was called "chinoiserie" became widely spread in Europe in the 17-18th centuries has eventually led to the increased import of Chinese literature, which resulted not only in the fact that more European readers started to read Chinese literature, but chinoiserie has also influenced works of European authors. A new form of literature called "Chinese letters" appeared, usually uncovering stories about the adventures of a Chinese sage in Europe (Derk Bodde, 2004, 9). Thus, we can state that the process of cultural exchange between China and Europe in previous centuries never was one-sided.

Taking into consideration all mentioned above, we can see that when Chinese literature came into contact with the Western world, in order to be perceived and get an increased reception, it had to be adapted to fit the certain standards of the receptive culture. Shunqin Qiao in his research on variation theory and the reception of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world has studied in what way Chinese Literature was influenced to get adopted and accepted in the West. He states that the dissemination of Chinese literature is not possible without certain risks of it being misread or misinterpreted by translators(Cao Shunqing 2015, 2). This happens due to the fact that heterogeneous cultures have their own "filters" which screen out the literature that can be accepted, not accepted, or accepted only after being altered to some extent, to comply with the standards of the receiving culture. That is the reason for the "variation" to occur(Cao Shunqing 2015, 3). The translator has to aim for not only the translation itself, but also take into consideration the ways to make the literary piece cater the taste of Western readership. Cao Shunqing pays attention to the importance of understanding the theories, literature, and aesthetics of different civilizations, relying on the discursive rules and theoretical discourses of Chinese literary tradition. Doing so will result in an improved dissimilation process, as well as in reaching a much deeper level of reception. To prove the rightness of his statements regarding the crucial role of translation in his study, the researcher draws another example by referring to two translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": the more successfully accepted one was done by David Hawkes, owing to the language style, and the one that despite being inferior to the original, was less successful in terms of the reception was done by Hsien-yi Yang and Gladys Yang. Consequently, the Chinese original version of the text that was to some extent altered with certain variations gets "recreated" for improved perception in the West(Cao Shunqing 2015, 6).

===3.2. Reception of Chinese Female Characters in the West: Problematiques and Proposed Solutions===

Currently, there is an apparent shortage of studies with a systematized comparative analysis of female characters in Chinese ancient literature. Usually works that are considered to be classics or which got widely recognized in both China and abroad were studied more frequently and on a much deeper level than those, which might be known in China, but less known abroad or not translated in other languages. Even though there is a wide range of factors that influence the perception of Chinese literature in the West, translation plays a decisive role in its adaptation. Yanyan Bi and Deyu Zhang claim that for the past few years, very few papers that would be focused on the analysis and perception of Chinese female characters in Chinese classical literature were written (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 3). The shortage of such researches leads to many drawbacks in female literary studies: firstly, it results in a lack of historical knowledge about the way Western society perceived Chinese female images, and if there were some more researches conducted regarding this matter, it would provide scholars with greater evidence about the reflections of Western people, perhaps, some comparison of Chinese and Western female portraits. Secondly, it would provide more evidence for tracing the evolution of Chinese female characters starting from ancient times to modernity. Thirdly, more advanced research regarding this matter would contribute to female studies.

In a study conducted by Bi Yanyan and Zhang Deyu researchers provide an analysis of female images in Classical literature, based on a comparison of both original text and its translation done by using corpus-based machine translation, to obtain data on the perception of Chinese female characters in other languages and identify certain cases of variation (Bi Yanyan, Zhang Deyu 2021, 6).
Despite the staggering amount of profound research works focused on the study of Chinese women and changes in their role in society done by both Chinese and Western scholars, not much attention is drawn to the analysis of female portraits in pre-war literature.

===Conclusion===

In the process of conducting the research, we have studied and analyzed Chinese female characters in literary works written at the time of different dynasties. These works include: "飛燕外傳" "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", 《长恨歌》"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and 《窦娥冤》"Snow in Midsummer". We have identified the change in characters' portrayal in terms of the degree to which they are depicted - the character's description evolves from a brief description, to more profound and detailed. Previously serving as a "tool" for male character's portrayal, female characters start taking the leading role in the plot, representing the change of focus from woman's beauty to woman's beliefs and moral values.

As for the Western reception of Chinese female characters in ancient literature, we have concluded that the decisive role in literary works reception is played by translation. Having supported our conclusions with the research of other scholars, as well as with our reasons, we consider it important to emphasize that for Chinese literature to become highly accepted in the West, it is essential to go through "adaptation" to become more appealing for western readers by adding variation in translation for increased dissemination of the literature.

We believe that our research will not only draw attention to the lack of sufficient studies dedicated to the way Chinese female characters are perceived in the West, but also provide a fertile ground for future profound studies in this field.

===Reference===

1) Ivan Solovkov. (1985). Anthology of Pedagogical Thought in Russia in the 17th Century. 479.

2) Daniel Hsieh. (2008). Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction. Chinese University Press. 340.

3) (Hu Ying. (2014). Reviewed Work: Wai-yee Li. Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature. Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 92. China Review International, Vol. 21, No. 3/4, pp. 285-288.

4) Olivia Milburn. (2018). On "Zhao Feiyan waizhuan", China's Earliest Erotic Fiction. OLIVIA MILBURN Asia Major, THIRD SERIES, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-117.

5) Fay Beauchamp. (2009). History, Literature, and the Construction of "Memory" in Asia. Tang Dynasty Revolution and Poetry: Bai Juyi’s “Construction” of Yang Guifei.

6) Alexandre Storozhuk. (2010). The History of Xuanzong and Yang Kui-fei in Tang Literature: the Choice Between the Duty of the Ruler and Personal Happiness. Vestnik of St. Petersburg State University. Ser. 13, no. 2. 168-173.

7) Guangtao Cao, Zilei Liu. (2020). A Translation Deviation Analysis of the English Version Snow in Midsummer — from the Systemic Functional Approach. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 537. 21-25.

8) Anthony C. Yu. (1987). "Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit!" Ghosts in Traditional Chinese Prose Fiction,Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 397-434.

9) Christina-Madalina Dinu. (2021). A Comparative Study of the Ghost Literary Motif in Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing and Hamlet by Shakespeare. DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202101010

10) Keyi Ying. (2021). The Use of Language, Characterization, and Tension in Snow in Midsummer. Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Shanghai, China 2021 International Conference Education and Management, 118-120.

11) (Derk Bodde. (2004). Chinese Ideas in the West. Asiatic studies in American education Vol. 3. China: a Teaching Workbook. Asia for Educators. Columbia University. 1-13.

12) Wuchi Liu. (1953). The Original Orphan of China. Comparative Literature. Comparative Literature. Vol. 5, No. 3. Duke University Press. 193–212.

13) Shunqing Cao. (2015). Variation Theory and the Reception of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World. Comparative Literature and Culture Vol.17 Issue 1.: DOI:10.7771/1481-4374.2599

14) Yanyan Bi. Deyu Zhang. (2021). A Study on Female Image Alienation Translation in Chinese Classical Literature Based on Computer Corpus. : J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1915/2/022039

20230630 Classics

2023-06-05T12:48:06Z

Fu Jing: /* Final Exam Papers */

==Final Exam Papers==
Please think of a topic in relation to Chinese classics and their reception history in the West and list your topic with your name here. As soon as it will be approved by the teacher, you can start writing in one of the sub-websites beneath (see bottom of the page).

{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="3"| „Students' Final Exam Topic Suggestions and Teacher Comments“
|-
| 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi
| Current Situation of the Communication and Reflections on the English Translation of The Art of War
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
| The Translation Methods and Strategies of Chinese Classics: A Case Study on Chuang Tzu
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 李心田 Li Xintian
| On the Translation and Reception History of the ''Tao Te Ching''
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIU YUQING - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
| The Translation and Transmission of the ''Yijing'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI YAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu
| On the Dissemination and Translation of the Analects in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
| On the Dissemination and Translation of ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' in Europe
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan
| On the Communication Effect in the English Translation of The Analects of Confucius
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈婧 Chen Jing
| The Translation of Chinese Scientific and Technological Classics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu
| Systematic Literature Review of the English translations of Chinese Traditional Philosophical works
|-
| 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
| The Translations of the ''Shijing'' and Its Dissemination in the Western World
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 付静 Fu Jing
| A Systematic Literature Review of Studies on English translations of Chinese Artistic Essays
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina)
| The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Ancient Chinese Literature
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| Mohammed Ali Saleh ALi Al AWDI
| Systematic Literature Review of the History of English translations of the ''Dream of the Red Chamber''
|-
| 李彦 Li Yan
| The Reception and Influence of the ''I Ching'' (Book of Changes) in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIAO LUJIA - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing
| The Reception and Translation of the ''Tao Te Ching'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI XINTIAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 王芳玲 Wang Fangling
| The Influence of Confucianism on Western Philosophy and Ethics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
|}

The deadline has been extended to '''June 5, 2023'''. Please find a paper you want to proof read, contact the author, proof read (by copying each paragraph and make corrections/suggestions in the copy) and sign until June 5. The author then finalizes (works in the suggestions) until the final deadline June 15! Altogether 5,000 English words.

==Structure==
需要有topic、学生姓名、学号、专业、Abstract、Key words、题目、摘要、关键词、不同的章回（比如1. Introduction、2. ...、3. ……、4.……、5. Conclusion、References)、然后还需要每个阶段以后有来源。一个阶段不要超过100英文词。每个章回会有几个阶段没问题。每个阶段以后需要一个同学的这个阶段的修改。总共5千个英文词。

==Tips for writing your final exam paper: How to indicate your references==
*You can use the existing book chapters here as an example.
*Please write the text and indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17. And then, you need to add a section at the end called "References". There you write the full version of the reference: Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学. Similarly, you do it for papers: Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Do '''not''' write any references like in one of the sample chapters:

[1] dsalkfkdsa

[2] adsfadsfag

But only the following way:

(Liu Miqing 2010, 17) in the text

and then

'''References'''
*Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学.

Also, please avoid using the three apostrophes like ' ' ' (without spaces). Use the equal signs to mark headers and subheaders instead. If your paper topic has two equal signs at the beginning and end of your topic, then use three equal signs for your sub headers. Example (without spaces):
= = Topic = =
< c e n t e r > Student Name, Student no. < / c e n t e r >
= = = Abstract = = =
This chapter is on ....
= = = Key Words = = =
Egg, Hen
= = = 题目 = = =
= = = 摘要 = = =
= = = 关键词 = = =
= = = Introduction = = =
Here starts the normal text of the chapter. Please remember to indicate the source of EACH PARAGRAPH, sometimes even of single sentences. You can indicate it like this. (Woesler 2020, 345) And don't forget to mention the full bibliographical entry beneath under ''References''.
= = = The Egg = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = The Hen = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = Conclusion = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = References = = =
Woesler, Martin. (2020). Responsibility and Ethics in Times of Corona. Woesler, Martin and Hans-Martin Sass eds. ''Medicine and Ethics in Times of Corona'' Muenster: LIT

==Sample papers==
You can find the full papers also on the Webpage [[History of Translation Studies]]). They are marked with "Sample paper".
* A Comparative Study between Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theory and My thoughts on the Two Theories
* An Analysis of the Book of Contemporary Translation Theories and Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications
* Comparative Study on Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theroy
* Comparison of Derrida’s and Benjamin’s Translation View
* Impacts of Western Translation Theories on The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish
* On the Comparison between "Sublimation" an "Functonal Equivalence" Theories
* Study on Gladys’ Translation of The Border Town from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics
* The Translation of Culture-loaded Words in Chinese-English Communication
* Translators' Views on Translation Influence Their Translation Behavior

==Sub-Websites to write your final exam paper on==
[[20230630_final_exam|final exam page]]

As a reference, here is the information about last year's final exam papers:

The website where everybody wrote their final exam paper on became too big and produced a database error. Therefore we split the website into 10 small websites. They are sorted like the chapters in the book. Please look for your name and find the right of the 10 small websites to edit your book chapter. Everybody also needs to help to improve other book chapters (copy a paragraph, paste it beneath, make your corrections in the paragraph and sign it).

Here you can write your Final Exam Papers:

*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_1 Part 1, (samples)]
*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_2 Part 2, (samples)]
*[[20230630_final_exam_01]] First group of students: 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi, 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
*[[20230630_final_exam_02]] 2nd group of students: 李心田 Li Xintian, 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
*[[20230630_final_exam_03]] 3rd group of students: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu, 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
*[[20230630_final_exam_04]] 4th group of students: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan, 陈婧 Chen Jing
*[[20230630_final_exam_05]] 5th group of students: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu, 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
*[[20230630_final_exam_06]] 6th group of students: 付静 Fu Jing, 夏玲珑 Madina
*[[20230630_final_exam_07]] 7th group of students: Mohammed AWDI, 李彦 Li Yan
*[[20230630_final_exam_08]] 8th group of students: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing, 王芳玲 Wang Fangling

20230630 Classics

2023-06-05T12:47:21Z

Fu Jing: /* Final Exam Papers */

==Final Exam Papers==
Please think of a topic in relation to Chinese classics and their reception history in the West and list your topic with your name here. As soon as it will be approved by the teacher, you can start writing in one of the sub-websites beneath (see bottom of the page).

{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="3"| „Students' Final Exam Topic Suggestions and Teacher Comments“
|-
| 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi
| Current Situation of the Communication and Reflections on the English Translation of The Art of War
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
| The Translation Methods and Strategies of Chinese Classics: A Case Study on Chuang Tzu
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 李心田 Li Xintian
| On the Translation and Reception History of the ''Tao Te Ching''
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIU YUQING - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
| The Translation and Transmission of the ''Yijing'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI YAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu
| On the Dissemination and Translation of the Analects in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
| On the Dissemination and Translation of ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' in Europe
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan
| On the Communication Effect in the English Translation of The Analects of Confucius
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈婧 Chen Jing
| The Translation of Chinese Scientific and Technological Classics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu
| Systematic Literature Review of the English translations of Chinese Traditional Philosophical works
|-
| 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
| The Translations of the ''Shijing'' and Its Dissemination in the Western World
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 付静 Fu Jing
| Systematic Literature Review of Studies on English translations of Chinese Artistic Essays
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina)
| The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Ancient Chinese Literature
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| Mohammed Ali Saleh ALi Al AWDI
| Systematic Literature Review of the History of English translations of the ''Dream of the Red Chamber''
|-
| 李彦 Li Yan
| The Reception and Influence of the ''I Ching'' (Book of Changes) in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIAO LUJIA - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing
| The Reception and Translation of the ''Tao Te Ching'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI XINTIAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 王芳玲 Wang Fangling
| The Influence of Confucianism on Western Philosophy and Ethics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
|}

The deadline has been extended to '''June 5, 2023'''. Please find a paper you want to proof read, contact the author, proof read (by copying each paragraph and make corrections/suggestions in the copy) and sign until June 5. The author then finalizes (works in the suggestions) until the final deadline June 15! Altogether 5,000 English words.

==Structure==
需要有topic、学生姓名、学号、专业、Abstract、Key words、题目、摘要、关键词、不同的章回（比如1. Introduction、2. ...、3. ……、4.……、5. Conclusion、References)、然后还需要每个阶段以后有来源。一个阶段不要超过100英文词。每个章回会有几个阶段没问题。每个阶段以后需要一个同学的这个阶段的修改。总共5千个英文词。

==Tips for writing your final exam paper: How to indicate your references==
*You can use the existing book chapters here as an example.
*Please write the text and indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17. And then, you need to add a section at the end called "References". There you write the full version of the reference: Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学. Similarly, you do it for papers: Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Do '''not''' write any references like in one of the sample chapters:

[1] dsalkfkdsa

[2] adsfadsfag

But only the following way:

(Liu Miqing 2010, 17) in the text

and then

'''References'''
*Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学.

Also, please avoid using the three apostrophes like ' ' ' (without spaces). Use the equal signs to mark headers and subheaders instead. If your paper topic has two equal signs at the beginning and end of your topic, then use three equal signs for your sub headers. Example (without spaces):
= = Topic = =
< c e n t e r > Student Name, Student no. < / c e n t e r >
= = = Abstract = = =
This chapter is on ....
= = = Key Words = = =
Egg, Hen
= = = 题目 = = =
= = = 摘要 = = =
= = = 关键词 = = =
= = = Introduction = = =
Here starts the normal text of the chapter. Please remember to indicate the source of EACH PARAGRAPH, sometimes even of single sentences. You can indicate it like this. (Woesler 2020, 345) And don't forget to mention the full bibliographical entry beneath under ''References''.
= = = The Egg = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = The Hen = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = Conclusion = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = References = = =
Woesler, Martin. (2020). Responsibility and Ethics in Times of Corona. Woesler, Martin and Hans-Martin Sass eds. ''Medicine and Ethics in Times of Corona'' Muenster: LIT

==Sample papers==
You can find the full papers also on the Webpage [[History of Translation Studies]]). They are marked with "Sample paper".
* A Comparative Study between Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theory and My thoughts on the Two Theories
* An Analysis of the Book of Contemporary Translation Theories and Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications
* Comparative Study on Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theroy
* Comparison of Derrida’s and Benjamin’s Translation View
* Impacts of Western Translation Theories on The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish
* On the Comparison between "Sublimation" an "Functonal Equivalence" Theories
* Study on Gladys’ Translation of The Border Town from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics
* The Translation of Culture-loaded Words in Chinese-English Communication
* Translators' Views on Translation Influence Their Translation Behavior

==Sub-Websites to write your final exam paper on==
[[20230630_final_exam|final exam page]]

As a reference, here is the information about last year's final exam papers:

The website where everybody wrote their final exam paper on became too big and produced a database error. Therefore we split the website into 10 small websites. They are sorted like the chapters in the book. Please look for your name and find the right of the 10 small websites to edit your book chapter. Everybody also needs to help to improve other book chapters (copy a paragraph, paste it beneath, make your corrections in the paragraph and sign it).

Here you can write your Final Exam Papers:

*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_1 Part 1, (samples)]
*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_2 Part 2, (samples)]
*[[20230630_final_exam_01]] First group of students: 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi, 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
*[[20230630_final_exam_02]] 2nd group of students: 李心田 Li Xintian, 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
*[[20230630_final_exam_03]] 3rd group of students: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu, 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
*[[20230630_final_exam_04]] 4th group of students: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan, 陈婧 Chen Jing
*[[20230630_final_exam_05]] 5th group of students: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu, 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
*[[20230630_final_exam_06]] 6th group of students: 付静 Fu Jing, 夏玲珑 Madina
*[[20230630_final_exam_07]] 7th group of students: Mohammed AWDI, 李彦 Li Yan
*[[20230630_final_exam_08]] 8th group of students: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing, 王芳玲 Wang Fangling

20230630 Classics

2023-06-05T12:46:04Z

Fu Jing: /* Final Exam Papers */

==Final Exam Papers==
Please think of a topic in relation to Chinese classics and their reception history in the West and list your topic with your name here. As soon as it will be approved by the teacher, you can start writing in one of the sub-websites beneath (see bottom of the page).

{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="3"| „Students' Final Exam Topic Suggestions and Teacher Comments“
|-
| 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi
| Current Situation of the Communication and Reflections on the English Translation of The Art of War
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
| The Translation Methods and Strategies of Chinese Classics: A Case Study on Chuang Tzu
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 李心田 Li Xintian
| On the Translation and Reception History of the ''Tao Te Ching''
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIU YUQING - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
| The Translation and Transmission of the ''Yijing'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI YAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu
| On the Dissemination and Translation of the Analects in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
| On the Dissemination and Translation of ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' in Europe
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan
| On the Communication Effect in the English Translation of The Analects of Confucius
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈婧 Chen Jing
| The Translation of Chinese Scientific and Technological Classics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu
| Systematic Literature Review of the English translations of Chinese Traditional Philosophical works
|-
| 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
| The Translations of the ''Shijing'' and Its Dissemination in the Western World
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 付静 Fu Jing
| Systematic Literature Review of English translations of Chinese Artistic Essays
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina)
| The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Ancient Chinese Literature
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| Mohammed Ali Saleh ALi Al AWDI
| Systematic Literature Review of the History of English translations of the ''Dream of the Red Chamber''
|-
| 李彦 Li Yan
| The Reception and Influence of the ''I Ching'' (Book of Changes) in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIAO LUJIA - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing
| The Reception and Translation of the ''Tao Te Ching'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI XINTIAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 王芳玲 Wang Fangling
| The Influence of Confucianism on Western Philosophy and Ethics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
|}

The deadline has been extended to '''June 5, 2023'''. Please find a paper you want to proof read, contact the author, proof read (by copying each paragraph and make corrections/suggestions in the copy) and sign until June 5. The author then finalizes (works in the suggestions) until the final deadline June 15! Altogether 5,000 English words.

==Structure==
需要有topic、学生姓名、学号、专业、Abstract、Key words、题目、摘要、关键词、不同的章回（比如1. Introduction、2. ...、3. ……、4.……、5. Conclusion、References)、然后还需要每个阶段以后有来源。一个阶段不要超过100英文词。每个章回会有几个阶段没问题。每个阶段以后需要一个同学的这个阶段的修改。总共5千个英文词。

==Tips for writing your final exam paper: How to indicate your references==
*You can use the existing book chapters here as an example.
*Please write the text and indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17. And then, you need to add a section at the end called "References". There you write the full version of the reference: Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学. Similarly, you do it for papers: Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Do '''not''' write any references like in one of the sample chapters:

[1] dsalkfkdsa

[2] adsfadsfag

But only the following way:

(Liu Miqing 2010, 17) in the text

and then

'''References'''
*Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学.

Also, please avoid using the three apostrophes like ' ' ' (without spaces). Use the equal signs to mark headers and subheaders instead. If your paper topic has two equal signs at the beginning and end of your topic, then use three equal signs for your sub headers. Example (without spaces):
= = Topic = =
< c e n t e r > Student Name, Student no. < / c e n t e r >
= = = Abstract = = =
This chapter is on ....
= = = Key Words = = =
Egg, Hen
= = = 题目 = = =
= = = 摘要 = = =
= = = 关键词 = = =
= = = Introduction = = =
Here starts the normal text of the chapter. Please remember to indicate the source of EACH PARAGRAPH, sometimes even of single sentences. You can indicate it like this. (Woesler 2020, 345) And don't forget to mention the full bibliographical entry beneath under ''References''.
= = = The Egg = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = The Hen = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = Conclusion = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = References = = =
Woesler, Martin. (2020). Responsibility and Ethics in Times of Corona. Woesler, Martin and Hans-Martin Sass eds. ''Medicine and Ethics in Times of Corona'' Muenster: LIT

==Sample papers==
You can find the full papers also on the Webpage [[History of Translation Studies]]). They are marked with "Sample paper".
* A Comparative Study between Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theory and My thoughts on the Two Theories
* An Analysis of the Book of Contemporary Translation Theories and Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications
* Comparative Study on Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theroy
* Comparison of Derrida’s and Benjamin’s Translation View
* Impacts of Western Translation Theories on The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish
* On the Comparison between "Sublimation" an "Functonal Equivalence" Theories
* Study on Gladys’ Translation of The Border Town from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics
* The Translation of Culture-loaded Words in Chinese-English Communication
* Translators' Views on Translation Influence Their Translation Behavior

==Sub-Websites to write your final exam paper on==
[[20230630_final_exam|final exam page]]

As a reference, here is the information about last year's final exam papers:

The website where everybody wrote their final exam paper on became too big and produced a database error. Therefore we split the website into 10 small websites. They are sorted like the chapters in the book. Please look for your name and find the right of the 10 small websites to edit your book chapter. Everybody also needs to help to improve other book chapters (copy a paragraph, paste it beneath, make your corrections in the paragraph and sign it).

Here you can write your Final Exam Papers:

*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_1 Part 1, (samples)]
*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_2 Part 2, (samples)]
*[[20230630_final_exam_01]] First group of students: 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi, 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
*[[20230630_final_exam_02]] 2nd group of students: 李心田 Li Xintian, 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
*[[20230630_final_exam_03]] 3rd group of students: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu, 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
*[[20230630_final_exam_04]] 4th group of students: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan, 陈婧 Chen Jing
*[[20230630_final_exam_05]] 5th group of students: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu, 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
*[[20230630_final_exam_06]] 6th group of students: 付静 Fu Jing, 夏玲珑 Madina
*[[20230630_final_exam_07]] 7th group of students: Mohammed AWDI, 李彦 Li Yan
*[[20230630_final_exam_08]] 8th group of students: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing, 王芳玲 Wang Fangling

20230630 Classics

2023-06-05T10:40:32Z

Fu Jing: /* Final Exam Papers */

==Final Exam Papers==
Please think of a topic in relation to Chinese classics and their reception history in the West and list your topic with your name here. As soon as it will be approved by the teacher, you can start writing in one of the sub-websites beneath (see bottom of the page).

{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="3"| „Students' Final Exam Topic Suggestions and Teacher Comments“
|-
| 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi
| Current Situation of the Communication and Reflections on the English Translation of The Art of War
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
| The Translation Methods and Strategies of Chinese Classics: A Case Study on Chuang Tzu
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 李心田 Li Xintian
| On the Translation and Reception History of the ''Tao Te Ching''
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIU YUQING - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
| The Translation and Transmission of the ''Yijing'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI YAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu
| On the Dissemination and Translation of the Analects in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
| On the Dissemination and Translation of ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' in Europe
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan
| On the Communication Effect in the English Translation of The Analects of Confucius
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈婧 Chen Jing
| The Translation of Chinese Scientific and Technological Classics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu
| Systematic Literature Review of the English translations of Chinese Traditional Philosophical works
|-
| 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
| The Translations of the ''Shijing'' and Its Dissemination in the Western World
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 付静 Fu Jing
| Systematic Literature Review of English translations of Chinese classical prose
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina)
| The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Ancient Chinese Literature
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| Mohammed Ali Saleh ALi Al AWDI
| Systematic Literature Review of the History of English translations of the ''Dream of the Red Chamber''
|-
| 李彦 Li Yan
| The Reception and Influence of the ''I Ching'' (Book of Changes) in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIAO LUJIA - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing
| The Reception and Translation of the ''Tao Te Ching'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI XINTIAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 王芳玲 Wang Fangling
| The Influence of Confucianism on Western Philosophy and Ethics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
|}

The deadline has been extended to '''June 5, 2023'''. Please find a paper you want to proof read, contact the author, proof read (by copying each paragraph and make corrections/suggestions in the copy) and sign until June 5. The author then finalizes (works in the suggestions) until the final deadline June 15! Altogether 5,000 English words.

==Structure==
需要有topic、学生姓名、学号、专业、Abstract、Key words、题目、摘要、关键词、不同的章回（比如1. Introduction、2. ...、3. ……、4.……、5. Conclusion、References)、然后还需要每个阶段以后有来源。一个阶段不要超过100英文词。每个章回会有几个阶段没问题。每个阶段以后需要一个同学的这个阶段的修改。总共5千个英文词。

==Tips for writing your final exam paper: How to indicate your references==
*You can use the existing book chapters here as an example.
*Please write the text and indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17. And then, you need to add a section at the end called "References". There you write the full version of the reference: Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学. Similarly, you do it for papers: Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Do '''not''' write any references like in one of the sample chapters:

[1] dsalkfkdsa

[2] adsfadsfag

But only the following way:

(Liu Miqing 2010, 17) in the text

and then

'''References'''
*Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学.

Also, please avoid using the three apostrophes like ' ' ' (without spaces). Use the equal signs to mark headers and subheaders instead. If your paper topic has two equal signs at the beginning and end of your topic, then use three equal signs for your sub headers. Example (without spaces):
= = Topic = =
< c e n t e r > Student Name, Student no. < / c e n t e r >
= = = Abstract = = =
This chapter is on ....
= = = Key Words = = =
Egg, Hen
= = = 题目 = = =
= = = 摘要 = = =
= = = 关键词 = = =
= = = Introduction = = =
Here starts the normal text of the chapter. Please remember to indicate the source of EACH PARAGRAPH, sometimes even of single sentences. You can indicate it like this. (Woesler 2020, 345) And don't forget to mention the full bibliographical entry beneath under ''References''.
= = = The Egg = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = The Hen = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = Conclusion = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = References = = =
Woesler, Martin. (2020). Responsibility and Ethics in Times of Corona. Woesler, Martin and Hans-Martin Sass eds. ''Medicine and Ethics in Times of Corona'' Muenster: LIT

==Sample papers==
You can find the full papers also on the Webpage [[History of Translation Studies]]). They are marked with "Sample paper".
* A Comparative Study between Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theory and My thoughts on the Two Theories
* An Analysis of the Book of Contemporary Translation Theories and Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications
* Comparative Study on Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theroy
* Comparison of Derrida’s and Benjamin’s Translation View
* Impacts of Western Translation Theories on The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish
* On the Comparison between "Sublimation" an "Functonal Equivalence" Theories
* Study on Gladys’ Translation of The Border Town from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics
* The Translation of Culture-loaded Words in Chinese-English Communication
* Translators' Views on Translation Influence Their Translation Behavior

==Sub-Websites to write your final exam paper on==
[[20230630_final_exam|final exam page]]

As a reference, here is the information about last year's final exam papers:

The website where everybody wrote their final exam paper on became too big and produced a database error. Therefore we split the website into 10 small websites. They are sorted like the chapters in the book. Please look for your name and find the right of the 10 small websites to edit your book chapter. Everybody also needs to help to improve other book chapters (copy a paragraph, paste it beneath, make your corrections in the paragraph and sign it).

Here you can write your Final Exam Papers:

*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_1 Part 1, (samples)]
*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_2 Part 2, (samples)]
*[[20230630_final_exam_01]] First group of students: 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi, 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
*[[20230630_final_exam_02]] 2nd group of students: 李心田 Li Xintian, 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
*[[20230630_final_exam_03]] 3rd group of students: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu, 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
*[[20230630_final_exam_04]] 4th group of students: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan, 陈婧 Chen Jing
*[[20230630_final_exam_05]] 5th group of students: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu, 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
*[[20230630_final_exam_06]] 6th group of students: 付静 Fu Jing, 夏玲珑 Madina
*[[20230630_final_exam_07]] 7th group of students: Mohammed AWDI, 李彦 Li Yan
*[[20230630_final_exam_08]] 8th group of students: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing, 王芳玲 Wang Fangling

20230630 Classics

2023-06-05T10:35:36Z

Fu Jing: /* Final Exam Papers */

==Final Exam Papers==
Please think of a topic in relation to Chinese classics and their reception history in the West and list your topic with your name here. As soon as it will be approved by the teacher, you can start writing in one of the sub-websites beneath (see bottom of the page).

{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="3"| „Students' Final Exam Topic Suggestions and Teacher Comments“
|-
| 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi
| Current Situation of the Communication and Reflections on the English Translation of The Art of War
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
| The Translation Methods and Strategies of Chinese Classics: A Case Study on Chuang Tzu
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 李心田 Li Xintian
| On the Translation and Reception History of the ''Tao Te Ching''
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIU YUQING - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
| The Translation and Transmission of the ''Yijing'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI YAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu
| On the Dissemination and Translation of the Analects in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
| On the Dissemination and Translation of ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' in Europe
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan
| On the Communication Effect in the English Translation of The Analects of Confucius
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 陈婧 Chen Jing
| The Translation of Chinese Scientific and Technological Classics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu
| Systematic Literature Review of the English translations of Chinese Traditional Philosophical works
|-
| 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
| The Translations of the ''Shijing'' and Its Dissemination in the Western World
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 付静 Fu Jing
| The translation of Chinese literary prose in the English World
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina)
| The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Ancient Chinese Literature
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
| Mohammed Ali Saleh ALi Al AWDI
| Systematic Literature Review of the History of English translations of the ''Dream of the Red Chamber''
|-
| 李彦 Li Yan
| The Reception and Influence of the ''I Ching'' (Book of Changes) in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LIAO LUJIA - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing
| The Reception and Translation of the ''Tao Te Ching'' in the West
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find. SIMILAR TOPIC AS LI XINTIAN - HOW ABOUT SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU IN "English-speaking translation/reception" AND "Non-Anglophone translation/reception"?
|-
| 王芳玲 Wang Fangling
| The Influence of Confucianism on Western Philosophy and Ethics
| Teacher comment: Since there are a lot of papers on this topic existing, please write your paper as a [[Systematic Literature Review]] taking into account the most often cited and most recent papers in English and Chinese you can find.
|-
|}

The deadline has been extended to '''June 5, 2023'''. Please find a paper you want to proof read, contact the author, proof read (by copying each paragraph and make corrections/suggestions in the copy) and sign until June 5. The author then finalizes (works in the suggestions) until the final deadline June 15! Altogether 5,000 English words.

==Structure==
需要有topic、学生姓名、学号、专业、Abstract、Key words、题目、摘要、关键词、不同的章回（比如1. Introduction、2. ...、3. ……、4.……、5. Conclusion、References)、然后还需要每个阶段以后有来源。一个阶段不要超过100英文词。每个章回会有几个阶段没问题。每个阶段以后需要一个同学的这个阶段的修改。总共5千个英文词。

==Tips for writing your final exam paper: How to indicate your references==
*You can use the existing book chapters here as an example.
*Please write the text and indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17. And then, you need to add a section at the end called "References". There you write the full version of the reference: Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学. Similarly, you do it for papers: Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Do '''not''' write any references like in one of the sample chapters:

[1] dsalkfkdsa

[2] adsfadsfag

But only the following way:

(Liu Miqing 2010, 17) in the text

and then

'''References'''
*Jin Wenlu 靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. ''智库时代'' Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
*Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). ''翻译基础'' [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: East China Normal University 华东师范大学.

Also, please avoid using the three apostrophes like ' ' ' (without spaces). Use the equal signs to mark headers and subheaders instead. If your paper topic has two equal signs at the beginning and end of your topic, then use three equal signs for your sub headers. Example (without spaces):
= = Topic = =
< c e n t e r > Student Name, Student no. < / c e n t e r >
= = = Abstract = = =
This chapter is on ....
= = = Key Words = = =
Egg, Hen
= = = 题目 = = =
= = = 摘要 = = =
= = = 关键词 = = =
= = = Introduction = = =
Here starts the normal text of the chapter. Please remember to indicate the source of EACH PARAGRAPH, sometimes even of single sentences. You can indicate it like this. (Woesler 2020, 345) And don't forget to mention the full bibliographical entry beneath under ''References''.
= = = The Egg = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = The Hen = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = Conclusion = = =
Bla, bla, bla
= = = References = = =
Woesler, Martin. (2020). Responsibility and Ethics in Times of Corona. Woesler, Martin and Hans-Martin Sass eds. ''Medicine and Ethics in Times of Corona'' Muenster: LIT

==Sample papers==
You can find the full papers also on the Webpage [[History of Translation Studies]]). They are marked with "Sample paper".
* A Comparative Study between Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theory and My thoughts on the Two Theories
* An Analysis of the Book of Contemporary Translation Theories and Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications
* Comparative Study on Functional Equivalence Theory and Skopos Theroy
* Comparison of Derrida’s and Benjamin’s Translation View
* Impacts of Western Translation Theories on The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish
* On the Comparison between "Sublimation" an "Functonal Equivalence" Theories
* Study on Gladys’ Translation of The Border Town from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics
* The Translation of Culture-loaded Words in Chinese-English Communication
* Translators' Views on Translation Influence Their Translation Behavior

==Sub-Websites to write your final exam paper on==
[[20230630_final_exam|final exam page]]

As a reference, here is the information about last year's final exam papers:

The website where everybody wrote their final exam paper on became too big and produced a database error. Therefore we split the website into 10 small websites. They are sorted like the chapters in the book. Please look for your name and find the right of the 10 small websites to edit your book chapter. Everybody also needs to help to improve other book chapters (copy a paragraph, paste it beneath, make your corrections in the paragraph and sign it).

Here you can write your Final Exam Papers:

*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_1 Part 1, (samples)]
*[https://bou.de/u/wiki/History_of_Translation_Studies_2 Part 2, (samples)]
*[[20230630_final_exam_01]] First group of students: 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi, 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi
*[[20230630_final_exam_02]] 2nd group of students: 李心田 Li Xintian, 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia
*[[20230630_final_exam_03]] 3rd group of students: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu, 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan
*[[20230630_final_exam_04]] 4th group of students: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan, 陈婧 Chen Jing
*[[20230630_final_exam_05]] 5th group of students: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu, 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi
*[[20230630_final_exam_06]] 6th group of students: 付静 Fu Jing, 夏玲珑 Madina
*[[20230630_final_exam_07]] 7th group of students: Mohammed AWDI, 李彦 Li Yan
*[[20230630_final_exam_08]] 8th group of students: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing, 王芳玲 Wang Fangling

Report CN EN 09

2023-05-26T13:47:30Z

Fu Jing: /* 卷五：4.袁隆平的世界 */

Please translate from Chinese to English and use the [[Report_CN_EN#List_of_Common_Terms]]. Also, you can jump back to the course homepage here: [[Chinese_Classics_Translation_Spring_2023]]

=Contents=
1. Translator 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi《岭南万户皆春色》[[Lingnan Englisch]] Proofreader: 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi (translated until here: https://bou.de/u/wiki/Lingnan_Englisch#.E6.9D.8E.E6.A2.93.E7.8E.89_Li_Ziyu), rest: 76000 characters

2. Translator: 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi《金银潭抗疫纪事》[[Goldbank Englisch]] Proofreader: 李心田 Li Xintian (currently being translated by professionals), 120000 characters

3. Translator: 李心田 Li Xintian [[Report_CN_EN_01]] Proofreader: 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia (currently being translated by professionals), 120000 characters

4. Translator: 廖璐佳 Liao Lujia [[Report_CN_EN_02]] Proofreader: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu 《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

5. Translator: 谢佳玉 Xie Jiayu [[Report_CN_EN_03]] Proofreader: 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan 《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

6. Translator: 张玉燕 Zhang Yuyan [[Report_CN_EN_04]] Proofreader: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

7. Translator: 周晓兰 Zhou Xiaolan [[Report_CN_EN_05]] Proofreader: 陈婧 Chen Jing《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

8. Translator: 陈婧 Chen Jing [[Report_CN_EN_06]] Proofreader: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

9. Translator: 梁昕璐 Liang Xinlu [[Report_CN_EN_07]] Proofreader: 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

10. Translator: 张文琦 Zhang Wenqi [[Report_CN_EN_08]] Proofreader: 付静 Fu Jing《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

11. Translator: 付静 Fu Jing [[Report_CN_EN_09]] Proofreader: 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

12. Translator: 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong [[Report_CN_EN_10]] Proofreader: 李彦 Li Yan《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

13. Translator: 李彦 Li Yan [[Report_CN_EN_11]] Proofreader: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

14. Translator: 刘雨晴 Liu Yuqing [[Report_CN_EN_12]] Proofreader: 王芳玲 Wang Fanglin《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

15. Translator: 王芳玲 Wang Fanglin [[Report_CN_EN_13]] Proofreader: 胡欣怡 Hu Xinyi《大记录》 1087 pp., 1176110 characters

=Fu Jing=
==卷三：4.东风飞来满眼春==

东方风来满眼春

Vigor of Spring Greets the Eyes as the Warm Wind Comes

邓小平同志在深圳纪实

Records of Deng Xiaoping’s Tour in Shenzhen

陈锡添

Chen Xitian

南国春早。

It was an early spring in the south of China.

一月的鹏城,花木葱茏,春意荡漾。

The Peng City (another name of Shenzhen) in January witnessed a lush spring with verdant trees and blooming flowers.

跨进新年,深圳正以勃勃英姿,在改革开放的道路上阔步前进。就在这个时候,我国改革开放的总设计师、各族人民敬爱的邓小平同志到深圳来了!

As the New Year set in, Shenzhen, with vigor and vitality, was striding ahead on the road of reform and opening up.It was at that time that the chief architect of China's reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping who is respected and beloved by the people of all ethnic groups in the country, came to Shenzhen!

在我国社会主义现代化建设的关键时期,小平同志的到来,是对深圳特区最大的关怀和支持,是对深圳人民最大的鼓舞和鞭策。

In the crucial period of China's socialist modernization drive, the arrival of Comrade Xiaoping was the greatest concern and support for the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, as well as the greatest encouragement and spur to the Shenzhen people.

一 One

1月19日上午8时许,在深圳火车站月台上,几位省、市负责人,和其他迎候的人们,在来回踱步,互相交谈,他们正以兴奋而激动的心情等待着……

At around 8:00 a.m on January 19, on the Shenzhen railway platform, several provincial and city leading members and a crowd of other people were waiting for Deng's arrival with great excitement.

来了！远处传来马达的轰鸣声,接着一列长长的火车徐徐进站。时钟正指9时整,列车停在月台旁边。

There it came! Following a rumbling sound from afar, a long train pulled into the station,
which stopped by the railway platform at nine sharp in the morning.

一节车厢门打开,车站服务人员敏捷地把一块铺着红色地毯的长条木板放在车厢门口。

A car door opened and the station attendant nimbly placed a long board with a red carpet in front of the door gate.

不一会,邓小平同志出现了！人们的目光和闪光灯束都一齐投向这位领一代风骚的伟人身上。

Before long, Comrade Deng Xiaoping made his appearance!People's eyes and the photoflash lamp immediately turned to this great man.

他,身体十分健康,炯炯的眼神,慈祥的笑脸,身着深灰色的夹克、黑色西裤,神采奕奕地步出车门。他的足迹,在时隔八年之后,又一次踏在处于改革开放前沿的深圳这块热土上。

He looked very healthy, with a pair of bright piercing eyes and a kind smiling face. In a dark gray jacket and black Western-style trousers, he walked out of the car, glowing with health and vigor.After an interval of eight years, he once again stepped onto Shenzhen, a piece of land in the forefront of reform and opening up.

下车后,邓小平同志满面笑容地同前来欢迎的广东省委书记谢非、深圳市委书记李灏、市长郑良玉一一握手。

After alighting from the car, the smiling Deng shook hands with Xie Fei, Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee; Li Hao, Secretary of the Shenzhen Party Committee and Mayor Zheng Liangyu.

握手时,谢非说：“我们非常想念您。”

Warm welcomes were expressed while they were shaking hands.“We miss you so much,” Xie said.

李灏说：“我们全市人民欢迎您的光临。”

“The whole city welcomes you,” Li said.

郑良玉说：“深圳人民盼望您来,已经盼了八年了。”

“The people of Shenzhen have been looking forward to your visit for eight years,” said Zheng.

简洁的话语,充分表达了全省、全市人民对小平同志的想念和崇敬之情。

These concise words fully expressed people’s longing and reverence for Comrade Xiaoping in the whole province.

邓小平同志同省、市负责人登上一辆中巴,一直驶到下榻的市迎宾馆桂园。在这里恭候的市委副书记厉有为、市委常委李海东迎上前来,同小平同志握手并向他问好。

Comrade Deng Xiaoping, together with the provincial and municipal leading members, got on board a mid-sized bus which steered direct to the guest house. Having been waiting for Deng’s arrival, Li Youwei, deputy municipal party secretary, and Li Haidong, member of the standing committee of the municipal party committee, came forward to shake hands with Comrade Xiaoping and greet him.

千里迢迢,舟车劳顿,市负责人劝他老人家好好休息。

Considering Deng’s long journey, the municipal officials persuaded the grand old man to take a good rest.

但是,小平同志却毫无倦意。他说：“到了深圳,我坐不住啊,想到处去看看。”

However, Comrade Xiaoping was quite tireless.“Now I've come to Shenzhen. I don’t want to sit in the guest house. I’d like to have a look around,”he said.

众所周知,邓小平同志是创办经济特区的主要决策者。早在1979年4月,他在听取当时中共广东省委主要负责人的汇报后说:“可以划出ー块地方叫作特区, 陕甘宁就是特区嘛。中央没有钱,要你们自己搞,杀出一条’血路’。”次年八月,全国人大常委会正式通过并颁布《广东省经济特区条例》,中国经济特区就这样诞生了。深圳特区是邓小平同志亲自开辟的最早的改革开放的试验地之一。它的发展情况,小平同志当然十分关注。1984年1月,小平同志曾到深圳视察过。一晃,八年过去了。深圳的面貌又发生了什么样的变化？老人家急不可待要亲自看一番。

It is widely known that Comrade Deng Xiaoping was the principal decision-maker of the establishment of special economic zones. As early as April 1979, after listening to the reports given by the leading members of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Deng gave a speech.“A piece of land could be marked out and called as a special zone, just like the case of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Special Zone.The central government had no money to support, and this should be done with your own resources,” said Deng.In the next August, the Regulations on Guangdong Provincial Special Economic Zones was formally adopted and promulgated by the National People's Congress, thus heralding the birth of China's special economic zones.The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone is one of the earliest experimental areas for reform and opening up. Therefore, Deng showed great concern about its development. In January 1984, he was in Shenzhen for an inspection tour. Eight years had elapsed. What changes had taken place in Shenzhen? This grand old man was eager to have a look at it by himself.

随行人员说邓小平同志身体好,昨晚在车上休息得不错,既然他兴致高,就安排活动吧。

His entourage said that Deng was in good health and had a good rest in the train carriage the night before and that it would be fine to show him around since he was in high spirits to do so.

在桂园休息约十分钟,小平同志和谢非等同志在迎宾馆内散步。

After a ten-minute rest in his guest house, Deng, Xie Fei and others took a walk in the adjoining garden.

散步时,邓楠向小平同志提起他在1984年1月26日为深圳特区题词一事。邓小平同志接着将题词一字一句念出来：“深圳的发展和经验证明,我们建立经济特区的政策是正确的。”一个字没有漏,一个字没有错。在场的人都很佩服他那惊人的记忆力。

Deng Nan, Deng’s daughter, reminded her father that he had written some thoughts when he visited this area eight years earlier.Deng then recited from memory his inscriptions,“The development and experiences of Shenzhen have proved the correctness of our policy on the establishment of special economic zones”, word by word, without any omission or mistake.People present all admired his amazing memory.

1984年,特区建设遇到不少困难和阻カ,有些人对办特区持怀疑观望态度。是年1月24日,当时任中共中央政治局常委、中顾委主任的邓小平同志,同王震、杨尚昆同志在中顾委委员刘田夫和广东省省长梁灵光的陪同下,到深圳视察,给深圳特区题了词,肯定了深圳特区的建设成就,肯定了办特区的方针是正确的,给了特区建设以决定性的支持,坚定了人们办特区的决心和信心,使特区的建设事业继续向前推进。

In 1984, construction of the special economic zone encountered a lot of difficulties and resistance, and some people adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward this. On January 24th of that year, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, who was Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Advisory Commission of the CPC, Wang Zhen and Yang Shangkun, accompanied by Liu Tianfu, member of the Central Advisory Commission and Liang Lingguang, governor of Guangdong province, made an inspection tour to Shenzhen. Mr. Deng, by writing his inscriptions for Shenzhen SEZ, gave positive comments on its construction achievements and affirmed the correctness of our policy on the establishment of special economic zones. He showed his decisive support to the construction of special economic zones. This reinforced people's determination and confidence in the special zone, and gave a push to the further advancement of the construction of the special zone.

散步后,小平同志在省、市负责人陪同下,乘车参观深圳市容。

After the walking, Comrade Xiaoping had a sight-seeing in the city in the company of provincial and city responsible leading members.

车子缓缓地在市区穿行。这里,八年前有些还是一汪水田、鱼塘,羊肠的小路, 低矮的房舍。现在,宽阔的马路纵横交错,成片的高楼耸入云端,到处充满了现代化的气息。小平同志看到这繁荣兴旺、生机勃勃的景象,十分高兴。正如他后来说的:“八年过去了,这次来看,深圳、珠海特区和其他一些地方,发展得这么快,我没有想到。看了以后,信心增加了。”

The car drove slowly through the city. However, in the previous eight years, there were paddy fields and fishing ponds, as well as narrow paths and low-rise hoses in some places. Now, there were the crossing wide roads and blocks of tall buildings rising into the clouds. Modern atmosphere was everywhere now. In sight of these prosperous and vigorous scenes, Mr. Deng was very delightful. As he said later, “ Eight years has passed since my last visit in Shenzhen. It is out of my expectation that special economic zones such as Shenzhen and Zhuhai, as well as other places, have developed so fast. After seeing all this, I've got enhanced confidence.”

小平同志边参观,边同省、市负责人亲切交谈。

Comrade Xiaoping talked kindly with these officials while visiting.

当谈到办经济特区的问题时,小平同志说,对办特区,从一开始就有不同意见, 担心是不是搞资本主义,深圳的建设成就,明确回答了那些有这样那样担心的人。特区姓“社”不姓“资” 〇从深圳的情况看,公有制是主体,外商投资只占四分之一, 就是外资部分,我们还可以从税收、劳务等方面得到益处嘛!多搞点“三资”企业, 不要怕。只要我们头脑清醒,就不怕。我们有优势,有国营大中型企业,有乡镇企业,更重要的是政权在我们手里。有的人认为,多一分外资,就多一分资本主义, “三资”企业多了,就是资本主义的东西多了,就是发展了资本主义。这些人连基本常识都没有。

When it came to problems of establishing special economic zones, he said that it had been opposed from the very beginning since many worried whether this meant practicing capitalism. According to him, construction achievements in Shenzhen just answered those harboring various worries evidently that the special zone is "socialist", not "capitalist" in nature. In the case of Shenzhen, public ownership is the backbone, and foreign investment accounts for only one-fourth. Take that part of foreign capital for example, we can benefit from taxation and labor service! Don't be afraid the establishment of more Sino-foreign cooperative enterprises, Sino-foreign joint ventures and solely foreign-owned businesses. We need not be afraid so long as we are clear-headed. We have advantages, large and medium-sized State-owned enterprises and township enterprises, namely "three capital" enterprises. More importantly, we have the political power in our own hands. Some people think that one more point of foreign investment, one more point of capitalism. When there are more "three capital" enterprises, there will be more capitalist things, which seems to develop capitalism. These people do not even have basic common sense.

车子行至火车站前,邓林指着火车站大楼那苍劲有力的“深圳”两个大字对小平同志说:“您看,这是您的题字,人们都说写得好。”

When the car traveled to the front of the railway station, Deng Lin pointed to two big and powerful words, "Shenzhen" , on the railway station building to Comrade Xiao Ping said, "Look, this is your inscription. People say that it is well written."

邓楠打趣说:“这是您的专利,也属知识产权问题。”说得小平同志笑了起来。

Deng Nan joked: "This is your patent, and also belongs to the issue of intellectual property rights." His words made Comrade Xiaoping laugh.

当谈到经济发展问题时,小平同志说,亚洲“四小龙”发展很快,你们发展也很快。广东要力争用二十年的时间赶上亚洲“四小龙”。停了一会,他补充说,不仅经济要上去,社会秩序、社会风气也要搞好,两个文明建设都要超过他们,这オ是有中国特色的社会主义。新加坡的社会秩序算是好的,他们管得严,我们应该借鉴他们的经验,而且比他们管得更好。

When talking about the question regarding economic development, Comrade Xiaoping said: the "four small dragons" (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea) in Asia have developed very rapidly, so has your development. Guangdong should make great efforts to catch up with the "four small dragons" in Asia within 20 years. After a while, he added not only should we push up the economy, we should also create a good social order and a good social mood. We should surpass them in material development and cultural and ethical progress. Only this can be regarded as socialism with Chinese characteristics. Social order in Singapore is good, because the country put it under strict control. We should learn from its experiences and should exercise better management of society.

车子不知不觉到了皇岗口岸。皇岗边防检查站、海关、动植物检疫所的负责同志,热情地欢迎小平同志的到来。

The car unknowingly arrived at Huanggang port. Huanggang border checkpoint, customs, animal and plant quarantine comrades in charge, warmly welcomed Comrade Xiaoping's arrival.

小平同志站在深圳河大桥桥头,深情地眺望对岸的香港,然后察看皇岗口岸的情况。

Comrade Xiaoping stood at the bridge over the Shenzhen River, looking fondly across the river to Hong Kong, and then inspected the situation of Huanggang port.

皇岗边检站站长熊长根向小平同志介绍说,皇岗ロ岸是!987年初筹建,1989 年12月29日开通的。占地一平方千米,有一百八十条通道,最高流量可达五万辆次和五万人次,是亚洲最大的陆路
口岸。最近每天约通过七千辆次和两千人次。小平同志听了很高兴,不断点头,露出满意的笑容。

Xiong Changgen, director of Huanggang Border Inspection Station, introduced to Comrade Xiaoping that Huanggang bank was under construction in the early 1987, and opened on December 29, 1989. Covering an area of one square kilometer and boasting one hundred and eighty channels, with the maximum flow of up to 50,000 vehicles and 50,000 people, it is the largest land port in Asia. Recently, about seven thousand vehicles and two thousand passengers passed through it every day. Comrade Xiaoping was very happy to hear this and kept nodding his head with a satisfied smile.

二 Two

国贸中心大厦,高高耸立,直插云霄。这是深圳人民的骄傲。深圳的建设者曾在这里创下了“三天一层楼”的纪录,成了“深圳速度”的象征。到深圳来的中外人士,总要登上楼顶的旋转餐厅,远眺深圳市。

The International Trade Centre Building towers high into the sky that is the pride of the Shenzhen people. The builders of Shenzhen have reached the record of putting up a "three-storied building a day", which becomes the symbol of the "Shenzhen speed". Those Chinese and foreigners who have been in Shenzhen invariably ascended the revolving restaurant at the top of the building and looked far into the landscape of Shenzhen city.

1月20日上午9时35分,小平同志在省、市负责人陪同下,来到国贸大厦参观,该大厦的女职エ,整齐地站在两旁,鼓掌欢迎小平同志,并齐喊“邓爷爷好!”，小平同志高兴地向她们招手,并鼓掌致意。

At 9:35 a.m. on January 20, Comrade Xiaoping, accompanied by provincial and municipal officials, came to visit the China World Trade Center, the female staff in this building, standing neatly on both sides, applauded to welcome Comrade Xiaoping, and shouted "Grandpa Deng good!" Comrade Xiaoping waved to them happily and applauded to express his thanks.

在五十三层的旋转餐厅,小平同志俯瞰深圳市容。他看到高楼林立,鳞次栉比,一派欣欣向荣的景象,很是高兴。

In the revolving restaurant on the 53rd floor, Comrade Xiaoping overlooked the whole city of Shenzhen. He was very happy to see a flourishing situation featuring row upon row of tall buildings.

坐下来后,他先看一张深圳经济特区总体规划图。接着,李激向小平同志汇报深圳的改革开放和经济建设的情况。李灏说,深圳的经济建设发展很快,人民生活水平有了很大提高,1984年,人均收入为六百元,现在是两千元。改革开放也有了很大的进展。他还说,这些年来,我们的精神文明建设和物质文明建设是同步发展的。深圳人对建设有中国特色的社会主义坚定不移,并且充满信心……

After sitting down, he first had a look at the general planning chart of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Then, Li Hao reported to Comrade Xiaoping about Shenzhen's reform, opening up and economic construction. Li Hao said Shenzhen's economic construction proceeded very rapidly, and people's living standards had been significantly improved, with per-capita income of 600 yuan in 1984 and that of 2,000 yuan now in 1992. Great advances had been made in the reform and opening up endeavor. He added: "in the previous few years we have registered simultaneous material and cultural development in Shenzhen. The local people are resolute and unswerving and are completely confident in the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

听了汇报后,小平同志和省、市负责人作了较长时间的谈话。

After listening to the report, Comrade Deng had lengthy talks with the provincial and municipal responsible members.

小平同志充分肯定了深圳在改革开放和建设中所取得的成绩。然后,他说,要坚持党的十一届三中全会以来的路线方针政策,关键是坚持“一个中心、两个基本点”。不坚持社会主义,不改革开放,不发展经济,不改善人民生活,只能是死路一条。基本路线要管一百年,动摇不得。

Comrade Xiaoping fully affirmed the gains in Shenzhen's reform, opening up and construction. Then, he emphasized the need to adhere to the line, principles and policies instituted since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in December 1978. The key to this depended on adhering to the "one center" (the central task of economic construction) and two basic points" (adherence to the four cardinal principles and implementation of reform and the open policy). Failing to adhere to socialism, to carry out reform and opening up, to develop economy and to improve people's livelihood can only lead up to a dead end. The basic line should be managed for a hundred years and cannot be shaken.

小平同志又说,要坚持两手抓,一手抓改革开放,一手抓打击各种犯罪活动,这两只手都要硬。打击各种犯罪活动,扫除各种丑恶现象,手软不得。

Comrade Xiaoping added that we should persist in taking on two tasks--one is to insist on reform and opening up, the other is to crack down on various criminal activities. And we must attach equal importance to both. We should never relent in combating all kinds of criminal activities and eliminating all kinds of ugly phenomena.

小平同志思路清晰,记忆力强。他谈笑风生,有时一两句幽默的话语,引得大家发出一阵阵笑声。在场的省、市负责同志聚精会神地聆听他老人家的谈话,不时还插上几句,谈话气氛轻松活跃。

Comrade Xiaoping had a clear mind and a strong memory. Talking and laughing, he sometimes said a humorous sentence or two, which led to a burst of laughter. The provincial and municipal comrades listened thoughtfully to this old man's talk, and from time to time interjected a few words. The atmosphere was relaxed and active.

小平同志侃侃而谈。他还谈到中国要保持稳定,干部和党员要把廉政建设作为大事来抓,要注意培养下一代接班人等重大问题。

Comrade Xiaoping spoke eloquently. He also referred to the need for China to maintain stability: Leading cadres and Party members should tackle the construction of a clean and honest government as a major task; pay attention to the training of a young generation of successors, and other important issues.

在谈话中,小平同志强调要多干实事,少说空话。他说,会太多,文章太长,不行。谈到这里,老人家指着窗外的一片高楼大厦说,深圳发展这么快,是靠实干干出来的,不是靠讲话讲出来的,不是靠写文章写出来的。

In the course of conversation, Comrade Xiaoping stressed the need to do more practical and useful things, and avoid indulgence in empty talks. He said that it won’t work hold too many meetings and write lengthy articles. At that moment, the grand old man pointed to a block of high-rise buildings outside the window, saying that Shenzhen's rapid development was the result of doing practical work, not the outcome of delivering speeches or writing articles.

小平同志精神健旺,谈兴甚浓。在国贸大厦旋转餐厅,老人家谈了三十多分钟,使在场的人深受教育和鼓舞。

Comrade Xiaoping was in high spirits and a strong mood for talking. In the revolving restaurant of the National Trade Plaza, this grand old man had been talking for over 30 minutes, which gave profound education and encouragement to those present. People were overjoyed at the good health and strong vigor of Comrade Xiaoping.

当小平同志离开旋转餐厅下到一楼大厅时,大厅的音乐喷泉,随着优美的乐曲,喷出图案多变的水柱和水花,蔚为壮观。一楼到三楼,站满了群众,黑压压的一片。人山人海,秩序井然。人人心花怒放,个个喜笑颜开。这是多么令人难忘的时刻!人们为有幸能一睹小平同志的风采而激动万分,也为小平同志的身体健康、精神饱满而无比高兴。

When Comrade Xiaoping left the revolving restaurant and went down to the lobby on the first floor, along with beautiful music, the music fountain in the lobby spurted out water columns with splashes in various patterns, which was spectacular. The first floor to the third floor were occupied with people. The crowd was in good order. All of them were full of joy with smiles on their faces. It was such an unforgettable moment! People were thrilled to have a glimpse of Comrade Xiaoping, and were overjoyed that Comrade Xiaoping was in good health and full of spirit.

群众在尽情地鼓掌,阵阵雷鸣般的掌声响彻国贸大厦。这掌声,表达了群众对倡导改革开放政策的小平同志的爱戴和崇敬,反映了群众对身受其惠的改革开放政策的坚信和拥护。

The crowd was applauding heartily, and the thunderous applause rang through the building. The applause expressed the people's love and respect for Comrade Xiaoping, who advocated the reform and opening-up policy, and reflected the people's firm belief in and support for the reform and opening-up policy from which they had been benefited.

小平同志非常高兴,满面笑容地频频向群众招手致意。整个场面十分热烈,呈现出老一辈无产阶级革命家同人民群众融洽无间的动人情景。

Comrade Xiaoping was very happy and waved frequently to the crowd with a smile on his face. The whole scene was very warm, showing the moving scene of the good rapport between the old generation of proletarian revolutionaries and the people.

三 Three

离开国贸大厦后,小平同志乘车去深圳先科激光公司参观。

After leaving the National Trade Plaza, Comrade Xiaoping went to visit the Shenzhen Shinco Laser Company.

先科激光公司,是一家高科技企业,引进荷兰飞利浦公司的先进生产技术,是我国目前唯一的生产激光唱片、视盘和光盘放送机的公司。邓小平、江泽民、李鹏、王震、田纪云、刘华清等中央、国务院、中央军委领导的车子到达先科激光公司时, 该公司董事长叶华明等人迎上前去,和小平同志热烈握手。

Shinco Laser Company, a high-tech enterprise operating with advanced production technology introduced from the Dutch Philips Company, is the only firm producing laser disc, video disc and light disc. When the car arrived at the company with Party, State and army leaders including Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Wang Zhen, Tian Jiyun and Liu Huaqing, Ye Huaming, the company's board chairman and others rushed forward to shake hands with Comrade Xiaoping.

有人介绍说,叶华明是叶挺将军的儿子。

"Ye Huaming is a son of General Ye Ting," said someone.

小平同志握住叶华明的手亲切地问:“你是叶老二吧?”

Holding Ye's hands, Comrade Xiaoping asked cordially: "Are you the second son?"

“不是,我是老四。”叶华明伸出四根手指回答说。

"No, I'm the fourth", Ye Huaming answered with four of his fingers stretching out.

“呵,我们快四十年没见面了。”小平同志深情地说。

"Oh! We haven't seen each other for nearly 40 years," said Comrade Xiaoping feelingly.

“是的,我那时是小孩,现在五十多岁了。”

"Yes, I was still a child at that time, now I'm over 50."

“你弟弟叶正光在哪里工作?”小平同志对革命家的后代十分关心。叶华明说:“在海南岛。”

"Where is your younger brother Ye Zhengguang working?" Comrade Xiaoping showed great concern for the descendents of revolutionaries. Ye Huaming said, "in Hainan Island."

原来,叶挺将军于!946年飞机失事不幸遇难后,叶华明于当年5月离开延安直到1953年,叶正光于1952年到1960年,都是生活在聂荣臻元帅家里。小平同志同聂帅常有往来,所以那时见过他们兄弟俩。

It turned out that after General Ye Ting unfortunately died in an aviation accident in 1946, Ye Huaming left Yan'an in May that year until 1953, between 1952 and 1960, Ye Zhengguang lived in the home of Marshal Nie Rongzhen. Comrade Xiaoping stayed in constant touch with Nie, so he saw the two brothers at that time.

在公司贵宾厅,小平同志听取了关于公司情况的介绍。先科激光公司于去年 10月12日正式投产,使我国成为继荷兰、日本、美国之后第四个能够生产激光视盘、唱盘的国家。该公司可年产激光唱片五百万张,视盘一百五十万张,激光视盘、唱盘放送机五万台。

In the company's guesthouse, Comrade Xiaoping listened to the introduction about the company's situation. Shinco Laser Company went into operation on October 12 last year, marking that China became the fourth country, after the Netherlands, Japan and the United States, to produce laser video and gramophone discs. The company has an annual production capacity of 5 million laser gramophone and 1.5 million video discs and 50,000 laser video tape and gramophone record players each.

邓楠拿起一块闪光程亮的激光视盘给小平同志观看。这种恍如镜子般的盘片,能储存十点八万帧色彩逼真的清晰图像,可长久保存,永不破损。小平同志听了,十分感兴趣,问:“是什么材料?”公司的同志答:“塑料上面镀一层银。”

Deng Nan picked up a flashing and bright laser video discs to Comrade Xiaoping to watch. This kind of mirror-like disk, being able to store ten point eighty thousand frames of realistic and clear images, can be stored for a long time and never break. Comrade Xiaoping was very interested in hearing this and asked, "What kind of material is it?" The company’s comrade replied, "The plastic is laid over with a layer of silver."

小平同志又兴味盎然地看了激光视盘的特性、音响效果、功能和检索能力表演。当他看到传记资料片《我们的邓大姐》时,对身旁的广东省委书记谢非说:“我今年八十八岁,邓颖超同志和我同年,都是1904生的。我是8月出生,她比我年大半岁。”

Then he watched the demonstration of the characteristics, sound effect, function and retrieval capability of laser video discs with great interest. When he watched the documentary film titled "Our Elder Sister Deng (Yingchao)", he said to Xie Fei, secretary of the Guangdong provincial Party committee, "I'm 88 years old this year, Comrade Deng Yingchao and I were born in the same year of 1904. I was born in August, and she was half a year older than me."

小平同志出生于1904年8月22日,家乡是四川省广安县协兴乡牌坊村。

Comrade Xiaoping was born on August 22, 1904 in Paifang Village, Xiexing Township, Guang'an County of Sichuan Province.

小平同志接着说:“邓颖超同志是河南人。”他女儿邓楠说:“不,是广西人。”小平同志纠正说:“她的原籍是河南。广西是她出生和长大的地方。”小平同志对邓大姐十分熟悉。

Comrade Xiaoping continued to say, "Comrade Deng Yingchao is a native of Henan Province." His daughter Deng Nan said, "No, she is a native of Guangxi". Comrade Xiaoping corrected her, saying, "her ancestral home was Henan. Guangxi was the place where she was born and grew up." Comrade Xiaoping was very familiar with Elder Sister Deng.

接着,公司一位四川籍的业余歌手赵敏,为小平同志演唱了一首卡拉ок《在希望的田野上》。邓小平同志对他这位老乡的歌喉及音响效果十分赞赏,听完后带头鼓掌。一边起身,一边说:“很好,我听得很清楚,不走调,音响效果不错。”

Amateur singer Zhao Min, a Sichuan native of the company, sang a Karaoke song, "In the Hopeful Field" for Comrade Xiaoping. He was very appreciative of his hometown's singing voice and the sound effect, and led the applause after listening. While getting up, he said: "Very good, I can hear very clearly. You are in tune, and the acoustics are good."

从贵宾厅出来到激光视盘生产车间,经过三十米长的过道,许多职工在过道侧热烈鼓掌欢迎小平同志。

When he walked through the 30-meter-long passage leading from the guesthouse to the video disks workshop, many workers and staff members standing by the passage gave Comrade Xiaoping a warm welcome.

小平同志问:“这些职工多大年纪?”

Comrade Xiaoping asked, "How old are these employees?"

叶华明答:“大多数是二十五岁到三十岁,由全国各地招聘来的,大部分是科技人员。”

Ye Huaming answered, "Most of them are aged between 25 and 30, recruited from various parts of the country, most of them are scientific and technical personnel."

小平同志听了高兴地说:“很好,高科技项目要让年轻人干,希望在青年人身上。”

Hearing this, Comrade Xiaoping said happily, "Very good, high-tech projects should be entrusted to the young people, and our hope lies in them."

在激光视盘生产车间,当叶华明介绍他们每年要生产一部分外国电影激光视盘时,小平同志问:“版权问题怎么解决? ”

When Ye Huaming stated that his workshop had to produce some laser video disks for foreign films every year, Comrade Xiaoping asked, "How is the copyright problem solved?"

叶华明回答说:“按国际规定向外国电影公司购买版权。”

Ye Huaming answered, "We purchased the copyright from the foreign film company in accordance with international rules."

小平同志对此表示满意:“应该这样,要遵守国际有关知识产权的规定。”

Comrade Xiaoping was satisfied with this, "It should be done like this and we should follow related international rules on intellectual property rights."

小平同志边走边问,对公司的情况问得很仔细,他还问及原材料是否进口,我国目前能否生产,产品质量怎样保证等等,公司负责人一一做了回答。

While visiting the workshop, Comrade Xiaoping asked questions, such as whether the company had to import raw materials, whether China presently can produce such materials, and whether product quality can be guaranteed, the company official answered the questions one by one.

当小平同志看到几位女工正在擦拭刚生产出来的激光视盘时,便停下来问: “你们是什么地方人?”女工们回答:“汕头人。”小平同志笑着说:“我一看就知道你们是广东人。”说得大家都笑起来。

When Comrade Xiaoping saw several female workers wiping the laser discs they had just produced, he stopped and asked, "Where are you from?" The women workers replied, "Shantou(a city in Guangdong Province)." Comrade Xiaoping smiled and said, "I knew you were from Guangdong as soon as I saw you." That made everyone laugh.

临离开车间前,小平同志问到公司今年的生产目标。叶华明说:“今年要生产五十万张激光视盘,二百五十部激光视盘电影,国产片和外国片一样多,其中还有科教片和一部分卡拉0К。总产值可达三亿多元,利润八千万元。”小平同志高兴地说:“很好,希望你们努力实现这个目标。”

Before leaving the workshop, Comrade Xiaoping asked about the company's production targets for the year. Ye Huaming said, "This year we will produce 500,000 laser video discs, 250 laser video films, making domestic films as many as foreign films, including scientific and educational films and part of Karaoke films. The total output value can reach more than 300 million yuan with a profit of 80 million yuan". Comrade Xiaoping happily said, "Very good, I hope you will work hard to achieve this goal."

小平同志到先科激光公司参观,给了该公司的职工以极大的鼓舞。公司董事长叶华明对记者说:“我是一直在党内老同志关怀抚养下成长的,见到邓小平同志身体很健康,我心里特别高兴。我决心在深圳第二个十年建设中,努力把工作做得更好,不辜负小平同志的殷切希望。”

Comrade Xiaoping's visit to Shinco Laser Company gave a great encouragement to the company's workers. Ye Huaming, board chairman of the company, said to the reporter, "I've grown up under the care and support of veteran comrades inside the Party, I'm particularly happy when I see Comrade Xiaoping being in good health. I'm determined to do my work better during Shenzhen's second 10-year construction, so as to live up to Comrade Xiaoping's earnest hope."

四 Four

1月21日，是华侨城建设者永远难忘的日子。这一天，小平同志到这里的中国民俗文化村和锦绣中华微缩景区游览。

January 21 in 1992 was a day that Overseas Chinese Town builders will never forget. On this day, Comrade Xiaoping visited the Chinese Folk Culture Village and the miniature scenic spot of Splendid China here.

锦绣中华是集中国名胜古迹于一体的世界最大的微缩景区。中国民俗文化村，是中国民俗艺术的荟萃之地,是集民间艺术、民族风情、民居于一园的大型游览区。

Splendid China is the world's largest miniature scenic spot that integrates famous Chinese sites and monuments. China Folk Culture Village, a place where Chinese folk art is gathered, is a large tour area that combines folk art, ethnic customs and residential houses in one garden.

上午9时50分，小平同志在省、市负责人陪同下，乘车来到中国民俗文化村东大门广场。民俗文化村顿时沸腾起来了。广场上欢声雷动,鼓乐喧天,身穿鲜艳民族服装的各族青年男女,载歌载舞迎接小平同志的到来。

At 9:50 a.m., accompanied by provincial and municipal officials, Comrade Xiaoping arrived at the square in east gate of Chinese Folk Culture Village by car. The Folk Culture Village was abuzz with excitement. The square was thundering with joy, drums and music, and young men and women of all ethnic groups dressed in bright local costumes, singing and dancing to welcome Comrade Xiaoping.

在广场西侧,小平同志登上电瓶车,由徽州街西行,缓缓驶经各个民族村寨。所到之处,各少数民族的演员都在尽情地跳舞欢歌,敲鼓击乐,充满欢乐祥和的气氛。小平同志一行在这里领略了千姿百态的民族风情,欣赏了古朴纯美的民间歌舞。而那别具一格的徽州石牌坊群,富有民族特色的贵州鼓楼、风雨桥,云南藤桥, 金碧辉煌的西藏喇嘛寺等,又把小平同志一行带进了中华民族源远流长的传统文化长河中。

On the west side of the square, Comrade Xiaoping went on an electric car and drove west from Huizhou Street, slowly driving through various ethnic villages. Everywhere they went, performers from various ethnic groups were dancing and singing, beating drums and playing music, filling the atmosphere with joy and peace. Comrade Xiaoping and his entourage have enjoyed variety of ethnic customs and the ancient and pure folk songs and dances here. The distinctive Huizhou stone arches, Guizhou drum towers and wind and rain bridges with ethnic characteristics, Yunnan vine bridges, and the glorious Tibetan lamaseries brought Comrade Xiaoping and his party into the long-standing traditional culture of the Chinese nation.

正在这里游览的群众、港澳同胞和外国朋友,纷纷驻足道旁,鼓掌向小平同志致意。小平同志亦频频向他们招手。

The masses, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots and foreign friends who were visiting the place, stopped by the road and applauded Comrade Xiaoping. Comrade Xiaoping also waved to them frequently.

到新疆维吾尔族民居,小平同志走下电瓶车,在这里坐下来,兴致勃勃地观看维吾尔族舞蹈。这时,小平同志的小孙子走过来,邓楠抱住他,说:“亲亲爷爷。”小孙子亲昵地吻了一下小平同志的面颊,小平同志十分开心。

To Xinjiang Uyghur homes, Comrade Xiaoping went off the electric car and sat down here, watching Uyghur dances with great interest. At this time, Comrade Xiaoping's young grandson came over, Deng Nan hugged him and said, " Kiss your grandpa. " The young grandson kissed Comrade Xiao Ping's cheek intimately, and Comrade Xiao Ping was very happy.

小平同志接着到锦绣中华微缩景区游览。在“天安门”前,小平同志走下电瓶车观赏了“故宫”景色。然后,他走到“故宫”景点旁边的小卖部,很感兴趣地欣赏玻璃柜内的纪念品。

Comrade Xiaoping then visited the miniature scenic spot of Splendid China. In front of the " Tiananmen Square ", Comrade Xiaoping stepped off the electric car to view the " Forbidden City " scenery. Then he walked to the store next to the " Forbidden City " attraction and stared at the souvenirs in the glass case with great interest.

在“布达拉宫”前,小平同志分别同家人及亲属、陪同的负责同志合影留念。

In front of the " Potala Palace ", Comrade Xiaoping took a group photo with his family and relatives, accompanied by the comrades in charge.

在回迎宾馆途中,小平同志和陪同的负责同志亲切谈话。

On the way back to the welcoming hotel, Comrade Xiaoping and the accompanying comrades in charge talked cordially.

小平同志说,走社会主义道路,就要逐步实现共同富裕。共同富裕的构想是这样提出来的：一部分地区有条件先发展起来,一部分地区发展慢点,先发展起来的地区带动后发展的地区,最终达到共同富裕。如果富的愈来愈富,穷的愈来愈穷, 两极分化就会产生,而社会主义制度应该而且能够避免两极分化。解决的办法之一,就是先富起来的地区交点利税,支持贫困地区的发展。当然,太早这样办也不行,现在不削弱发达地区的活力,也不能鼓励吃“大锅饭”。

Comrade Xiaoping said, taking the road of socialism, we must gradually achieve common prosperity. The concept of common prosperity is put forward in this way: some areas have the conditions to develop first, some areas develop more slowly, and the areas that develop first lead the areas that develop later, and eventually achieve common prosperity. If the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, polarization will arise, and a socialist system should and can avoid polarization. One of the solutions is for the regions that get rich first to pay some profit tax to support the development of poor regions. Of course, it will not be disposable too early to do so, or to weaken the vitality of developed areas now. Nor can we encourage eating " pot luck ".

他接着说,不发达地区又大都是拥有丰富资源的地区,发展潜力是有的。总之,就全国范围来说,我们ー定能够逐步顺利解决沿海同内地差距的问题。

He went on to say that underdeveloped areas are mostly areas with rich resources, and the potential for development is there. In short, on a national scale, we must be able to gradually and successfully solve the problem of the gap between the coast and the mainland.

当深圳市市长郑良玉汇报到在发展经济的同时,把社会主义精神文明建设搞好时,小平同志说,只要我们的生产カ发展,保持一定的增长速度,人民的精神文明建设也可以搞上去,我们完全有能力把社会主义精神文明建设搞好。

When Zheng Liangyu, the mayor of Shenzhen, reported that while developing the economy, the construction of socialist spiritual civilization would be done well, Comrade Xiaoping said that as long as our productive forces developed and maintained a certain growth rate, the construction of people's spiritual civilization could also be done, and we were fully capable of doing a good job in the construction of socialist spiritual civilization.

小平同志还谈到要尽快把经济建设抓上去。他说,有条件的地方要尽可能搞快点,只要是讲效益,讲质量,搞外向型经济,就没有什么可以担心的。

Comrade Xiaoping also talked about the need to get economic construction up as soon as possible. He said that places with conditions should be as fast as possible, as long as it is about efficiency, quality and export-oriented economy. There is nothing to worry about.

五 Five

1月22日,深圳阳光明媚,仙湖植物园内春意盎然。今天,小平同志和杨尚昆主席带领两家三代人到仙湖植物园种树和游览,给园内园外带来了无尽的喜悦。

On January 22, the sun is shining in Shenzhen and spring is in full swing in Xianhu Botanical Garden. Today, Comrade Xiaoping and President Yang Shangkun brought along with them three generations of the two families to come to the botanical garden on sight-seeing, bringing endleess joy to the areas inside and outside the garden.

上午9时45分,小平同志在省、市负责人陪同下,来到仙湖植物园。随同来的有他的夫人卓琳,女儿邓林、邓榕和小孙子。随后,邓朴方同志也来了。

At 9:45 a.m., Comrade Xiaoping, accompanied by leading provincial and municipal cadres, came to Xianhu Botanical Garden. His wife Zhuo Lin, his daughters Deng Lin and Deng Rong and his young grandson came along with him. Later, Comrade Deng Pufang also came.

先到这里的国家主席杨尚昆,同小平同志热烈握手。接着步入展览厅,观看仙湖植物园模型。小平同志听了关于植物园的情况介绍后,高兴地说:“植物园大有可为。”

President Yang Shangkun who had come here earlier, warmly shook hands with Comrade Xiaoping. Then they stepped into the exhibition hall to view the mold of the botanical garden. After hearing the introduction given on the situation of the garden, Comrade Xiaoping said happily, "The botanical garden is with great promise."

杨尚昆主席是1月21日到深圳视察的。小平同志和杨主席两位老战友在仙湖植物园相逢,自然高兴万分。

President Yang came to Shenzhen on an inspection tour on January 21. The two veterans of Comrade Xiaoping and President Yang, meeting each other in Xianhu Botanical Garden, naturally were exceedingly happy.

“我们在ー起几十年了哦。”小平同志深情地说。

"We've been together for decades oh." Comrade Xiaoping said fondly.

“我们是1932年认识的。”杨主席说着扳起指头数起来,“四十二,五十二,六十二九十二,六十年了 !”

"We met in 1932." President Yang said and counted on his fingers, "Forty-two, fifty-two, sixty-two and ninety-two, sixty years in total!"

这时身背三部相机的杨绍明走过来,握着小平同志的手说:“邓伯伯,新年好!”

At this time Yang Shaoming, who was carrying three cameras, came over, shook Comrade Xiaoping's hand and said, "Uncle Deng, happy Lunar New Year!"

邓榕说:“他是全国摄影协会副主席呀!”

Deng Rong said, "He is the vice chairman of the National Photography Association!"

小平同志幽默地说:“你们杨家有两个主席啰!”全场大笑起来。

Comrade Xiaoping said humorously, "You have two chairmen in the Yang family!" The whole audience burst into laughters.

接着,小平同志和杨主席一同步入室内观赏植物区。这是ー个大温室,培育着种类繁多的珍稀植物,林林总总,使人目不暇接。

Then, Comrade Xiaoping and Chairman Yang stepped into the indoor ornamental plant area together. This is a large greenhouse, cultivating a wide variety of rare plants, a wide variety of plants, so that people are overwhelmed.

他们首先观看据说距今有一亿五千万年的恐龙时代的树种一楸楞。

They first looked at a cyathea spinulosa, a species of tree from the dinosaur era, said to be 150 million years old.

小平同志说:“还有一种古代树种,叫水杉,现在全国都有了。一棵很大的,在三峡附近。”说着，他还用手比画一下。

Comrade Xiaoping commented,"There is also an ancient tree species called Metasequoia, which is now found throughout the country. A very large one, near the Three Gorges." As he said, he also gestured with his hands.

植物园负责人陈覃清说:“是的。水杉树种距今约七千五百万年,是在三峡附近湖北省境内发现的。”在场的人都很佩服小平同志丰富的知识和记忆力。

Chen Qinqing, head of the botanical garden, said, "Yes. The Metasequoia species is about 75 million years old and was found in the territory of Hubei Province near the Three Gorges." The people present admired Comrade Xiaoping's rich knowledge and good memory.

小平同志说的那棵很大的水杉,是1946年薛纪如先生发现的,他采集了标本。 1948年,由胡先骊、郑万钧先生定名为水杉,公开发表,轰动了当时国际植物界。人们称此树种为活化石。这棵树胸径ニ点四米,高三十五米,在三峡附近湖北省利川县谋道这个地方。

The very large Metasequoia tree mentioned by Comrade Xiao Ping was discovered by Mr. Jiru Xue in 1946, and he collected the specimen. In 1948, it was named Metasequoia by Mr. Hu Xianli and Mr. Zheng Wanjun and published publicly, which was a sensation in the international botanical community at that time. People called this tree species a living fossil. This tree, with a diameter at breast height of 2.4 meters and a height of 35 meters, is located in Moudao, Lichuan County, Hubei Province, near the Three Gorges.

接着,小平同志和杨主席仔细观赏其他植物,兴味极浓。

Then, Comrade Xiaoping and President Yang looked at other plants with great interest.

看到ー种叫“发财树”的植物,邓榕风趣地对小平同志说:“以后咱们家也种棵。”

When they saw a plant called "Fortune Tree", Deng Rong said to Comrade Xiao Ping cheekily, "Let's plant one at home."

小平同志指着“光棍树”问:“为什么叫光棍树?”植物园负责人回答:“因为它不长叶子。”

Comrade Xiaoping pointed to the "bachelor tree" and asked, "Why is it called a bachelor tree?" The person in charge of the botanical garden replied, "Because it doesn't grow leaves."

在湘妃竹、人面竹、方竹前,小平同志伫立观赏。植物园负责人介绍说,毛主席的诗句“斑竹一枝千滴泪”中的“斑竹”,就是指这种湘妃竹。相传很久以前,ー个妃子逃难到九嶷山,哭得很伤心,一滴滴泪水滴在竹子上,就成为现在的湘妃竹。

In front of the Xiang Fei bamboo, sphinx bamboo and square bamboo, Comrade Xiaoping stood and watched. The person in charge of the botanical garden said that the "spotted bamboo" in the poem "They spotted a branch of bamboo with a thousand tears" refers to this Xiangfei bamboo. According to the legend, a long time ago, two concubines fled to Jiuyi Mountain and cried so much that her tears dripped onto the bamboo, which became the present Xiang Fei bamboo.

小平同志说:“成都竹子很多,有红的、黑的、紫的、黄的,也有方的。”植物园负责人说:“成都的望江公园各种竹子都有。”在场有人说,这里有的竹子就是悄悄地从成都“弄”来的。小平同志开玩笑说:“这也属于知识产权问题啊,我是四川人, 要你们赔偿啊。”周围的人全都笑起来〇观赏植物区里笑语声喧。

Comrade Xiaoping said, "There are many bamboos in Chengdu, red, black, purple, yellow and also square ones." The head of the botanical garden said, "There are all kinds of bamboos in Chengdu's Wangjiang Park." Some people here said that some of the bamboos here were quietly "gotten" from Chengdu. Comrade Xiaoping joked, "This is also a matter of intellectual property rights. I am from Sichuan, and you have to compensate ah." The people around all laughed. The ornamental plant area was full of laughter.

小平同志被这些珍稀植物吸引住了,他观赏得很仔细,注意听介绍,还不断提问。他指着一棵天鹅绒竹芋问:“它长不长芋头?”植物园负责人答:“不长,只供观赏。”邓榕接着说:“爸爸很喜欢吃芋头。”植物园的同志说,这种竹芋的叶子,摸上去像绒布。小平同志听了,好奇地摸了一下。杨主席随手捡起一片叶子,风趣地说:“带着留个纪念。”杨主席也在以极大的兴趣,观赏着各种奇花异草。他观看猪笼草、鸟巢蕨时,鸟巢蕨那活像鸟巢的模样令他十分开心。他问这植物开不开花, 靠什么繁殖,植物园负责人ーー做了回答。

Fascinated by these rare plants, Comrade Xiaoping observed them carefully, listened to the introduction, and kept asking questions. He pointed to a velvet bamboo taro and asked, "Does it grow taro?" The person in charge of the botanical garden replied, "No, it grows only for ornamental purposes." Deng Rong went on to say, "Dad likes taro very much." The botanical garden comrades said that the leaves of this kind of bamboo taro, feel like flannel. Comrade Xiaoping listened and touched it curiously. President Yang casually picked up a leaf and said wryly, "Take it with myself to keep a souvenir." President Yang was also viewing various exotic flowers and plants with great interest. He was very happy to see pitcher plants and bird nest fern which looked like a bird's nest. He asked if the plant bloomed and what it relied on to reproduce, and the person in charge of the botanical garden answered one by one.

这里有一种兰花,很奇特,叫“跳舞兰”。植物园负责人指着ー朵兰花给小平同志介绍:“这兰花样子像个姑娘。这是头、身子、裙、腿。它在跳迪斯科哩。”小平同志笑着说:“是,很像个姑娘在跳舞〇"

There is a kind of orchid here, which is very peculiar, called "dancing orchid". The person in charge of the botanical garden pointed to an orchid and introduced it to Comrade Xiao Ping: "This orchid looks like a girl. This is the head, body, skirt and legs. It is dancing at a disco." Comrade Xiaoping smiled and said, "Yes, it is very much like a girl dancing."

从观赏植物区出来,小平同志和杨主席等人向大草坪走去。置身于美丽的大自然中,满眼是青山绿水、茂林修竹,小平同志感到心旷神怡。他高兴地同家人在这里合影留念。

Coming out of the ornamental plant area, Comrade Xiao Ping and Chairman Yang walked towards the grand lawn. Being in the beautiful nature, full of green mountains and water, lush forests and bamboo, Comrade Xiaoping felt relaxed and happy. He was happy to take a photo with his family here.

这里,绿色主宰了大自然的风光,使人流连忘返。小平同志说:“这里的环境真优美。”杨主席赞叹道:“真是天上人间,世外桃源。”

Here, green dominates the scenery of nature and makes people forget to return. Comrade Xiaoping said, "The environment here is so beautiful." President Yang exclaimed, "It is really heaven on earth, a paradise outside the world."

10时10分,小平同志和杨主席在一片开阔的草地上,种下ー棵常青树一高山榕。小平同志和杨主席挥锹培土,接着,小平同志的家人也拿起铁锹,使劲地将土铲到树根上。邓朴方在旁人的帮助下,也培了几锹土。然后,小平同志和小孙子ー起端起个红色的小水桶浇水。

At 10:10 a.m., Comrade Xiaoping and Chairman Yang planted an evergreen tree-banyan on an open grassy area. Comrade Xiaoping and Chairman Yang wielded shovels to cultivate the soil, followed by Comrade Xiaoping's family members who also picked up shovels and shoveled the soil onto the roots of the tree with great effort. Deng Pufang, with the help of others, also cultivated a few shovels of soil. Then, Comrade Xiaoping and his grandson picked up a small red bucket and watered it together.

杨主席同小平同志一家栽好树后,又领着自己一家在不远处种下另ー棵高山榕。杨主席和家人一道培土、浇水,动作非常敏捷。

After planting the tree with Comrade Xiao Ping's family, Chairman Yang led his own family to plant another alpine banyan not far away. Together with his family, Chairman Yang cultivated the soil and watered the tree with great agility.

高山榕是一种亚热带植物,桑科榕属,是广东省的代表树种之一。生长快,树冠大,四季常青。

Banyan is a subtropical plant of the genus Ficus in the mulberry family, and is one of the representative trees of Guangdong Province. It grows quickly, has a large canopy and is evergreen throughout the seasons.

小平同志和杨尚昆主席在这里种下常青树,给深圳增添了无边春色,也将为子孙后代造福遮阴。深圳人民一定会记住这个日子,记住他们为建立新中国、为改革开放所做的卓越贡献,记住他们对深圳特区的关怀和支持,记住他们那长久而深厚的情谊。

The planting of evergreen trees here by Comrade Xiaoping and President Yang added boundless spring beauty to Shenzhen and would bring benefits to future generations. The Shenzhen people will definitely remember this day, the leaders' outstanding contributions to the founding of New China and to the reform and opening up drive, to their solicitude and support given to Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and their long-lasting and profound friendly sentiments.

种完树后,小平同志和家人在湖边散步,一家人其乐融融,尽情享受这温暖的阳光和清新的空气,欣赏这如诗如画的湖光山色。

After planting the trees, Comrade Xiaoping and his family took a walk around the lake, enjoying the warm sunshine and fresh air and the picturesque scenery of the lake and mountains.

小平同志精神奕奕地迈着步,表现出他对祖国的未来充满信心。摄影记者们纷纷按下快门,拍下这令人高兴的镜头。

Comrade Xiaoping was striding in good spirits, showing his confidence in the future of the motherland. The photographers took photos to capture this delightful moment.

六 Six

1月22日下午3时10分,小平同志和杨尚昆主席在市迎宾馆接见了深圳市委、市政府、市人大、市政协、市纪委的负责人,亲切地同他们ーー握手。

At 3:10, January 22 p.m., Comrade Xiaoping and President Yang received and cordially shook hands with leading members of Shenzhen municipal Party committee, the city government, city people's congress, city people's political consultative conference and the city Party commission for discipline inspection.

接着,小平同志和杨主席同深圳市五套班子的负责人合影。合影时,坐在前排的有:小平同志、国家主席杨尚昆、中央军委副主席刘华清、广州军区司令员朱敦法、广东省委书记谢非、新华社香港分社社长周南、广东省委副书记郭荣昌,深圳市委书记李激、市长郑良玉、市委副书记厉有为。

Then, Comrade Xiaoping and President Yang took a group photo with the heads of the five teams of Shenzhen. In the group photo, sitting in the front row were: Comrade Xiaoping, President Yang Shangkun, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Liu Huaqing, Guangzhou Military Region Commander Zhu Dunfa, Guangdong Provincial Party Secretary Xie Fei, Xinhua News Agency Hong Kong Bureau Chief Zhou Nan, Guangdong Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary Guo Rongchang, Shenzhen Municipal Party Secretary Li Ji, Mayor Zheng Liangyu, Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Li Youwei.

合影后,人们都围拢过来,同小平同志握手,小平同志亲切地和大家交谈。

After the taking of group photo, people crowded around the leader, shook hands with Comrade Xiaoping who had cordial talks with them.

新华社香港分社社长周南握着小平同志的手,向他问好,并邀请他199?年访问香港。小平同志连声说:“好,好。”

Zhou Nan, director of the branch of Xinhua News Agency in Hong Kong, held Comrade Xiaoping's hand, gave best regards to him and invited him to visit Hong Kong in 1997. Comrade Xiaoping repeatedly said: O.K. I'll.

广州军区司令员朱敦法中将向小平同志敬礼、问好。中央军委副主席刘华清上将向小平同志介绍说:“朱敦法同志在淮海战役中是个连长。”小平同志笑笑说: “那时还是个娃子哩。”在淮海战役这场波澜壮阔、规模宏伟的人民战争中,负责淮海前线一切事宜、统一指挥中原野战军和华东野战军的总前委,由邓小平任书记。

Lieutenant General Zhu Dunfa, commander with the Guangzhou Military Area Command, gave a salute and regards to Comrade Xiaoping. General Liu Huaqing, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, said to Comrade Xiaoping, "Comrade Zhu Dunfa served as a company commander during the Huaihai Campaign." Comrade Xiaoping said with a smile, "He was still a little boy at that time". During the Huaihai Campaign, a grand, surging people's war, Comrade Xiaoping was the secretary of the general front committee in charge of all matters concerning the Huaihai frontline and in direct command of the Zhongyuan Field Army and Huadong Field Army.

今天,小平同志同省、市负责人作了重要的谈话。

Today, Comrade Xiaoping gave important talks to provincial and municipal officials.

小平同志说,改革开放胆子要大一些,敢于试验,不能像小脚女人ー样。看准了的,就大胆地试,大胆地闯。深圳的重要经验就是敢闯。没有一点闯的精神,没有一点“冒”的精神,没有一股气呀、劲呀,就走不出一条好路,走不出一条新路,就干不出新的事业。不冒风险,办什么事情都有百分之百的把握,万无一失,谁敢说这样的话? 一开始就自以为是,认为百分之百正确,没那回事,我就从来没有那么认为。

Comrade Xiaoping said: You should be bolder in carrying out reform and opening up, dare to make experiments and should not act as women with bound feet. If you see what is right, you should try it boldly and break through boldly. An important experience of Shenzhen is the courage to make breakthroughs. Without a little spirit of intrusion, without a little "risk" spirit, without a strength, you can not go a good road, go a new road, or do a new career. Who dare say he is completely sure of success, with no chance of an error in whatever he does and without taking any risk? It is a matter of impossibility for one to consider oneself being always in the right from the very outset, thinking he is one hundred percent correct. I've never thought that way.

李灏说,深圳特区是在您的倡导、关心、支持下才能够建设和发展起来的。我们是按您的指示去闯、去探索的。

Li Hao said: Shenzhen Special Economic Zone could have been built and developed under your initiative, solicitude and support. We have been making breakthrough and exploration as you instructed.

小平同志说,工作主要是你们做的。我是帮助你们、支持你们的,在确定方向上出了一点カ。

Comrade Xiaoping said: Work has been done mainly through your own efforts. I just gave you help and support and contributed my bit in setting the direction.

小平同志还指出,社会主义的本质,是解放生产カ,发展生产カ,消灭剥削,消除两极分化,最终达到共同富裕。证券、股市,这些东西究竟好不好,有没有危险, 是不是资本主义独有的东西,社会主义能不能用,允许看,但要坚决地试。看对了, 搞一两年对了,放开;错了,纠正,关了就是了。关,也可以快关,也可以慢关,也可以留一点尾巴。怕什么,坚持这种态度就不要紧,就不会犯大错误。

Comrade Xiaoping also pointed out: The essence of socialism is to liberate the productive forces, develop them, eliminate exploitation, eliminate polarization, and ultimately achieve common prosperity. Whether are such things as securities, the stock market, good or not, dangerous or not, or something unique to capitalism, can socialism make use of them? We should wait to see, but to resolutely try. It is permissible to judge, but we must be resolute in having a try. If it proves right, then we put it into practice for one or two years, if again it proves right, then we should open it; if it proves wrong, we will correct it and close it. It can be closed either quickly or slowly, and may even leave behind a "tail". There is nothing to be afraid of, if we persistently take this attitude, it won't matter much, and we wouldn't commit major mistakes.

在谈话中,小平同志还谈到了:现在建设中国式的社会主义,经验一天比一天丰富;在农村改革和城市改革中,不搞争论,大胆地试,大胆地闯；我们的政策就是允许看,允许看,比强制好得多,等等。

During the talk, Comrade Xiaoping also touched upon these points: As we build socialism with Chinese characteristics, our experience has been enriched day by day; In rural and urban reforms, we don't hold debate, instead we make bold experiments and breakthroughs; our policy is to allow one to judge, and this is much better than the use of compulsion, and so on and so forth.

七 Seven

时间过得真快,小平同志在深圳,一晃几天就过去了。1月23日,小平同志在广东省委书记谢非的陪同下去珠海特区。

How time flies! Comrade Xiaoping have been in Shenzhen for a few days. On January 23, Comrade Xiaoping, accompanied by Xie Fei, secretary of the Guangdong provincial Party committee, went to Zhuhai Special Economic Zone.

上午8时30分,深圳市负责人以及警卫、服务人员,在市迎宾馆热烈欢送小平同志。人们都依依不舍,多么希望小平同志能在深圳多住几天啊。

At 8:30 a.m., Shenzhen city responsible members, guards and service workers, warmly saw off Comrade Xiaoping at the guesthouse.

小平同志和市负责人一一握手告别。

Comrade Xiaoping shook hands with the city officials in farewell.

同车前往蛇口送行的有李激、郑良玉、厉有为等。

Those who went to Shekou to see Comrade Xiaoping off included Li Hao, Zheng Liangyu and Li Youwei.

车子在宽阔的笋岗路向蛇口驶去。在车上,小平同志和省、市负责人亲切交谈。

While the car was on the wide Sungang Road to Shekou, Comrade Xiaoping had a cordial conversation with the provincial and municipal leaders in the car.

李灏向小平同志简要地汇报深圳改革开放的几个措施：调整产业结构；放开一线,管好二线,把深圳特区建成第二关税区;加强法制,依法治市,加强立法执法エ作;把宝安县改为深圳市的三个郊区等等。

Li Hao briefed Comrade Xiaoping on the several measures for Shenzhen's reform and opening up efforts, adjust the industrial structure; liberalize the first line and properly manage the second line, trying to build the Shenzhen Special Administrative Region as the second tariff area. We should make advance in strengthening the legal system, ruling by law, strengthen legislation and law enforcement. We should work harder to change Baoan County into three suburbs of Shenzhen City and so on.

小平同志听了后说,我都赞成,大胆地干。每年领导层要总结经验,对的就坚持,不对的赶快改,新问题出来抓紧解决。不断总结经验,至少不会犯大错误。

Comrade Xiaoping listened and said, I agree with all those measures. You should be bold to carry out your work. Every year, the leading levels should sum up the experience, adhere to what is right, quickly change mistakes they have made, and make more efforts to solve new problems. Constantly summarizing experiences at least can avoid committing major errors.

李灏说:“您讲的非常重要。我们要争取少犯错误,不犯大错误。”小平同志说:“我刚オ说,第一条是不要怕犯错误,第二条是发现问题赶快改正。”

Li Hao said,"What you said is very important. We'll strive to make less mistakes, and avoid committing major errors." Comrade Xiaoping remarked, "In what I've just said, the first point is don't be afraid of making mistakes, and the second point is quickly correcting problems when they are found."

谈着谈着,车子到了蛇口。李额说,南山区管蛇口这一片,南山区发展势头非常好,南山的荔枝很有名。全世界荔枝最好是中国,中国荔枝最好是广东,广东荔枝最好是东莞、增城、深圳等地方。

While talking, their car arrived at Shekou. Li Hao said Nanshan District is in jurisdiction over the area of Shekou, the development in Nanshan District is gaining momentum, Litchi there enjoys a high reputation. China has the best litchi in the world, while Guangdong's litchi is the best in China, and such places as Dongguan, Zengcheng and Shenzhen produce the best litchi in Guangdong.

这时,邓榕插话:“那么,全世界的柚子哪儿最好呢?”车子里爆发ー阵哄堂大笑。

At this point, Deng Rong interjected, "So, where is the best grapefruit in the world?" The car burst into a burst of laughter.

原来,小平同志平时在家里,常对孩子们夸耀四川的柚子最好。孩子们都不同意,认为沙田柚子最好。

It turned out that Comrade Xiaoping, usually at home, often boasted to the children that Sichuan's grapefruit was the best. The children disagreed and thought that Sha Tin grapefruit was the best.

笑声过后,小平同志说:“四川柚子最好,但认识统一不起来。”

After the laughter, Comrade Xiaoping said, "Sichuan grapefruit is the best, but the awareness is not unified."

邓榕说:“说沙田柚子好的人多,说四川柚子好的人少。”

Deng Rong said, "There are many people who say Shatin grapefruit is good, and few people who say Sichuan grapefruit is good."

车子在蛇口一个地方停了几秒钟,邓榕指着远处“海上世界”对小平同志说：“这是’海上世界’,是您给题的名。”

The car stopped at a place in Shekou for a few seconds, Deng Rong pointed to the distant "Sea World" and said to Comrade Xiaoping. "This is 'Sea World'. You gave the name to it."

车子接着到赤湾港,缓慢地行驶。小平同志坐在车上察看赤湾港码头。

Then the car slowly steered into the Chiwan Harbor. Comrade Xiaoping inspected it while sitting inside the car.

李灏介绍说,赤湾港在蛇口里面,可停三点五万吨的船,准备建成停五万吨船的码头。妈湾港在蛇口外面,可停五万吨的。深圳东部、西部都有港口,去年吞吐量达一千四百万吨,将来要达到上亿吨。

Li Hao excitedly said Chiwan Harbor sits inside Shekou, which can anchor 35,000-ton ships, we prepare to build a wharf for 50,000-ton ships. Mawan Harbor is located outside Shekou capable of anchoring 50,000-ton ships. There are ports in the east and west of Shenzhen, with handling capacity reaching 14 million tons last year, which is expected to reach 100 million tons in the future.

车子到达蛇口港码头。下车前,李额对小平同志说:“您这次来,深圳人民非常高兴。我们希望您不久再来,明年冬天来这儿过春节。”小平同志下车后,同前来迎接的珠海市委书记、市长梁广大握手。然后,小平同志同深圳市负责人李激、郑良玉、厉有为ーー握别。小平同志向码头走了几步,突然又转回来,向李额说:“你们要搞快一点!”

The car reached the harbor of Shekou Port. Before alighting from the car, Li Hao told Comrade Xiaoping, "Shenzhen people are joy over your arrival this time. We hope you will come again before long, please come here to spend the Spring Festival next winter." Comrade Xiaoping got down from the car, and shook hands with Liang Guangda, secretary of Zhuhai Special Economic Zone's Party committee and mayor. Then, he shook hands with Shenzhen city officials Li Hao, Zheng Liangyu and Li Youwei one after another in farewell.Comrade Xiaoping walked several steps forward along the wharf, then he suddenly turned back and said to Li Hao, "You should carry out construction at a faster speed!"

把握时机,快一点将经济建设抓上去,这是小平同志对深圳的期望,也是时刻萦绕在小平同志心头的一件大事。

Grasping the opportunity to push up economic construction faster is Comrade Xiaoping's expectation of Shenzhen, as well as a major matter lingering in Comrade Xiaoping's heart all the time.

李灏说:“您的话很重要,我们一定搞快一点。”

Li Hao said, "What you've just said is very important, we'll definitely push up construction faster."

上午9时40分,小平同志乘坐的轮船离开蛇口港。

At 9:40 a.m., the ship, on which Comrade Xiaoping boarded, steered off Shekou Harbor.

1992年1月19日到23日,小平同志在深圳的这段日子,是极不寻常的日子,它将永远记载在深圳建设的史册上,永远铭记在深圳人民的心坎里。

The January 19-23, 1992 period during Comrade Xiaoping's stay in Shenzhen was extremely unusual, which will go down in the history of Shenzhen's construction and will remain forever in the memory of the Shenzhen people

“东方风来满眼春。”小平同志来到深圳,使深圳进ー步涌起改革开放的春潮。小平同志在这里发表的许多重要谈话,对深圳的改革开放和建设,对整个社会主义现代化建设事业,都有重大而深远的意义。

"The Vigor of Spring Greets the Eyes as the East Wind Comes". Comrade Xiaoping's visit to Shenzhen has entailed the further surge of spring tide in Shenzhen's reform and opening up drive. The many important speeches Comrade Xiaoping made in Shenzhen were of important and far-reaching significance to Shenzhen's reform, opening up and construction drive and to the socialist modernization drive as a whole.

敬爱的小平同志,我们衷心祝愿您健康长寿!深圳人民一定沿着您倡导的有中国特色的社会主义道路奋勇前进!

Dear Comrade Xiaoping, we sincerely wish you a long and healthy life! The people of Shenzhen will definitely march along the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics advocated by you!

（原载《深圳特区报》1992年3月26日）

(Originally published in Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, March 26,1992)

==卷五：4.袁隆平的世界==

袁隆平的世界（节选）

Yuan Longping's World (Excerpt)

陈启文

Chen Qiwen

这是ー场如同生死竞速般的竞赛,ー个不可违背的铁律:人口与粮食必须成正比,一旦粮食增速赶不上人口增速,就会出现粮食危机。马尔萨斯认为, 人口成几何级数增长,粮食成算术级数增长,粮食的增长远远赶不上人口的增长,人类在这两大需求之间存在严重的矛盾。而以中国人口之多,增长基数如此庞大,一旦出现粮食危机,即便买光了全世界用于出口的粮食,也难以满足中国这个巨大的胃口。这就是美国世界观察研究所所长莱斯特・布朗发出的警世的呼唤:谁来养活中国?

This is a race of life and death, a law that cannot be broken: population and food must be directly proportional, and once food growth does not keep up with population growth, there will be a food crisis. According to Malthus, population grows geometrically while food grows arithmetically, which means food growth lags far behind population growth, and this is a serious contradiction between these two major human needs.And with China's large population and growing base, it would be difficult to satisfy China's huge appetite in the event of a food crisis, even if it were to buy up all the food in the world for export. This is what Lester Brown, director of the Worldwatch Institute, said as wake-up call for the World: Who will feed China?

写在前面

Write at the front

警世的呼唤

Wake-Up Call

岁月像一条深不见底的长河,那些前尘往事或随风流水散,或旷日持久地沉淀在河底,或化作推动后浪的前浪。袁隆平是ー个从不耽于回忆的过来人,他那双眼从未深陷在岁月里,永远如初开的眼光,充满好奇地憧憬着未来。

Time flows like a long deep river, with drops of the past dispersing as wind blows, or settled at the bottom of it for a long time, or turned into a push for a next wave. Yuan Longping is an experienced person who never indulge in memories, as he never has his sights sunk into the mire of the past and always has a curious vision of the future just like a new born baby does.

频频回首的其实是我等历史追踪者,或许是旁观者清,在蓦然回首间,反倒能看清事物的本质。对于中国杂交稻的继往开来,1995年是ー个非常关键的年份。这年,随着中国独创的两系法杂交水稻宣告育成,袁隆平在杂交水稻和遗传育种领域又打开了一道玄之又玄的众妙之门,接下来的一切已经不是悬念,只待时间去ーー验证。除此之外,还有许多值得载入史册或袁隆平年表的事情,这年5月,在ー次次落选中科院院士之后,他终于众望所归地当选为中国工程院院士;1〇月,他获得了联合国粮农组织“粮食安全保障”荣誉奖章;12月16日,在湖南杂交水稻研究中心的基础上正式成立了国家杂交水稻工程技术研究中心,从此他既是湖南杂交水稻研究中心主任,也担任了国家杂交水稻工程技术研究中心主任,肩负起了双重的职责和使命〇

Those who frequently look back are actually historical trackers like me, as bystanders can see the essence of things clearly when they look back perhaps. The year 1995 is a very critical year for the development of China’s hybrid rice. This year, with China's original breeding of two-line hybrid rice announced a success, Yuan opened another mysterious door in the field of hybrid rice and genetic breeding. Everything that follows is no longer suspense, only waiting to be verified one by one. In addition, there were many things worthy of recording in history or a chronology of Yuan’s life this year: In May, after failing to become an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for several times, he was finally elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; In October, he was awarded the FAO Medal of Honor for “Food Security”; On December 16, as the China National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center was formally established based on the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, he became the director of both centers and shouldered dual responsibilities and mission since then.

科学探索之路漫长而又缓慢,一代代科学家也在这路上缓慢地变老。这也是袁隆平的切身感受,每取得一项重大突破,人就要老好多岁。他从57岁开始两系法攻关,到如今他已66岁,换了一般人,应该歇下来颐养天年了 ,但对于他,生命只是刚刚又打开了一扇门。“雄关漫道真如铁,而今迈步从头越,从头越,苍山如海、残阳如血。”ー个伟人的长征诗篇,特别适合用来形容他此时的心境。这是一条关山重重之路,雄关之雄,漫道之漫,如铁一般凝重而遥远,每闯过了一关,他又要从头再做部署,而前途依然是苍山如海、残阳如血,如果没有那豪放劲健的气魄和顽强意志,又怎能迈开下ー步、闯过下一关?而他接下来还将不断超越自我,发起ー轮又一轮的攻关。

The road to scientific discoveries is so long while the advancement of scientific exploration is so slow that generations of scientists have slowly aged along the way. This is also Yuan Longping’s personal feeling that he will have to age a lot every time he makes a major breakthrough. His critical research to solve problems in the breeding of two-line hybrid rice began when he was 57. And now he is 66, an age when ordinary people would stop to rest and enjoy their retirement, but for him, life has just opened another door. “Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron, /With firm strides we are crossing its summit. We are crossing its summit, /The rolling hills sea-blue, /The dying sun blood-red.” This Long March poem of a great man is particularly suitable for describing his state of mind at this time. This is a difficult and winding road, with many formidable obstacles and a long distance, which is as hard as a wall of iron to cross. Every time he overcomes one obstacle, he has to make arrangements from scratch, with an uncertain future ahead of him, just like the sea-blue mountains and the blood-red setting sun. Without the bold and vigorous spirit and the tenacious willpower, how can he take the next step and overcome the next obstacle? And he will continue to surpass himself and launch round after round of tackling key problems.

当两系法杂交水稻开始在生产中推广应用之际,国际上早已掀起了超级杂交稻研究的热潮。超级杂交稻,全称为超高产杂交水稻（Super Rice）,简称超级稻。说来,又是日本先声夺人,早在!98I年,日本农林水产省便组织全国各主要水稻研究机构开展题为“超高产水稻开发及栽培技术确立”的大型合作研究项目一“逆 753计划”,这让日本成为世界上最早提出并开展水稻超高产育种及栽培研究的国家。按他们设想的路线,先通过釉稻和粳稻杂交的方法选育产量潜カ高的新品种, 对水稻亚种间的杂种优势进行利用,再辅之以相应的栽培技术,计划在15年内,把水稻单产提高一半以上（将亩产从420至540公斤提高到630至810公斤）。在 1981至1988年的8年间,日本共育成了 5个超高产水稻品种（明之星、秋カ、星丰、翔和大力等）。按计划,日本的这ー设想将在1995年实现,而中国独创的两系法杂交水稻也正是在!995年大功告成。不同的是,中国两系法杂交水稻成功了,而日本和他们此前在杂交水稻研究上的遭遇差不多,他们从未输在起跑线上,却总是在半途保羽,他们培育出来的这些品种,大多在抗寒性、抗倒伏、结实率和稻米品质方面存在这样那样的问题,无论他们怎么左冲右突,都难以冲出他们的试验田在大田里推广。

When the two-line hybrid rice began to be popularized and applied in production, there was already an international boom in super hybrid rice research. Super hybrid rice is called Super High Yield Hybrid Rice, Super Rice for short. Speaking of research on it, it was Japan who took the lead. As early as 1981, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries organized major rice research institutions in China to carry out a large-scale cooperative research project entitled “Development of Super-high-yield Rice and Establishment of Cultivation Techniques”-“Inverse 753 Plan”, which made Japan the first country in the world to propose and carry out research on super-high-yield rice breeding and cultivation. According to the route they envisaged, new varieties with high yield potential would be selected first by crossbreeding indica rice and japonica rice, and then the heterosis among rice subspecies would be utilized, supplemented by corresponding cultivation techniques. It is planned to increase the yield per unit area of rice by more than half within 15 years (from 420-540 kg to 630-810 kg per mu). During the eight years from 1981 to 1988, five super-high-yield rice varieties (Bright Star, Akihito, Hoshinomi, Sho, and Daihito) were bred in Japan. According to the plan, this idea would be realized in 1995, the year when China’s original two-line hybrid rice became a success. However, different from China’s success of two-line hybrid rice, Japan could not get their rice varieties popularized out of their experimental fields, no matter how hard they had worked to tackle problems they met in breeding their hybrid rice varieties. Most of these varieties showed defects in cold resistance, lodging resistance, maturing rate and rice quality during the cultivation, marking Japan’s failure on the halfway, though it had a similar experience with China in hybrid rice research and had never lost at the starting line.

国际水稻研究所的起步较晚,他们于!989年正式提出水稻超高产育种计划, 后又改称“新株型”育种计划,试图育成一种有别于以往改良品种的新株型水稻, 并计划到2000年时,育成产量潜力比当时最高品种提高两成以上的超高产水平（从670公斤提高到800至830公斤）。1994年,就在袁隆平宣告中国独创的两系法杂交水稻可以推广应用的前一年,国际水稻研究所抢先ー步向世界宣布,他们利用新株型和特异种质资源选育超级稻新品种已获成功,一些品系在小面积产比试验中的产量已超过现有推广品种的两至三成。实在说,这已是了不得的成就了,然而实在中还有实在,他们也像日本科学家一样遇到了很多难以攻克的难题,也同样走不出科学家的试验田。ー项科研成果无法得到实实在在的推广应用,对水稻亚种间的杂种优势利用亦如纸上谈兵。如果他们搞成功了,那就直接跨越两系法进入超级稻时代了。尽管这些先行者都没有搞成功,但不能不说,他们的探索有着开创性和启示的意义。袁隆平对他们的探索与试验也从不使用“失败”ー类的词语, 他只是说:“由于指标高、难度大、受技术路线的限制,他们的计划仍在努力实现中。”换句话说,他们的目标至今也未实现。正因为超级稻一直难以从根本上突破, 搞了许多年一直没有搞成功,因此被人们称为ー个“超级神话” 。

The International Rice Research Institute started late in this field, formally proposing the rice ultra-high yield breeding program in 1989, which was later renamed the “new plant” breeding program, in an attempt to breed a new plant type of rice that was different from the previous improved varieties, and planned to increase the breeding yield potential by more than 20% (from 670 kg to 800 to 830 kg) by 2000 than the highest variety at that time. In 1994, just a year before Yuan Longping announced that China’s original two-line hybrid rice could be popularized and applied, the International Rice Research Institute took the lead in announcing to the world that it had successfully selected new varieties of super rice by using new plant types and specific germplasm resources, and the yield of some strains in small-area yield ratio tests had exceeded the existing promoted varieties by 20% to 30%. To be honest, this is already a great achievement, but there is still a reality. Like Japanese scientists, they have also encountered many difficult problems, and the varieties they bred could also not go out of their experimental fields. When a scientific research achievement cannot be popularized and applied in a practical way, and the utilization of interspecific heterosis is also an armchair strategist. If they succeed, they would directly cross the two-line method and enter the super rice era. Although these pioneers have not succeeded, it cannot but be said that their exploration is groundbreaking and enlightening. Yuan Longping never used words such as “failure” for their exploration and experimentation, just saying that their plans were still being worked on because of the high targets, the great difficulties and the limitations of the technical route. In other words, their goals have not yet been achieved. It is because super rice had been difficult to fundamentally break through that it had not been successful for many years, due to which it was called a “super myth”.

那么,以袁隆平为代表的中国科学家,继中国独创的两系法之后,又是否能把这个“超级神话”变成货真价实的超级稻呢?当袁隆平把目光投向超级稻,就有人早早为他捏着一把汗了。按一般人的想法,他在三系法杂交水稻研究成功后,就已功成名就了,成为享誉中外、当之无愧的“杂交水稻之父”,如今又锦上添花,育成了两系法杂交水稻,最要紧的是爱惜羽毛,不能再冒险了。何况他年岁实在不小了,这么多年来一直风里来雨里去,也该享享清福了。事实上,无论此前,还是此时,都有人好心好意地提醒他:“您现在已是国际同行公认的’杂交水稻之父’了, 国家和省里都对您寄予了厚望,万一搞砸了,岂不坏了名声?”

So, can Chinese scientists represented by Yuan Longping turn this “super myth” into real super rice after the success of original two-line method in China? When Yuan Longping turned his attention to super rice, someone was sweating for him early. According to the idea of ordinary people, since he has become famous as the well-known “father of hybrid rice” at home and abroad after the successful research of three-line hybrid rice, and now he is the icing on the cake because of the success of two-line hybrid rice, the most important thing for him is to cherish the feather in his cap but not take any more risks. What is more, he is really not young, and he has been coming and going in the wind and rain for so many years and it is time to enjoy a happy life. In fact, both before and at this time, someone kindly reminded him, saying “ You are now recognized as the ‘Father of Hybrid Rice’ by your international counterparts. The country and the province have high hopes for you. If you screw up, won’t you lose your reputation?”

这种担心并非多余,任何科学研究都有失败的可能,而失败的几率比成功率要高得多,有人说,成功是“万一”,连万里挑一都不止,而不成功则是“ ー万”,这世上有多少科技人员在默默无闻地探索着,又有几人能功成名就?如此渺茫的成功率, 也让一些成功者抱有见好就收的心态,这也是ー种比较普遍的心态,有些人取得了ー项成果,便会百般地爱惜和呵护,在科学探索之路上变得谨小慎微,生怕ー个什么闪失就毁掉了自己来之不易的ー世英名。然而,以袁隆平的人生境界,他考虑的又岂是自己的一世英名,他的人生目标是造福人类,何况长江后浪推前浪是自然规律,杂交水稻更新换代也是必然趋势。袁隆平一直在鼓励也真诚希望后来者能够超越自己,他也一直在不断实现自我超越。一生酷爱运动的袁隆平能走得这么远, 一方面就得益于他从小一直在锻炼自己的体魄,运动也让他领悟到了其间的人生与科学哲理。他常用跳高来打比方:“搞科研如同跳高,跳过ー个高度,又有新的高度在等你。要是不跳,早晚要落在后头,即使跳不过,也可为后人积累经验,只要能解决老百姓的吃饭问题,个人的荣辱得失又算得了什么?”

This kind of worry is not superfluous. Any scientific research may fail, and the probability of failure is much higher than the success rate. Some people say that the rate of success is “one in ten thousand”, or even less, while that of failure is “ten thousand”. There are so many scientific and technical personnel in this world who are exploring in obscurity, but how many of them can become famous? Such a slim success rate also makes some winners have the mentality of ending on good note, which is also common. Some people will cherish and care for an achievement in every possible way, and become cautious on the road of scientific exploration, for fear that a mistake will destroy their hard-won reputation. However, with Yuan Longping’s magnanimous world outlook, how could it be his own fame that he takes into consideration first? His life goal is to benefit mankind. Moreover, the trend of upgrading hybrid rice is inevitable, just the same as a natural law for the Yangtze River to push forward the waves. Yuan Longping has been encouraging and sincerely hoping that the latecomers can surpass himself, and he has also been constantly realizing self-transcendence. Yuan Longping, who loved sports all his life, can go so far partly because he has been exercising his physique since childhood, and sports have made him comprehend the philosophy of life and science. He often uses the high jump as an analogy: “Scientific research is like jumping high, skipping a height, and a new height is waiting for you. If you don’t jump, you will fall behind sooner or later. Even if you can’t jump over the pole, you can accumulate experience for future generations. As long as the problem of eating for ordinary people can be solved, what does personal gain or loss matter?”

从三系法到两系法,袁隆平一直走得稳健而从容,但他也有压カ,也有紧迫感, 他说过这样一番话:“人类的历史,像江河之水,总是奔流不息;科学技术,似接カ赛跑,你追我赶,强者胜。我国杂交水稻的研究,亦如江河之水,赛跑之势,在绿色革命运动中,你追我赶,形势逼人,压カ很大。”

From the three-line method to the two-line method, Yuan Longping has been walking steadily and calmly, but he also has pressure and a sense of urgency. He said that:“The history of mankind, like the water of rivers, always flows endlessly; Science and technology are like relay races, in which one chase after each other and the stronger wins. The research of hybrid rice in China is like the water of rivers and the trend of race. In the Green Revolution movement, one chase after each other, making scientists stressed in the pressing situation.”

这压カ,不仅仅是国际科技竞争,更多是来自ー个农业科学家的天职:让每ー个长了嘴的人都能吃饱肚子。这其实也是ー个国家不可动摇的意志,那就是保障国家粮食安全。而就在袁隆平做出这ー抉择之前,1994年9月,美国世界观察研究所所长莱斯特・布朗向中国也向世界发问:Who Will Feed China?—《谁来养活中国》?有人将其称为“警世的呼唤”（Wake Up Call）。他那篇长达141页的报告, 其实还有一个诡异的副标题一“来自ー个小行星的醒世报告”。在苍茫浩瀚的宇宙中,地球就是ー个微不足道的小行星。布朗是在中国逐渐融入全球化的背景下发出这ー疑问的,而在全球化的背景下,贫困与饥饿跨越了国界,不是哪ー个国家关起门就能处理的家务事,而是全人类都必须共同面对的问题。他关注的其实不是中国,而是世界,如果中国人不能养活自己,那么他们将使世界挨饿,而饥饿对于ー个古老的泱泱大国也从来就是ー个挥之不去的魔影。而他提出的也的确是ー系列充满了灾难性而又难以破解的难题,也有人称之为“布朗的魔咒”,ー个饥饿的中国仿佛巨大魔影笼罩了整个地球。

This pressure is not only from the international scientific and technological competition, but also from the bounden duty of an agricultural scientist: to keep everyone fed. This is actually the unshakable will of a country, which is to ensure national food security. Just before Yuan Longping made his choice, in September 1994, Lester Brown, director of the American Worldwatch Institute, questioned China and the world in a report Who Will Feed China? Some people call it “Wake-Up Call”. His 141-page report actually has a strange subtitle-“Wake-Up Call for a Small Planet”. In the vast universe, the Earth is actually a trivial asteroid. Brown raised this question under the background of China’s gradual integration into globalization. In this context, there were no national boundaries in terms of poverty and hunger, which is not a household matter that any country can deal with behind closed doors, but a problem that all mankind must face together. His concern is not China, but the world. If Chinese people cannot feed themselves, part of the world will starve, and hunger has always been a lingering specter for an ancient great country. And what he put forward is indeed a series of disastrous and difficult problems, which some people call “Brown’s curse”. A hungry China seems to have a huge magic shadow hanging over the whole earth.

这个对世界粮食问题充满了忧患却把矛头指向中国的美国观察家,甚至比救饥饿为己任的美国科学家、“绿色革命之父”诺曼•布劳格在中国的名气更大。这里且不说布朗是居心不良还是杞人忧天,先看看袁隆平这个“杂交水稻之父”怎么看。他和布朗也曾有过一面之缘。那是他在加拿大参加一个国际会议时,布朗也参加了,但那会儿他还不认识布朗,布朗也不认识他,袁隆平从不主动去与一个国际人士套近乎,两人也就没有直接打交道。他们走得最近的一次,是在餐厅里,但两人也不同桌,还是有个朋友指给袁隆平看,说那就是大名鼎鼎的布朗。在那匆匆一瞥中,布朗也给他留下了一个颇深的印象,“很深沉的ー个人”。对布朗发出的警世的呼唤,袁隆平是这样看的,“他的论证是非常充分的,他对中国的情况了如指掌,如人口增长多少、土地每年减少多少、水资源情况等等”,布朗所列举这些问题, 将是中国在21世纪所面临的三大难题:人口、土地与水资源。而他所列举的都是有据可查的数据,而对未来的预测也是来自精确的计算。

This American observer, who is worried about the world’s food problems but points the finger at China, is more famous in China than even Norman Blaug, the American scientist and “Father of the Green Revolution” whose mission is to save the world from hunger. It will be left aside whether Brown is ill-intentioned or alarmist, and the opinion of Yuan Longping, the “father of hybrid rice”, will be looked at first here. He and Brown also met once. It was when he attended an international conference in Canada, and Brown also attended it, but at that time he did not know Brown, and Brown did not know him. Since Yuan never took the initiative to befriend an international person, they did not deal directly. The closest they came to each other was in a restaurant, dining at different tables. A friend of Yuan pointed in Brown’s direction, saying that he was the famous Brown. In that quick glance, Brown also left a deep impression on him, “a very deep man”. To Brown’s warning call, Yuan Longping saw it this way: “His argument is very sufficient, and he knows China’s situation like the palm of his hand, such as population growth, land reduction every year and water resources, etc.” These problems listed by Brown will be the three major problems that China will face in the 21st century: population, land and water resources. All the data he listed are well-documented, and the prediction of the future comes from accurate calculations.

这里就不妨算算账。由于粮食与人口直接对应,中国人早已习惯于把粮食称为“ロ粮”。先看人口。1995年,中国有两个直接对应的宣告,ー个是袁隆平在当年8月宣告两系法杂交水稻诞生了;还有一个是在2月15日零点,北京妇产医院ー个呱呱落地的婴儿,宣告中国第十二亿个公民诞生了。据国家统计局预测,到 2030年中国人口将达到最高峰值（14.8亿）,此后将开始逐渐下降。这里先不论那个预测的人口峰值,只说近20年来已从预测变成了现实的人口增长。尽管我国从 1970年起就采取了计划生育政策（提出计划生育的试点阶段则更早）,但人口依然一直保持高速增长,截至2015年末,中国大陆总人口早已突破了 13亿大关,直逼14亿。有人估计,如果加上由于各种原因没有进入统计的人口,已超过14亿。又无论你统计未统计,凡长了嘴的都是要吃饭的。在未来的15年间,随着全面放开二胎生育,在如此庞大的人口基数上净增两亿人口,还是相当保守的估计。事实上,中国政府一直以16亿人口为最高峰值,作为应对国家粮食安全的大前提。

Here it is worth doing the math. Chinese people have long been accustomed to calling food “rations” because food corresponds directly to population. Look at the population first. In 1995, China had two direct announcements. One was the birth of two-line hybrid rice announced by Yuan Longping in August; the other was the birth of China’s 1.2 billionth citizen at 0: 00 on February 15th, when a baby was born in Beijing Maternity Hospital. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s population will reach its peak (1.48 billion) by 2030, and will gradually decline thereafter. Regardless of the predicted population peak, the population growth has changed from forecast to reality in recent 20 years. Although China has adopted the family planning policy since 1970 (the pilot stage of family planning was introduced much earlier), the population has maintained a high-speed growth. By the end of 2015, the total population of Chinese mainland had already exceeded the 1.3 billion mark, almost reaching 14 billion. It has been estimated that if the population that has not been counted for various reasons is added, it has exceeded 14 billion. No matter whether it is counted or not, everyone needs to be fed. In the next 15 years, with the full liberalization of second births, an estimated net increase of 200 million people on such a huge population base is still quite conservative. In fact, the Chinese government has been using the peak of 1.6 billion people as a premise to address national food security.

那么,这里又按国际上公认的粮食过关线（人均500公斤）计算,每个人都可以做一道简单的算术题:16亿X500公斤=8000亿公斤。而!996年,中国的粮食产量创下我国粮食总产量的历史最高纪录（达到4800亿公斤）,按当时的12亿人口计算,人均400公斤,这已达到了温饱线,但仍未达到国际上公认的粮食过关线。再按中国人口峰值所需粮食做一道更简单的减法题,8000亿公斤减去4800亿公斤,这个差额有多大?哪怕到了今天,以2015年国务院政府工作报告的数据为准, “我国粮食产量达到1.21万亿斤”,这里说的是市斤,不是公斤,也就是刚刚突破 6000亿公斤,离8000亿公斤也还有近2000亿公斤的缺口,这同布朗的预测惊人地一致,他认为到21世纪30年代,中国达到人口峰值时需要净进ロ粮食两亿吨,也就是2000亿公斤,而这数据,恰好又是每年国际谷物的总贸易量。这一道道简单的算术题,得到的是ー个残酷的结论,布朗发出的警世的呼唤绝非杞人忧天,如果中国粮食的增产赶不上人口的增速,没有足够的粮食去填补这个巨大的缺口,就必须买光全世界的粮食贸易量,才能填补养活中国16亿人口的那个巨大缺ロ,可世界上的其他粮食进口国吃什么?一这就是布朗预测的ー个世界粮食的灾难性后果:中国粮食缺口将导致全世界粮食短缺和粮价暴涨,造成全球性粮食危机。又无论是中国发生粮食危机,还是将危机转向世界,那巨大的粮食缺口都无法从地球这颗小行星上转移,必须用数亿人的生命去填!

Then, according to the internationally recognized grain clearance line (500kg per capita) in calculation, everyone can do a simple arithmetic problem: 1.6 billion x 500 kg = 800 billion kg. But in 1996, China’s grain output, though hit a record high in China’s total grain output (480 billion kilograms) and reached the subsistence line of 400 kg per capita calculated on the population of 1.2 billion at that time, did not reach the internationally recognized grain clearance line. So, another simpler subtraction problem, according to the grain required by China’s peak population, will be 800 billion kilograms minus 480 billion kilograms. How big is the difference? Even today, based on the data in the 2015 Government Work Report of the State Council, “China’s grain output has reached 1.21 trillion jin”, which is not measured in kilograms. That is to way, it has just exceeded 600 billion kilograms, and there is still a shortfall of nearly 200 billion kilograms from 800 billion kilograms, which is strikingly consistent with Brown’s prediction. He believes that by the 2030s, 200 million tons, or 200 billion kilograms, of net grain imports will be needed when China reaches its population peak. And this figure happens to be the total international grain trade volume every year. These simple arithmetic problems lead to a cruel conclusion that Brown’s warning call is by no means alarmist. If China’s grain production increase cannot keep up with the population growth, there will be no enough grain to fill this huge gap, and it will be necessary to buy up all the world’s tradeable grain to feed the 1.6 billion people of China. But what will people in other grain-importing countries in the world eat? This is the catastrophic consequence of Brown’s prediction: China’s food shortage will lead to a global one of grain and a surge in grain prices, resulting in a global food crisis. Whether the food crisis occurs in China or spreads to the world, the huge grain gap cannot be transferred from this small planet called Earth, and it must be filled with hundreds of millions of lives!

粮食不仅与人口直接对应,也是与水土、气候、生态直接对应的。从耕地上看, “中国以占世界7%的耕地养活着占全球22%的人口,即12亿人”,这一直让中国人充满了自豪感,也的确是中国对世界的巨大贡献,却也是ー个大限。自中华人民共和国成立以来,中国耕地基本上开垦到了极限,人口有增无减,而耕地自20世纪 5〇年代以来一直呈现净减的趋势,进入80年代后,随着改革开放推动经济和城市化的快速发展,中国耕地以年均300万亩（20万公顷）的速度递减,相当于每年减少了 500万人口的口粮。即便中国严防死守18亿亩耕地的红线,也是底线,那“占世界7%的耕地”也不可能增加。除了先天不足的耕地,还有先天不足的水资源, 中国人均水资源占有量仅为世界人均的1/4左右,在农耕时代勉强能够维持,一旦迈进エ业化、城市化、现代化的进程,日益严峻的水资源危机以及污染所带来的水质性危机,必将直接加剧中国的农业危机和粮食危机。再加之生态环境的恶化使得各种自然灾害频繁袭击我国的农业生产,水土流失加剧,这各种灾难性的危机叠加在ー起,对我国的粮食安全构成极为严峻的威胁。

Grain is not only directly related to population, but also directly related to water, soil, climate, and ecology. In terms of arable land, “China feeds 1.2 billion people, which accounts for 22% of the world’s population, with only 7% of the world’s arable land.” This has always filled Chinese people with pride and is indeed China’s great contribution to the world, but it is also a limitation. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, China’s cultivated land has been basically developed to the limit. Its population has been increasing but the cultivated land has been showing a net decrease trend since the 1950s. After the 1980s, with the rapid development of economy and urbanization promoted by reform and opening up, China’s cultivated land has been decreasing at an average annual rate of 3 million mu (200,000 hectares), equivalent to a reduction of food rations for 5 million people every year. Even though China strictly guards the red line of 1.8 billion mu of arable land, which is also the bottom line, the area, “7% of the world’s arable land”, cannot increase. In addition to the congenitally insufficient arable land, there are also congenital insufficient water resources. China’s per capita water resources accounts for only about 1/4 of the world’s per capita. It can barely sustain during the agricultural era. Once entering the process of industrialization, urbanization, and modernization, however, the increasingly severe water crisis and the water quality crisis caused by pollution will directly exacerbate China’s agricultural crisis and food crises. What is more, the deterioration of the ecological environment makes a variety of natural disasters frequently attack our agricultural production, soil erosion aggravated, all kinds of catastrophic crisis superimposed together, the food security of our country poses a very serious threat.

于此可见,布朗所列举的三大难题绝非居心不良,他只是提前揭开了我们很多同胞不愿直面的ー个严峻而惨淡的现实。这不只是中国的问题,也是世界的难题。还是那句话,整个地球就是ー个小行星,而全球人口在以前所未有的速度迅猛增长。在人类跨入新千年的前タ,联合国人口司根据人口统计资料用数学方法计算出地球上的第60亿个居民将在1999年10月的某一天诞生。这年5月4日,联合国总部一楼大厅竖起一座人口钟,由一个“ 6”和九个“ 0 ”的模型组成,“ 6”字模型上的人口计数器显示,目前世界人口每秒钟增加4至5人,而这年世界人口日的主题就是“60亿人口日开始倒计时”。经历了 5个多月的倒计时,ー个日子终于降临, 10月12日凌晨,在前南斯拉夫的范围内,在波黑首都萨拉热窝的一家医院里,第 60亿个人类居民降临地球,又是一名男婴。这天被联合国确定为“世界60亿人口日”,时任联合国秘书长安南在这位婴儿诞生的前一天就专程赶往萨拉热窝,并定于12日下午前往医院看望婴儿母子,这是ー种关爱,也是ー种关注,以唤起人们对人口问题的高度关注。

In this case, Brown’s list of three major problems is by no means ill-intentioned. He just revealed a harsh and grim reality that many of our compatriots are unwilling to face in advance. This is not only a problem for China, but also a problem for the world. Again, the whole earth is just a small planet, and the global population is growing at an unprecedented rate. On the eve of the new millennium, the United Nations Population Division mathematically calculated, based on population statistics, that the 6 billionth inhabitant of the Earth would be born on a certain day in October 1999. On May 4th of the year, a population clock was erected in the lobby of the United Nations Headquarters, consisting of a model of the number “6” and nine models of the number “0”. The population counter on the model of the number “6” showed that the world’s population was increasing by 4 to 5 people per second, and the theme of the year’s World Population Day is “Countdown to 6 billion People Day”. After a countdown of more than 5 months, a day finally arrived. In the early morning of October 12th, within the territory of former Yugoslavia, in a hospital in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 6 billionth human resident was born on Earth, a baby boy. The day was designated by the United Nations as ‘World Population Day of 6 billion People’. The day before the baby was born, Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the United Nations, made a special trip to Sarajevo and was scheduled to visit the baby and mother in the hospital on the afternoon of the 12th. This is a kind of care and concern to arouse people’s high attention to population issues.

2016年9月,我赴菲律宾国际水稻研究所采访时发现,在展览馆大厅里也高悬着一座人口钟,构成了国际水稻研究以至粮食生产的一个大背景。如今,世界总人ロ已逼近73亿,依然在以咄咄逼人的速度增长（公开数据显示,全世界每秒钟大约出生4.3人,每分钟大约出生259人,每小时大约出生!5540人,每天大约出生37 万人,每年增长约8296万人）〇又据联合国预测,到2025年世界总人口将超过80 亿。另据科学家的分析,到2080年世界人口将达到顶峰,突破100亿大关。面对这庞大无比的人口基数和增长迅猛的人口,不说布朗,每ー个在理智上保持清醒的人都会下意识地发问,谁来养活21世纪的中国?谁来养活21世纪的世界?

In September 2016, when I went to the International Rice Research Institute of the Philippines for an interview, I found that there was also a population clock hanging in the exhibition hall, which formed a big background for international rice research and even food production. Today, the world’s population is approaching 7.3 billion and is still growing at an alarming rate (public data shows that there are approximately 4.3 births per second, 259 births per minute, 15,540 births per hour and 370,000 births per day, and the annual growth is about 82.96 million people). The world’s total population will exceed 8 billion by 2025, according to the United Nations. According to scientists’ analysis, the world’s population will reach its peak and exceed 10 billion by 2080. Faced with the enormous and rapidly growing population base of China, every person, not to mention Brown, who maintains rationality will subconsciously ask, who will feed China in the 21st century? Who will support the world in the 21st century?

事实上,布朗发出的“警世的呼唤”,不只是呼唤中国,他也在不遗余力地“呼唤世界各国的领导人,不要拿经费来备战,制造兵器,而是要重视粮食生产,发展农业”。他那深重的危机感,也在世界上引起了强烈的危机感。1996年11月,在罗马联合国粮农组织总部召开了史上第一次以应对粮食问题为主题的世界首脑会议（World Food Summit）。据联合国粮农组织当年发表的公报,全世界有超过8亿人遭受饥饿。罗马会议分析了世界粮食安全的严峻形势,重申了“人人享有免于饥饿、获得充足食物的基本权利”,指出贫困是粮食不安全的重要根源,号召全球各国立即行动起来,担负起实现当代和子孙后代粮食安全的责任,并确定了要在2015 年之前把全世界营养不良的人数减少到目前人数一半的近期目标。一这也是当时的世界各国首脑对全世界人民做出的庄严承诺。时至2015年,ー个长达近20 年的承诺到了最后一年,应该兑现了,但据中新社纽约10月5日电,世界银行最新预测称“2015年全世界极端贫困人口将减少到7.02亿人,这也将是全球贫困人口首次降低至10%以下”。而据新华网北京10月12日报道,“据世界银行统计, 2015年全世界仍有8亿多人生活在贫困之中”一这两个数据让我感到特别奇怪,同样是世界银行的数据,为何会有这样大的差距?或是贫困与极端贫困人口之间的差距吧,而极端的贫困就是饥饿。又即便按乐观的或降低了贫困标准线的统计,全世界近20年的努力,也只把贫困人口降低了一亿,远远低于世界各国首脑在罗马会议上做出的庄严承诺,于此可见,消除贫困、消除饥饿还有多么漫长而艰难的路要走。

In fact, Brown’s ‘wake-up call’ is not only a call for China, but also a call with all his might for leaders of countries in the world not to use funds for military preparation and weapon manufacturing, but to attach importance to food production and develop agriculture. His deep sense of crisis has also aroused a strong feeling of crisis in the world. In November 1996, the first-ever World Food Summit was held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations（FAO）in Rome, with the theme of addressing food issues. The bulletin published that year by the FAO said that more than 800 million people worldwide suffered from hunger. The Rome Conference analyzed the severe situation of world food security, reaffirmed “the basic right of everyone to be free from hunger and to have access to adequate food”. It pointed out that poverty is an important root cause of food insecurity, called on all countries to take immediate action to shoulder the responsibility of achieving food security for present and future generations, and set an immediate goal of reducing the number of undernourished people in the world to half of the current number by 2015. This was also a solemn commitment made by the heads of countries to the people of the world at that time. By 2015, the commitment of nearly 20 years has reached its final year and should have been fulfilled. However, according to China News Service on October 5th, the World Bank’s latest forecast states that ‘the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide will decrease to 702 million in 2015, which will be the first time that the global poverty rate has fallen below 10%’. As reported by Xinhua News Agency’s report on October 12th, ‘the World Bank’s statistics show that more than 800 million people worldwide still live in poverty in 2015.’ - These two pieces of data confused me a lot: why is there such a big gap in data from the same World Bank? Or the gap between poverty and extreme poverty, and extreme poverty is hunger. And even according to the statistics of optimistic or lowered poverty standard line, the world is close to20The efforts made in 2000 have only reduced the number of poor people by 100 million, far below the solemn commitment made by world leaders at the Rome Conference. This shows how long and difficult it is to eradicate poverty and hunger.

看了世界,回过头来又看中国。对“谁来养活中国”这ー“警世的呼唤”和跨世纪的忧患,中国没有沉默。尤其对于经历过饥饿和半饥饿的中国人,上上下下都有强烈的危机意识,中国政府和中国科学家都做出了一系列的积极回应。时任国家科委主任宋健在第七次恩格尔贝格论坛上,直接针对布朗的发问,做了题为《也论 “谁来养活中国人”》的回应。他首先从人口上做出回应:“解决这个人口、资源与环境搅在ー起的复杂问题对下世纪的中国确实具有头等重要意义。中国科学界达成的共识是:控制人口增长是解决这ー复杂问题的关键。今天,中国以占世界7% 的耕地养活着占全球22%的人口,即12亿人,任何人都无权抱怨中国的人口太多, 因为这是历史形成的遗产。没有一个人可以被认为是多余的。我们的信仰是,所有的人生来就是平等的。但是,到下一世纪,如果中国的人口在30年内再翻一番, 那将出现可怕的情景!那将是真正意义上的人口爆炸……让我们感到欣慰的是, 中国已经制定了正确的计划生育政策。”

After looking at the world, let’s look back at China. China has not been silent about the “Wake-Up Call” of “Who Will Feed China” and the cross-century worries. There is a strong sense of crisis, especially for the Chinese who have experienced hunger and semi-starvation, and a series of positive responses from the Chinese government and Chinese scientists. Song Jian, the director of the State Scientific and Technological Commission, responded directly to Brown’s question at the 7th Engelberg Forum, entitled “On Who Will Feed Chinese”. He first responded from the demographic point of view: “Solving this complex problem of population, resources and environment is of paramount importance to China in the next century. The consensus reached by the Chinese scientific community is that controlling population growth is the key to solve this complex problem. Today, China feeds 1.2 billion people, which is 22% of the world’s population, with only 7% of the world’s arable land. No one has the right to complain about China’s large population, because this is a legacy formed by history. No one can be considered redundant. Our belief is that all men are born equal. However, by the next century, if China’s population doubles again within 30 years, a terrible scenario will emerge! And that would be a real population explosion… We are pleased that China has formulated the right family planning policy.”

在回应了人口增长的问题后,宋健又针对粮食安全的定义给予了回应:“世界粮食组织认为,粮食安全应包含如下三个目标:确保生产出足够的粮食,保证供应流通的稳定性和确保需要粮食的人们得到供应。就中国将来的粮食安全而言,生产足够的粮食并实现’自足’,是决定性的因素。’自足’这个词并不意味着自己生产所有需要的东西。但是,对中国来说,它的确意味着生产足够谷物以保证生活水平接近’小康’时全部人口的食物供应。换句话说,对于21世纪中叶16亿人口而言,每年的谷物收成要达到6. 4亿吨才能保证人均400公斤。根据中国和国外农学家们的研究与分析,这是ー个必须达到而且可能达到,也是有相当充分依据的目标值。1996年中国的粮食产量达到创纪录的4.8亿吨,人均400公斤。中国必须在未来的30至40年内,使年产量再增加到1.6亿吨,才能达到6.4亿吨,即年产量比现在再增加30%,这要求粮食供应平均每年增加1%。根据中国农业过去的生产情况以及资源潜カ,我们深信,这个目标无论从经济上还是从技术上肯定是可以实现的。”

After his response to the issue of population growth, he also shared the definition of food security: “The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations believes that food security should include the following three goals, which are to ensure sufficient food production, to ensure the stability of supply and circulation, and to ensure that people in need of food are supplied.” As far as China’s future food security is concerned, producing enough food and achieving ‘self-sufficiency’ are the decisive factors. The word ‘self-sufficient’ does not mean producing everything one needs independently. But for China, it does mean producing enough grain to ensure that the entire population can be fed when living standards are close to ‘well-off’. In other words, for the 1.6 billion population in the mid-21st century, an annual grain harvest of 640 million tons is needed to ensure a per capita of 400 kilograms. As Chinese and foreign agronomists researched and analyzed, this is a target that must and can be achieved, and it is also a target with sufficient basis. In 1996, China’s grain production reached a record high of 480 million tons, with a per capita of 400 kilograms. In order to reach a total of 640 million tons, in the next 30 to 40 years, China must increase its annual production to 160 million tons, which is a 30% increase in annual production compared to now. And this requires an average annual increase of 1% in food supply. Based on China’s past agricultural production and resource potential, we are convinced that this goal can definitely be achieved both economically and technologically.

随后,他对“谁来养活中国”给予了一个明确而又充满信心的回答:“中国的科学界和政府一致认为,中国能够养活自己,并且在21世纪上半叶将能够达到中等发达国家的水平。当然,大家都承认,这是ー个巨大的挑战,是整个国家的攻坚战。所有这一切要依靠科学技术的应用和进步。经过当代和后代人的不懈努力,中国将有一个美好的未来,中国不会陷入绝境。谨以此回答全世界许多朋友提出的警告。”

Later, he gave a clear and confident answer to the question of “Who will feed China”: The scientific community and government of China agree that China can feed itself and will be able to reach the level of a moderately developed country in the first half of the 21st century. Of course, everyone admits that this is a huge challenge and a nationwide battle. All this depends on the application and progress of science and technology. Through the unremitting efforts of present and future generations, China will have a bright future and will not fall into despair.
I would like to answer the warnings raised by many friends all over the world.”

宋健的回应,表明了中国在保障粮食安全上的两条途径,一是“将人口增长控制在某ー限度之内”,二是不断提高粮食产量。时至今日,中国的人口峰值还没有到来,但也为期不远,而随着二胎生育的全面放开,那个人口峰值很可能超过原来的预测,中国若要自己养活自己,就必须让粮食增产赶上人口的增值,这是常识,也是一条不可违逆的铁律。然而,即便中国能死死守住18亿亩的红线,在这红线中约2/3为中低产田,而摆在中国面前的唯ー一条出路、一条活路,就是宋健那句话, “一切要依靠科学技术的应用和进步”,才能在现有的、十分有限的耕地上竭尽所能地提高粮食单产。只有归根结底地算清了这样ー笔账,你才能归根结底地理解袁隆平,如果不按一条不可违逆的铁律进行一番梳理,你就难以理解一个以拯救饥饿、解决吃饭问题为天职的农学家,在攻克了三系法、两系法之后,为什么又把目光瞄准了一个更高的目标ーー超级稻。这是ー种不可逆转的必然选择。

His response shows that China has two ways to ensure food security, one is to “control population growth within a certain limit”, and the other is to continuously increase food output. Up to now, China’s population peak has not yet arrived, but it is not far away. With the full liberalization of the two-child policy, the population peak is likely to exceed the original prediction. If China wants to feed itself, it must increase food production to keep up with population growth. This is common sense and an unbreakable rule. However, even if China can firmly maintain the red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares), about two-thirds of which are low- and middle-yield farmland, the only way out and solution before China is to rely on the application and advancement of scientific and technological progress, as stated by Song Jian, so as to maximize the yield per unit of the existing, limited arable land. Only by calculating this account thoroughly can one truly understand Yuan Longping. Without following an inexorable rule to sort things out, it will be difficult to comprehend why an agricultural scientist, whose mission is to alleviate hunger and solve the food problem, has set his sights on a higher goal - Super Rice after conquering the Three-line hybrid rice and Two-line hybrid rice. This is an irreversible and inevitable choice.

对布朗发出的“警世的呼唤”,袁隆平从ー个农业科学家的视角给予了科学解读,他不觉得这是美国人发出的“中国威胁论”,但他认为“布朗只看到了中国庞大的人口将侵占大量的人类资源,他的最大弱点,是对科技进步提高农作物生产カ的巨大潜力估计不足,而恰恰农业科技进步是支持粮食增产的第一生产カ”。其实, 布朗在《谁来养活中国》一文中也提到了农业科技进步,但他通过对当时现实的观察得出了悲观的结论:首先是很多人把希望寄托在基因工程上,但基因工程搞了 20年,对提高农作物的产量还是没有明显的贡献,然后又有很多人把希望寄托在国际水稻研究所的超级稻上面,结果超级稻也没有搞成功。一这是实情,也是难题,而袁隆平接下来要攻克的就是这道世界性难题,他坚信“中国人通过科技进步和共同努力,不仅能养活自己,而且可以帮助发展中国家解决粮食短缺问题”,这绝非盲目地自信,而是基于他执着而坚定的科学信仰。

Yuan Longping gave a scientific interpretation of Brown’s “warning call” from the perspective of an agricultural scientist. He did not think it was the “China threat theory” put forward by Americans, but he believed that “Brown only saw that China’s huge population would occupy a large amount of human resources. And his biggest weakness is that he underestimated the enormous potential of scientific and technological progress to improve crop productivity, and technological progress in agriculture is the primary productive force to support grain production”. In fact, Brown also mentioned the progress of agricultural science and technology in the article “Who Will Feed China”, but he came to a pessimistic conclusion by observing the reality at that time: First of all, many people pin their hopes on genetic engineering, but genetic engineering has been carried out for 20 years and there was still no obvious contribution to improving crop yield, and then many people pinned their hopes on the super rice of the International Rice Research Institute, but the super rice failed, too. -This is the reality and a difficult problem. And this world-wide problem is what Yuan Longping is about to tackle. He firmly believes that “the Chinese, through technological progress and joint efforts, can not only feed themselves, but also help developing countries solve food shortage.” This is not blind self-confidence, but what based on his persistent and firm scientific belief.

1996年,中国的粮食安全至少有两件值得载入史册的大事。当年10月,国务院发布了《中国的粮食问题》白皮书,其中明确指出“农业科技在中国农业增产中的贡献率约为35%”,并突出强调要把科技作为“中国粮食生产再上新台阶的巨大动カ” 。第二件大事是,农业部根据袁隆平院士提出的超级杂交稻的育种设想与目标,正式启动了为期10年的中国超级稻育种计划。第二年,中国超级稻育种计划又由国务院总理基金和国家863高技术计划立项,在袁隆平的统领下,组织全国20 多个科研团队协作攻关。一这已是袁隆平第三次率领全国科研团队协作攻关。

In 1996, there were at least two significant events related to China’s food security that are worth recording in history. In October of that year, the State Council issued a White Paper on China’s Food Issues, in which it clearly stated that “the contribution rate of agricultural technology to China’s agricultural production is about 35%,” and emphasized that science and technology should be regarded as a “great driving force for China’s grain production to reach new heights.” The second major event was that, the Ministry of Agriculture officially launched a 10-year super hybrid rice breeding program based on the breeding concept and goals for super hybrid rice proposed by academician Yuan Longping. In the second year, the China Super Rice Breeding Program was funded by the State Council Premier Fund and the National 863 High-Tech Program. Led by Yuan Longping, more than 20 scientific research teams from all over the country worked together to address this challenge. -This is the third time that Yuan Longping has led a national scientific research team to tackle key problems.

中国超级稻育种计划的启动时间比日本晚了16年,比国际水稻研究所也晚了7年,但中国有句俗话:先上船不一定先到岸,欲速则不达。随着中国超级稻在未来岁月的ー步步推进,这一计划实际上已成为保障国家粮食安全的战略决策之一, 而无论在战略设想还是技术路线上,袁隆平都扮演了一个战略家的角色,有人甚至把他称为这ー领域的“战略之魂”。然而,每ー个战略在付诸实施和取得战果之前都是有风险的,而“中国超级稻育种计划”明确由袁隆平牵总头,也就是负总责的首席专家,他理所当然必须承担随之而来的风险。按袁隆平提出的第一期产量指标,就要选育出亩产达到700公斤以上的超级稻品种,不说别人替他捏了一把汗, 连那些追随他多年、对他言听计从的学生和助手们也充满了怀疑:“袁老师啊,这怎么可能达到啊?”他们的怀疑,其实已经被日本人用!6年的时间、国际水稻研究所用7年的时间验证了,还真是达不到。但袁隆平却对他的助手们说:“别人没做到的,不等于我们不能做。杂交水稻以前别人没有搞成,但我们搞成功了。现在我们已经搞成了中国独创的两系法杂交稻,如果能把三系法、两系法的优势ー起运用在超级稻攻关上,我们就有比别人更大的优势,抢占杂交水稻研究的国际制高点。”

The launch of China’s Super Rice Breeding Program was 16 years later than Japan’s and 7 years later than that of the International Rice Research Institute, but there is a saying in China that boarding first does not necessarily mean landing first. Haste makes waste. As China’s Super Rice advances step by step in the coming years, this program has become one of the strategic decisions to ensure national food security. And Yuan Longping has played the role of a strategist in both strategic vision and technological routes, and some people even call him the “strategic soul” in this field. However, every strategy carries risks before being implemented and achieving results. And as the chief expert responsible for the program, Yuan Longping naturally has to bear the associated risks. According to the first phase of the production target proposed by Yuan, a super rice variety with a yield of more than 700 kilograms per mu must be selected. Even some of his long-time students and assistants, who have always followed his lead, are full of doubt: “How can this be achieved, Mr. Yuan?” Their doubts have actually been verified by Japan during the 16 years and the International Rice Research Institute during the 7 years. It is indeed difficult to achieve. But Yuan Longping told his assistants: “What others don’t do doesn’t mean we can’t do it. Others did not succeed in hybrid rice before, but we did. Now we have successfully made China’s original two-line hybrid rice. If we can apply the advantages of the three-line and two-line approaches to tackle key problems of super rice, we will have a greater advantage than others and occupy the international high ground of hybrid rice research.”

随着袁隆平率中国科学家开始超级稻协作攻关,在全球范围内,日本、国际水稻研究所和中国成了在水稻王国逐鹿的三驾马车,前者已先声夺人,后者正奋起直追,而谁将捷足先登、马到成功,还需拭目以待。

As Yuan Longping leads Chinese scientists to start collaborating on super rice research, in the rice kingdom worldwide, Japan, the International Rice Research Institute, and China have become the three horses competing with each other. The former has already taken the lead, and the latter is catching up. Who will be the first to succeed in such a race is yet to be seen.

第三次飞跃

The Third Leap

一直以来,人类ー直不遗余力地提高农作物的单产,主要是通过两条途径:一是品种改良,ー是形态改良。这两条途径并非平行线,可以交叉兼容,把两种优势结合在ー起利用,所产生的不是加法效应而是乘法效应,甚至可以促使农作物呈几何级数增产。

For a long time, human beings have always endeavored to improve crop yields through two main methods: varietal improvement and morphological improvement. These two approaches are not parallel but can be cross-compatible, allowing for a multiplication effect rather than an additive one and even allowing for crops to increase in yield exponentially.

从品种改良看,最原始的方式就是农民在稻田里选种,拣穗子大、籽粒饱满的, 留作来年的种子;还有就是“施肥不如勤换种”,在同一块田里,老是种着ー样的种子,那种子再好也会退化。在杂交水稻问世之前,农业科技人员主要是通过改良常规品种和改变育种技术、栽培技术而提高作物的产量,但这样的改良增产潜カ有限。直到杂种优势利用的潜力被开发出来,オ让品种改良出现了质的飞跃,事实上这已经不是改良而是ー场革命,而杂交水稻就是袁隆平在中国稻田里掀起的ー场划时代的绿色革命。

From the perspective of variety improvement, the most primitive way was for farmers to select grains from rice paddies with large ears and full seeds and keep them as seeds for the coming year. Another method was "frequent seed replacement instead of fertilization,” as planting the same seeds in the same field would result in degeneration, no matter how good the quality of those seeds was. Before the advent of hybrid rice, agricultural scientists mainly increased the crop yields by improving conventional varieties and changing breeding and cultivation techniques, but such improvements had limited potential to increase yield. It was not until the potential of hybrid vigor was harnessed that the variety improvement made a qualitative leap forward. In fact, this is not an improvement but a revolution, and hybrid rice is an epoch-making green revolution set off by Yuan Longping in China's rice fields.

从形态改良看,主要是因地制宜,改良株型,以提高作物的光合效应和抗逆性。如被誉为“中国半矮秆水稻之父”的黄耀祥先生开创的“水稻矮化育种”及其培育出的半矮秆水稻,就是ー个经典之作。以国际水稻研究所为代表的各国水稻育种家,一直以来主要就是采用改良常规品种和改良株型这两种方式,也曾创造不少奇迹,但他们在超级稻上却没能再创奇迹,难以实现超高产的预期目标。这是被实践验证了的事实,无论是对常规品种的改良,还是单纯的形态改良,增产潜カ都很有限。这也是人类把目光转向杂种优势利用的主要原因,而且成为20世纪农业科技革命或绿色革命的主题。

From the morphological improvement perspective, the focus is mainly on adapting to local conditions, improving plant structure to increase the crop's photosynthetic efficiency and resistance to adverse conditions. For example, “dwarf rice breeding" initiated by Mr. Huang Yaoxiang, who is known as the "father of semi-dwarf rice in China", and the semi-dwarf indica rice cultivated by him are classic works. Rice breeders from various countries, represented by the International Rice Research Institute, have mainly relied on improving conventional varieties and morphological improvements to increase crop yields. They have created many miracles, but they could not replicate their successes in developing super rice and achieving the expected high yields. It is a proven fact that the potential for yield increases, no matter through conventional varieties improvement or simple morphological improvement, is much limited. This is also the main reason why humanity began to focus on harnessing hybrid vigor and make it the main theme of the agricultural technological revolution or the Green Revolution of the 20th century.

按袁隆平早已提出的分“三步走”的战略构想,从三系法、两系法到ー系法,与之对应的则是杂种优势利用的技术路线,即从品种间杂交到亚种间杂交最终过渡到远缘杂种优势利用或分子间杂交。一这里特别需要辨别一下,很多人误以为超级稻就是比两系法更高级的一系杂交稻,这是ー个大误会,超级稻只是两系法杂交水稻的发展和延伸,通俗地说,就是杂交水稻的升级版和加强型,其基本原理和两系法一样,也是采用水稻的两个亚种ーー粧稻和粳稻进行杂交。这反过来又验证了,如果不通过两系法,从三系法的品种间杂交是不可能一下跳到超级稻这一更高的科学境界的,若要进入超级稻时代,袁隆平从三系法到两系法这段路没有白走,两系法是跨不过去的,它本身就是一道连接过去和未来的桥梁。谁不想获得跨越式发展呢,但无论你采用怎样的科技创新手段,也只能让你的脚步加速,那ー个接ー个的关键步骤,你是不能骐骥ー跃而跨越的。尽管两系法对亚种间的杂种优势利用比三系法的品种间杂交可以释放出更强大的能量,但超级稻也吸收三系法中的一些经典的方式,而当超级稻发展和延伸到后ー阶段,它将越来越接近一系杂交稻的ー些特征,如远缘杂种优势利用或分子间杂交。一句话,超级稻就是利用水稻的一切杂种优势来追求高产优质的目标。从三系法、两系法到超级稻,一向喜欢拿比喻说事的袁隆平又开始打比方了 :“如果常规稻是鸟枪,杂交稻就是大炮,而超级稻就是核武器!”

According to the strategic conception of "three steps" put forward by Yuan Longping, from three-line method, two-line method to one-line method, the corresponding technical route is heterosis utilization, that is, from inter-variety hybridization to inter-subspecies hybridization, and finally to distant heterosis utilization or molecular hybridization. --It is especially necessary to distinguish here that many people mistakenly believe that super rice is a higher-level single-line hybrid rice compared to that bred with two-line breeding method, which is a big misconception. Super rice is simply the development and extension of two-line hybrid rice. Generally speaking, it is the upgraded and enhanced version of hybrid rice, in which the basic principle is the same as the two-line breeding method, which uses hybridization between two subspecies of rice, japonica and indica rice. This, in turn, verifies that without going through the two-line breeding, it is impossible to make a quantum leap from inter-variety hybridization in the three-line breeding method to super rice, which is a higher level of scientific realm. If one wants to enter the era of super rice, then the journey from three-line breeding to two-line breeding is not in vain, and the two-line method cannot be crossed since it is itself a bridge connecting the past and the future. Everyone wants to make a breakthrough, but no matter what technological innovation is employed, it can only help to accelerate the progress. One cannot leapfrog the key steps one by one. Although the utilization of heterosis between subspecies by two-line method can release more powerful energy than inter-variety hybridization by three-line method, super rice also absorbs some classical approaches of the three-line method. And as super rice develops and adapts to later stages, it will become increasingly similar to the features of single-line hybrid rice, such as distant heterosis utilization or molecular hybridization. In short, super rice uses all the heterosis of rice to pursue the goal of high yield and quality. From the three-line breeding, the two-line breeding to super rice, Yuan Longping, who always loves metaphors, has once again used an analogy: “If conventional rice is a shotgun, hybrid rice shall be a cannon, and super rice will be a nuclear weapon!"

按水稻领域的主流观点,水稻只有釉稻和粳稻两个亚种,也有一些科学家认为爪哇稻是水稻的亚种,但主流观点则认为爪哇稻属亚热带粳稻。从中国稻作区分布看,一般是南釉北粳,这两个亚种的亲缘关系比较远,而亲缘越远,其远缘杂交的生物学优势就越强,但两者之间也有一个问题,由于亲缘太远了,亚种间遗传分化程度大,就会不亲和,存在一定的生殖隔离,从而导致杂种受精结实不正常,看上去穗子很大,但大部分是空壳,一般只有两三成的结实率。据袁隆平当时估计,如果结实率正常的话,通过釉粳杂交将产生强大的杂种优势,亩产可达到900公斤甚至突破1000公斤大关,这在当时,可真是ー个“超级神话”了。但袁隆平坚信这个神话是可以实现的,关键是如何突破“不亲和”这个生殖隔离问题。

According to the mainstream view in the field of rice, there are only two subspecies of rice, indica rice and japonica rice. Some scientists consider javanica rice as another subspecies of rice, but the mainstream view is that javanica rice belongs to subtropical japonica rice. Observing the distribution of rice planting areas in China, it is generally divided into two regions, with indica rice grown in the south and japonica rice in the north. Between these two subspecies, the genetic relationship is relatively far, and the farther the genetic relationship is, the stronger the biological advantage of hybridization will be. However, there is also a problem. Since the relatives are too distant, the genetic differentiation between the subspecies is large, so there will be a certain degree of reproductive isolation, which leads to abnormal fertilization and fruiting of the hybrids, with the spikes looking big but most of them empty. As a result, there will be only about 20-30% productive. It was estimated that if the seed-set rate was normal, crossing between these two subspecies would produce a strong hybrid advantage and could achieve yields of up to 900 to even 1,000 kg per mu, which was really a “super myth” at that time. However, Yuan Longping firmly believed that this myth could be realized, and the key was how to break through reproductive isolation problem of "incompatibility” between the subspecies.

对于亚种间的生殖隔离,早在20世纪70年代,辽宁省农科院水稻研究所的杨振玉等科研人员就开始了打通釉粳之间生殖隔离的尝试,他们通过连续6年的试验,首创了“釉粳架桥”制恢（人工创造恢复系）技术,这ー技术对两系法杂交稻的探索具有借鉴意义。日本科学家在这方面也做出了难能可贵的尝试,他们在杂交水稻探索之路上总是率先起跑,但又一直坎坎坷坷,大多是半途而废,但他们也有很多重要发现。如袁隆平的老朋友池桥宏早在1982年就揭示了粧粳稻的不亲和性以及由此引起的杂种结实率低的原因,并首次提出了“水稻广亲和现象”,在釉稻和粳稻两个亚种间找到ー些中间型的水稻,如爪哇稻,这种中间型的水稻品种具有广亲和基因,无论是与粧稻杂交,还是与粳稻杂交,试验显示都能正常结实。

For the reproductive isolation between subspecies, as early as in the 1970s, researchers at the Rice Research Institute of Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, including Yang Zhenyu, started the attempt to break down the reproductive barriers between indica and japonica rice. After six consecutive years of experimentation, they pioneered the "indica-japonica bridge" restoration (artificial creation of restoration lines) technology, which has reference significance for the exploration of two-line hybrid rice. Japanese scientists have also made valuable attempts in this respect, always taking the lead in hybrid rice exploration and also encountering many obstacles, and they also have many important discoveries though most of them give up halfway. For example, Yuan's old friend, Ikehashi Hiroshi, revealed the reason for the low seed-set rate caused by the incompatibility of indica and japonica in 1982, and proposed the "Rice Broad Compatibility Phenomena" for the first time after finding some intermediate rice varieties, such as Javanica rice, which has broad compatibility genes and can, as shown in experiments, be normally fertilized and bear fruit when crossed with either indica rice or japonica rice.

池桥宏的发现,为袁隆平攻克生殖隔离问题找到了突破口。他针对中国水稻具有丰富的广亲和资源、亲和谱各异等特点,在攻克两系法时就主张“把光、温敏核不育基因与广亲和基因结合起来”,随后又在国内率先提出“水稻亚种间亲和性模式”,进ー步阐明和发展了池桥宏提出的“水稻广亲和现象”,从而提出了比池桥宏更全面、更深入的“广亲和基因”和“辅助亲和性基因”的理论,按亚种间亲和性表现,将水稻品种分成广谱广亲和系、部分广亲和系、弱亲和系和非亲和系。在这个理论基础上,袁隆平和他的科研团队对广亲和资源进行大量的筛选和遗传研究,发现广亲和材料中还存在另外一些广亲和基因,这些基因在克服亚种间杂种的不育性方面同样具有重要作用。经过协作攻关,以袁隆平为代表的中国科学家终于为水稻亚种间的杂交打通生殖隔离,又攻克了一道世界性难题。池桥宏虽说是提出 “水稻广亲和现象”的第一人,但他的设想在日本没有实现,而是在中国长沙付诸实施的,这让他对袁隆平、对长沙抱有很深的感情,先后五次来长沙和袁隆平探讨交流,两人在稻田里结下了深厚的友谊。科学无国界,这也是ー个典型事例。

Ikehashi Hiroshi's discovery provided a breakthrough for Yuan Longping to overcome the problem of reproductive isolation. In view of the abundant wide-compatibility resources and diverse affinity spectra of Chinese rice, Yuan advocated "combining the photoperiod and thermo-sensitive genic male sterile genes with wide-compatibility genes" when overcoming the two-line method problem. He also took the lead in proposing "inter-subspecific compatibility model of rice" in China, further clarifying and developing the "wide-compatibility phenomenon of rice" proposed by Ikehashi Hiroshi, thus putting forward a more comprehensive and profound theory of "wide-compatibility genes" and "auxiliary compatibility genes". According to the performance of inter-subspecific compatibility, rice varieties are divided into broad-spectrum wide-compatibility lines, partial wide-compatibility lines, weak-compatibility lines and incompatibility lines. On the basis of this theory, Yuan Longping and his research team conducted a large amount of screening and genetic research on wide-compatibility resources, and found that there are additional wide-compatibility genes in those materials, which were also crucial in overcoming hybrid sterility between subspecies. After collaborative research, Chinese scientists, represented by Yuan Longping, finally broke through the reproductive isolation for hybridization between rice subspecies, and overcome a worldwide problem. Although Ikehashi Hiroshi was the first to put forward “the phenomenon of wide compatibility of rice", his idea was not realized in Japan, but was implemented in Changsha, China, which made him have deep feelings for Yuan Longping and Changsha. He came to Changsha to exchange with Yuan Longping five times and the two forged a profound friendship in the rice fields. This is also a typical example of scientific research without borders.

袁隆平ー只眼盯着种子,另ー只眼也盯着株型。想想也知道,那超高产的水稻倘若结出了沉甸甸的稻子,如果没有强有力的稻株又怎么能承受得起?我在前文述及,在杂交水稻诞生之前,水稻育种的技术路线主要是从植株的高矮、形态着手进行改良,如黄耀祥先生当年培育的半矮秆水稻,就是这方面的经典范例。矮化育种可提高水稻的抗倒伏能力,在大田推广后的亩产为250公斤上下,这在当时已很了不起了,而按农业部分期制定的中国超级稻产量指标,第一期（1996—2000年）亩产就要达到700公斤,那该要多么高大的稻株才能支撑起这么多稻子!很明显, 矮秆和半矮秆株型是不成的,必须拥有高大的株型,但稻禾一高就容易倒伏,这就必须培育出ー种高大壮实的株型,既具有高度的抗倒伏能力,又能承载起高出半矮秆水稻两三倍的稻子。而中国稻作区分布广泛,从平原广泽到丘陵、山区,由于生态条件复杂,气候变化多样,在株型设计上均要立足当地,到什么山上唱什么歌,这就需要众多的科研人员参与,也是协作攻关的意义所在,每个协作攻关的科研人员都必须因地制宜、对症下药地琢磨如何改良株型。袁隆平一直紧盯着长江中下游流域,这是中国最重要的稻作区,播种面积占全国水稻总面积的近一半,若能大幅度提高这一地区的水稻产量,对确保我国粮食安全具有举足轻重的意义。

Yuan Longping focused not only on the seeds but also on the plant type. Think about it. If a super-high-yield variety bears heavy grains, how can it withstand the weight without robust plant stems? As I mentioned before, the technical route of rice breeding mainly aimed at improving plant height and shape. For instance, the semi-dwarf rice cultivated by Mr. Huang Yaoxiang was a classic example of this approach. Dwarf breeding can enhance the resistance to lodging, and the yield per mu after being popularized in the field could reach about 250 kg, which was already remarkable at that time. However, the yield per mu should reach 700 kg according to the yield target set by the China’s Ministry of Agriculture for the first phase (1996-2000) of the super rice breeding program. So, what a tall rice plant it takes to support so many grains! Obviously, dwarf and semi-dwarf plant types are not suitable and they must have tall plant types, but the plants are easy to lodge when their stems are high. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a tall and robust plant type with strong resistance to lodging and the ability to bear two to three times more grains than semi-dwarf rice. However, rice is widely cultivated in China, from plains to hills and mountainous areas. Due to complex ecological conditions and various climates, the plant type design should be based on the local area, which requires the participation of many scientific researchers, and it is also the significance of collaborative research. Every scientific researcher who cooperates in research must consider how to improve plant type according to local conditions. Yuan Longping has been keeping a close eye on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which is the most important rice-growing area in China, covering nearly half of the country’s total rice acreage. Therefore, if the rice yield in this area could be greatly increased, it would be of great significance to ensure China's food security.

有人把袁隆平喻为ー颗持续发光、热カ不减的恒星,倒不如说他ー直在经受烈日的长久考验〇当田间的农人都回家歇晌后,那几个依然在稻田里俯身寻觅的身影,便是他和他的助手们了。在茫茫稻海中想要寻找到ー种理想的稻株,希望非常渺茫,而偶然又必然的发现已是袁隆平一次次为我们展现的神奇风景。这一次发现,并未来得太迟,就在中国超级稻育种计划启动的第二年,1997年,袁隆平在观察两系法杂交组合“培矮64S/E32”时,便发现这是ー个株型优良、极具高产潜力的组合。这ー组合以湖南杂交水稻研究中心选育的低温敏核不育系“培矮64S”为母本,经罗孝和研究员与江苏省农科院邹江石研究员等协作攻关,最终筛选出了一个两系法杂交稻新组合,既可作中稻栽培,又可作为连作晚稻,还可作再生稻的理想品种。当然,袁隆平最看重的就是它的株型,其株高超过1.1米,秆高超过1米,那深绿色的叶片又厚又直,尤其是那三片功能叶,其横断面呈瓦状（V字形）,剑ロ挺拔,剑叶角度小。这株型让袁隆平眼前豁然ー亮,又灵机ー动,顿悟出超级稻的理想株型模式。这样的灵感或顿悟,在袁隆平的一生中频频发生,正所谓“迷闻经累劫,悟则刹那间”,一刹那的灵感乍现,让思维发生突变或飞跃,这其实是创造性思维的普遍形态,任何顿悟必须有明确的问题思考为大前提,同时顿悟必然要经过对此问题长期、认真甚至艰苦的思考才可能出现。

Some describe Yuan Longping as a star that shines continuously and never loses its heat, but it is more accurate to say that he has endured the test of time under the scorching sun. When all the farmers have returned home for a break, he and his assistants are the few figures who are still bending over in the rice fields, searching for an ideal rice plant type. The hope of finding an ideal rice plant in the vast sea of rice fields is very slim, but accidental and inevitable discoveries have been the miraculous scenes that Yuan Longping presents to us again and again. This time is no exception. The discovery did not come too late. In 1997, the second year of the launch of China's super rice breeding program, Yuan Longping, discovered by observing the "Pei Ai 64S/E32” two-line hybrid combination, which had excellent plant type and great yield potential. This combination used the low-temperature-sensitive genic male sterile line "Pei Ai 64S" selected by Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center as the female parent, and was finally developed to a new two-line hybrid rice combination through collaboration with research fellows Luo Xiaohe and researcher Zou Jiangshi of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, which can be used as an ideal variety for mid-season rice cultivation, continuous cropping late rice and ratooning rice. Of course, what Yuan Longping values most is its plant type, which had a total height of over 1.1 meters, with the height of its culm over 1 meter, thick and straight deep green leaves, and in particular the upper three leaf blades which are V-shaped, erect and narrow. This plant type suddenly brightened Yuan Longping's eyes, and he had a brainwave and realized the ideal plant type mode of super rice. This kind of inspiration or epiphany occurred frequently in Yuan Longping's life. As the saying goes, “Upon suffering problems, one may be like experiencing numerous calamities, but upon enlightening inspiration, one may figure them out in an instant”. A moment of inspiration is a sudden change or a leap in thinking, which is actually a common form of creative thinking. Any epiphany must be preceded by clear thinking about the problem, and at the same time, an epiphany is only possible after long, serious and even painstaking thinking about the problem.

但要塑造出超级稻的株型模式,单凭ー个灵感或顿悟是不可能完成的,还有反复观察、分析和试验。一袁隆平先生给我讲解,农作物高矮之间的关系,涉及ー个力学公式,稻秆是空心的,这里就以ー个空心钢管为例,它所承受的压カ和它高度的平方成反比,钢管越矮,它所能承受的压カ就越大。经测试,ー根高70厘米的钢管,比高ー米的型号相同的钢管所能承受的压カ高一倍。按这个力学公式,袁隆平参照“培矮64S/E32”的植株形态,并针对长江中下游流域的气候与水稻的性状特性,对超级稻的生长态势进行了量化分析,从而设计出了理想的超高产稻株形态模式:一是冠层要高,即上面的叶子高度要在!.2米以上,这有利于水稻的生长和结实,而抗倒伏是超高产的一个前提,倒了就会减产甚至颗粒无收,因此斜都不能斜,斜了以后,叶片就会相互遮阴,光合作用受到影响,养料运输受到阻碍,就不能达到超高产。这就必须对上叶进行塑造,叶片要轻,并且是长长地、直直地向上举着,这样既能增强其抗倒伏能力,又不会遮挡下面的阳光,还能充分提高群体的光能利用效率,实现有效增源;二是穗层要矮,即稻穗的位置矮,当稻子成熟的时候, 穗尖离地只有六七十厘米,它所有的重量（重力、重心）自然下垂,这样オ有更强的承重力。为了让广大农技推广人员和稻农们熟记这些诀窍,袁隆平把理想的超级稻株型概括为几句口诀:“高冠层、矮穗层、重心低、库大而匀、高度抗倒。”

However, creating a super rice plant type model cannot be accomplished by a single inspiration or epiphany. It requires repeated observation, analysis, and experimentation. -Mr. Yuan Longping explained to me the relationship between crops and the height of crops, which involves a mechanical formula. Since the rice straw is hollow, a hollow steel pipe will be used as an example for explanation: the pressure it bears is inversely proportional to the square of its height. The shorter the steel pipe is, the greater the pressure it can bear. After testing, a teel pipe with a height of 70 cm could withstand twice as much as the pressure that could be withstood by the same type of steel pipe with a height of one meter higher. Based on this mechanical formula, Yuan Longping quantitatively analyzed the growth trend of super hybrid rice with reference to the plant shape of "Pei Ai 64S/E32”, the climate and rice characteristics in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Therefore, an ideal plant morphology for a super high-yielding rice was designed: First, the canopy should be high. The height of the upper leaves should be over 1.2 meters, which is beneficial to the growth and fruiting of rice. And lodging resistance is a prerequisite for a super-high yield because the yield will be reduced or even be without harvest if plants fall. They can also not even be inclined in case that the leaves shade each other, photosynthesis is affected, and nutrient transportation is hindered, which leads to a failure of the high yield. Therefore, the upper leaves must be shaped, and the leaves should be light, long and erect, so as to enhance lodging resistance and not to block the sunlight below, but also to fully improve the group’s light energy utilization efficiency to achieve effective source increase; Second, the panicle layer should be short, that is, the position of rice panicle is low. The tip of the panicle is only 60-70 cm above the ground during the ripening stage, and all its weight (gravity and its center of gravity) naturally droops, so as to have stronger bearing capacity. In order to familiarize agricultural extension personnel and rice farmers with these tips, Yuan Longping summarized the features of the ideal super rice plant type into a few words: “High canopy, short spike layer, low center of gravity, large and uniform reservoir, and high lodging resistance."

就在袁隆平主持“中国超级稻育种计划”协作攻关的第二年,他这个负责“牵总头”的首席专家开始为捉襟见肘的科研经费犯愁了。这样ー个关乎国家粮食安全的大工程,国家理所当然是最坚强的后盾。还别说,他又赶上一个机遇了。1998 年8月,国务院组织ー批优秀专家和教师去北戴河休假,袁隆平也在其中。在前往北戴河的火车上,他与国务院办公厅副秘书长徐荣凯和秘书三局局长袁隐坐在ー起。而在此前不久,国务院成立了国家科技教育领导小组,由国务院总理朱格基任组长,常务副总理李岚清任副组长,徐荣凯担任领导小组成员兼办公室主任,办公室设在国务院办公厅,具体工作就由秘书三局承办。袁隆平的这次北戴河之旅,还真是赶得早不如赶得巧。徐荣凯和袁隐对袁隆平打心眼里敬重,但凡中国人,谁又不敬重这位发誓“不让老百姓挨饿”的“杂交水稻之父”呢?说来有缘,袁隐还和袁隆平亲热地攀起了本家,徐荣凯还半开玩笑道:“你远亲不如我近邻,我是重庆人, 我家住在南岸,与袁先生老家所在的下浩只有一公里呢!”几个人就这样说说笑笑的,越聊越亲热,越聊越投机。当两人关心地问起超级稻科研攻关的进展时,袁隆平也实话实说,技术上的困难他可以和科研人员ー起攻关,但经费上的困难还需要国家大力支持啊。两人听了袁隆平的一席话,觉得责无旁贷,这正是他们的分内职责啊,他们建议袁隆平赶紧打了一个报告,按照程序,通过徐荣凯呈送给了朱格基总理。朱格基在第二天就做了批示:“良种培育和基因转换都很重要,同意按需要增拨经费。”随后,朱格基又一次批示“国务院全力支持这项研究”,并从总理基金中特批!000万元专项资金予以支持。

In the second year of Yuan Longping’s collaborative research on the "China Super Rice Breeding Program", he, the chief expert in charge of “the leading heads", began to worry about the shortage of scientific research funds. The country is of course the strongest backing for such a big project related to national food security. Luckily, he caught up with another opportunity. In August 1988, the State Council organized a group of outstanding experts and teachers to go to Baidehe for vacation, and Yuan Longping was among them. On the train to Beidaihe, he sat with Xu Rongkai, deputy secretary-general of the General Office of the State Council, and Yuan Yin, director of the Third Bureau of the Secretary. Shortly before that, the State Council established the National Leading Group for Science, Technology and Education, with Premier Zhu Rongji as the leader, Executive Vice Premier Li Lanqing as the deputy leader, and Xu Rongkai as the member of the leading group and the director of the office. The office is located in the General Office of the State Council, and the specific work is undertaken by the Third Bureau of the Secretary. Yuan Longping's trip to Beidaihe was better than early. Xu Rongkai and Yuan Yin respect Yuan Longping from the bottom of their hearts, after all, who in China does not respect the "father of hybrid rice" who vowed to “prevent people from starving"? Speaking of predestined friends, Yuan Yin also affectionately climbed his family with Yuan Longping, and Xu Rongkai also half joked: “You are a distant cousin who is not as good as a near neighbor like me. I am from Chongqing. My family lives in the South Bank, which is only one kilometer away from Xiahao, where Mr. Yuan's hometown is located!” These people were talking and laughing like this, and the more they talked, the more affectionate they would be, and the more they talked, the more speculative they would be. When they asked about the progress of super high-yielding rice research with concern, Yuan Longping also told the truth that he could tackle the technical difficulties together with researchers, but the financial difficulties still needed strong support from the country. After listening to Yuan Longping's words, they felt duty-bound, because what he mentioned was rightly their duty. They suggested that Yuan Longping should make a report quickly and present it to Premier Zhu Rongji through Xu Rongkai according to the procedure. Zhu Rongji gave instructions the next day: "The cultivation of improved varieties and gene transformation are very important, and it is approved to allocate more funds as needed.” Subsequently, Zhu Chuanji once again instructed that "the State Council fully supports this research" and granted 10 million yuan in special funds from the Premier's Fund to support it.

ー个报告这么快就得到了总理批示,再次凸显了吃饭问题多么重要,而科技则是保障国家粮食安全的一个战略支撑点。2008年发布的《国家粮食安全中长期规划纲要(2008-2020年)》,对此有一段简明夺目的表述:“通过加快改良品种、提高农田生产カ、推广现代生产技术和手段等,使我国粮食单产登上一个新台阶〇”当然,朱格基总理在袁隆平的报告上两次做出批示时,离2008年还有整整I0年,而就在这1〇年间,袁隆平和他率领的科研团队,将向超级稻的第一期、第二期、第三期目标连续发起攻关,一次次刷新水稻超高产的世界纪录。

The quick response from the premier to the report highlights the importance of food security, and science and technology plays a strategic role in securing it. In the "National Food Security Medium and Long-Term Plan Outline (2008-2020)" released in 2008, there is a concise and eye-catching statement on the issue: “China's grain yield will rise to a new level by accelerating the improvement of varieties, increasing the productivity of farmland, and promoting modern production technologies and means.” Of course, when Premier Zhu Rongji gave instructions twice in Yuan Longping's report, it was still 10 years before 2008, and over the following 10 years, Yuan Longping and his scientific research team continued to tackle key problems for the first, second and third goals of super rice, and set new world records for super-high yield of rice again and again.

从中国杂交水稻发展史看,每到ー个承上启下的关键点,袁隆平都会从理论和技术路线上做出纲领性的阐述,而在探索与实践中,他在这ー领域的科学预见能力也在进ー步强化。1998年8月,第十八届国际遗传学大会在北京国际会议中心开幕,这是20世纪国际遗传学界的最后一次盛会,大会的主题是“遗传学一为民造福” 〇中国现代遗传学奠基人之一谈家桢院士在致辞中以“人寿年丰”高度概括遗传学对于人类的意义。人寿,就是提高全人类的生命质量;年丰,就是提高全人类的生活质量,丰衣足食。袁隆平院士做了题为《超高产杂交稻选育》的学术报告, 对超级杂交稻理论和选育技术路线进行了极具指导性的阐述,他提出超级稻必须以“增源”为核心,并由此而提出了超级稻产量指标、株型模式和选育的技术路线, 育种应采取旨在提高光合效率的形态改良与亚种间杂种优势利用相结合,辅之以分子手段的选育综合技术路线。此外,还要针对超级杂交稻的特点,建立与之相适应的超高产栽培技术。

In the development history of China's hybrid rice, whenever a crucial transitional point was reached, Yuan Longping would outline his theoretical and technical route in a clear and concise manner, and his scientific foresight ability in this field is also further strengthened in exploration and practice. In August 1998, the 18th International Genetics Conference was held at the Beijing International Conference Center, marking the final grand gathering of the international community of genetics in the 20th-century. The theme of the meeting was “Genetics-Benefiting Humanity." Academician Tan Jiazhen, one of the founders of modern Chinese genetics, highly summarized the significance of genetics to mankind as "longevity and abundance" in his speech. Longevity means improving the quality of life for all humans, while abundance means ensuring abundant food and clothing for everyone in the world. Academician Yuan Longping made an academic report entitled "Breeding of Super High-yield Hybrid Rice", which provided a highly instructive elucidation of the theoretical and technical route for super hybrid rice. He proposed that super hybrid rice must focus on "increasing source", and thus put forward the yield index, plant type model and technical route for breeding super hybrid rice. Breeding should adopt a comprehensive technical route of morphological improvement aimed at improving photosynthetic efficiency with utilization of heterosis between subspecies, supplemented by molecular means. In addition, super-high-yield cultivation techniques should also be established that are adapted to the characteristics of super hybrid rice.

按照袁隆平设计的技术路线,他率协作攻关的科研人员发起了一轮轮攻关。

According to Yuan Longping's technical route, he and his team of researchers launched one round of research after another.

1999年,由湖南省杂交水稻研究中心罗孝和研究员提供母本,江苏省农科院邹江石研究员培育出了世界第一个投入大面积生产的两系法杂交稻组合“两优培九”,这ー成果通过鉴定,被国家农业部、科技部认定为“超级稻”,袁隆平也认定这是超级杂交稻的先锋组合。这标志着,中国第一个超级稻杂交组合诞生了。这种水稻根系十分发达,茎秆粗壮,穗形大,杂种优势非常强大。每ー个新品种在科研人员的试验田里试种后,还必须按照严格的科学程序走,逐渐扩展到示范片试种。示范片一般由当地农民种植管理,但有科研人员的悉心指导,而示范片也是不断扩大的,从百亩示范片扩大到千亩示范片,示范片的数量也会不断增加,并且分布在不同的地区,除了测试种子的效果,还要测试各种不同地域的环境因素的影响。这是ー个反复试验、不断修正的过程,对种子的选择是ー个十分严格的过程,一粒种子可以承载人类的命运,也可以给人类带来难以估量的灾难,科技人员在自己的试验田里可以大胆试验,但在大面积推广应用之前,每走ー步都谨小慎微,连每ー个细节、每ー个在试种过程中发现的或可能出现的问题都必须考虑到。

In 1999, the world's first two-line hybrid rice combination suitable for large-scale production, “Liang You Pei 9”, was developed by researcher Zou Jiangshi of the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences using the maternal parent provided by Luo Xiaohe of the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center. This achievement was identified as "Super Rice" by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Science and Technology, and was also recognized as the pioneer combination for super hybrid rice by Yuan Longping. This marks the birth of the first super rice hybrid combination in China. This variety of rice had a well-developed root system, sturdy stems, large panicles, and strong hybrid vigor. After each new variety was planted in the researcher’s experimental field, it was gradually expanded to a demonstration plot for trial planting according to strict scientific procedures. Demonstration plots are generally planted and managed by local farmers, but with the careful guidance of scientific research personnel, and grow in size from 100 mu to 1,000 mu, with an increasing number of plots distributed in different regions. In addition to testing the effectiveness of seeds, it is also necessary to test the influence of environmental factors in different regions. This is a process of repeated experiments and constant revision, and the selection of seeds is a very strict process. An individual seed can bear the fate of mankind and bring immeasurable disasters to mankind if not selected accurately. Researchers can conduct bold experiments in their own experimental fields, but before large-scale popularization and application, every step must be cautious, and even every detail and every problem found or possible to arise in the trial planting process must be considered.

这年的试验结果显示,“两优培九”仅在湖南就有四个百亩示范片平均亩产超过了 700公斤。而此前提到,罗孝和和邹江石合作选育的另ー个被袁隆平确定为优良株型范式的“ P64S/E32 ”,随着不断的改进和升级,这年在云南永胜县试种时, 竟然创下了亩产突破1000公斤大关（1139公斤）的世界纪录。但这ー纪录仅仅是小面积的试验成果,它预示了水稻杂种优势利用的巨大潜カ,但并未作为科学认定的依据,而中国第一个超级稻杂交组合,还是认定为“两优培九”。按农业部分期制定的第一期超级稻产量指标,“两优培九”已经提前一年达标了,但这年并未做出达标的认定,还要进ー步扩大试种范围。到2000年,“两优培九”又进ー步扩大试种范围。这年8月25日、9月10日,在湖南郴州两个示范片举行了中国超级杂交稻现场验收会。郴州地处南岭山脉与罗霄山脉交错、长江水系与珠江水系分流的地带,在这里示范播种具有普适性。经专家验收,郴州两个示范片均达到第一期超级稻产量指标。那么在长江流域的湘西山区试种的情况又如何呢?这里就以地处武陵山脉腹地、“连荆楚而挽巴蜀”的龙山县为例,该品种在龙山县连续两年播种的两个百亩片,亩产均达到700公斤。而在当年,全国有16个百亩示范片和4 个千亩示范片亩产均达到和超过了 700公斤,大面积的试种结果充分验证了这ー品种既可在一般生态条件下大面积推广,也可在地形复杂的山区推广。一粒种子的普适性十分重要,决定了它能否大面积推广、大幅度增产。全国有16个百亩示范片和4个千亩示范片亩产均达到和超过了 700公斤,除了产量,还有质量,经鉴定,第一期超级稻的米质就达到农业部规定的二级优质米标准。这也标志着,从 1996年中国启动超级稻育种计划,到2000年,历经4年,在人类跨入新千年、迎接新世纪的2000年,中国超越了日本和国际水稻研究所等先行者,率先跨入了超级稻时代。

The trial results of this year showed that four hundred-mu demonstration plots of "Liuyoupei 9" in Hunan had an average yield of over 700 kilograms per mu. As mentioned earlier, another variety, “P64S/E32 “, which was selected by Luo Xiaohe and Zou Jiangshi and identified by Yuan Longping as a good model of plant types, broke the world record with a yield of over 1,000 kilograms per mu (1139 kilograms) in Yongsheng County, Yunnan, through continuous improvement and upgrading. However, this record was only a small-scale experimental result, which indicated the great potential of rice heterosis utilization, but it was not regarded as a scientific basis. So, the first super rice hybrid combination in China was still identified as "Liuyoupei 9". According to the first-phrase yield target specified by the Ministry of Agriculture, “Liangyoupei 9" had reached the standard one year ahead of schedule, but it was not confirmed to reach the standard this year (1999), and the trial planting scope should be further expanded. In 2000, the trial range of “Liangyoupei 9" was further expanded. On August 25 and September 10 of the year, a field acceptance meeting for Chinese super hybrid rice was held in two demonstration plots in Chengzhou, Hunan. Chengzhou is located in the area where Nanling Mountains intersect with Luoxiao Mountains and the Pearl River system diverts from the Yangtze River system. It is universal to demonstrate sowing here. According to the experts' evaluation, both demonstration plots in Chengzhou met the first-phase yield target for super rice production. So how about the trial planting in Xiangxi Mountain area of the Yangtze River Basin? Taking Longshan County, which is located in the hinterland of Wuling Mountains and "connects Jingchu (Hubei province) with Bashu area", as an example, this variety had been sown in Longshan County in two hundred-mu plots for two consecutive years, and had achieved an annual average yield of 700 kilograms per mu. In that year, 16 hundred-mu demonstration plots and four thousand-mu demonstration plots throughout the country had an average yield reaching and exceeding 700 kilograms per mu. And the large-scale trial planting results fully verified that this variety could be popularized under general ecological conditions or in mountainous areas with complex terrain. The universality of a seed is very important, as it determines whether it can be widely promoted and greatly increase production. In addition to yield, there is also quality. After identification, the quality of the first-phrase super rice met the second-grade high-quality rice standard set by the Ministry of Agriculture. It also marks that from the start of China's super rice breeding program in 1996 to 2000, after four years of trial and error, China surpassed pioneers such as Japan and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to usher in the era of super rice at the turn of the millennium and the beginning of the new century.

此前,袁隆平在《中国稻米》1999年第4期上发表了《杂交水稻选育的回顾、现状与展望》一文,这是他在世纪末对新中国的粮食发展之路和杂交水稻的科学探索之路所做的梳理和总结:“迄今,我国在水稻育种上已有两次突破,并且都处于世界领先水平。第一次是矮秆水稻的培育成功,第二次是杂交水稻的研究成功,两次突破使单产潜カ均在原有品种的基础上增加20%左右。现在启动的超级杂交稻研究,其产量指标是比现有杂交稻增产30%左右,它的实现将是水稻育种上的第三次突破。因此,培育和推广超级杂交稻对于解决我国21世纪的粮食问题具有极其重大的战略意义。”

Previously, Yuan Longping published an article entitled “A Review, Current Situation and Prospects of Hybrid Rice Breeding” in the fourth issue of “China Rice" in 1999, summarizing his scientific exploration of the development path of China's food and the hybrid rice: “So far, China has made two breakthroughs in rice breeding, and both of them are at the world’s leading level. The first is the successful cultivation of dwarf rice, and the second is the successful research of hybrid rice. The two breakthroughs increased the yield potential by about 20% on the basis of the original varieties. And the current research on super hybrid rice, with a yield target of increasing by about 30% compared to the existing hybrid rice, will be the third breakthrough in rice breeding. Therefore, cultivating and popularizing super hybrid rice is of great strategic significance for solving China's food problems in the 21st century."

这里就具体看看水稻,诚如袁隆平先生所说,在中华人民共和国历史上粮食产量出现了三次突破,也可谓是三次飞跃,水稻占了一半功劳,尽管水稻种植面积仅约占我国粮食作物面积的三成,但产量却占了粮食总产量的一半。而这三次飞跃, 从科技支撑的视角看,第一次飞跃,是以黄耀祥为代表的稻作育种专家在20世纪 50年代后期培育出来的半矮秆水稻,从六七十年代开始大面积推广,在70年代中期登上了亩产250公斤的台阶;第二次是以袁隆平为代表的育种专家培育出来的三系法杂交水稻,在70年代末80年代初开始大面积推广,促使我国水稻平均单产在80年代中期登上了亩产300公斤的台阶,其后,从三系法到两系法所产生的增产效应,到90年代初期,又把单产提高到400公斤的水平,可以视为第二次飞跃; 而超级稻作为两系法杂交稻的升级版或加强版,ー经问世就显示出了愈加强大的杂种优势,由于产量高、品质好,具有广适性,适宜在我国南方大部分省区推广种植,大推广必然会带来大增产一这是杂交水稻发展史上的第三次飞跃,也是ー个强有力的引擎,必将推动中国粮食产量的第三次飞跃。

Let's take a closer look at rice here. As Mr. Yuan Longping once said, there have been three breakthroughs in China's history of grain production, which can also be considered as three leaps. Of this achievement, rice accounts for half of the credit. Although the rice planting area only accounts for about 30% of the grain crop area in China, the output accounts for half of the total grain output. Taking a look at the three leaps from a technological perspective, the first leap would be the Semi-dwarf rice, which was developed by rice breeding experts represented by Huang Yaoxiang in the late 1950s. Between 1960s and 1970s, this variety of rice was widely promoted and in the mid-1970s, it reached a yield of 250 kilograms per mu. The second leap would be the three-line hybrid rice cultivated by breeding experts represented by Yuan Longping, which was widely promoted in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and led to an average yield of 300 kg per mu in the mid-1980s. And then, due to the yield increase effect produced by the two-line method developed from the three-line method, the yield further increased to 400 kg per mu in the early 1990s. The super high-yielding hybrid rice, as an upgraded or enhanced version of two-line hybrid rice, has shown even stronger hybrid advantages since its introduction. Because of its high yield, good quality and wide adaptability, it can be planted in most provinces and regions in southern China. And the large-scale promotion will inevitably bring about large yield increase, marking the third leap in the history of hybrid rice development. This is also a powerful engine, which will certainly drive China's grain production to its third leap.

在锹足劲儿攻关4年后,袁隆平终于可以长长地吁一口气了,对于布朗那警世的呼唤,还有助手们当初的怀疑和不自信,他现在可以底气十足地回答了:“我们的超级稻计划比日本晚了 !6年,比国际水稻研究所晚了 7年,但现在,我们跑在世界最前沿!”

After four years of hard work, Yuan Longping can finally breathe a long sigh of relief. In response to the cautionary call from Brown and the doubts and lack of confidence of his assistants, he can now answer with confidence: "Our super hybrid rice program is 16 years behind Japan and 7 years behind the International Rice Research Institute, but now we are at the forefront of the world!”

曾记否,布朗在“谁能养活中国”中的那个诡异的副标题一“来自一个小行星的醒世报告”,而就在!999年10月,经国际小天体命名委员会批准,中国科学院北京天文台施密特CCD小行星项目组发现的ー颗小行星(8117)被命名为“袁隆平星”,猛地ー想,还真是觉得神了,冷静地ー想,又觉得一切都是自然而然的。

Do you remember the bizarre subtitle of Brown's “Who Will Feed China”- “Wake-Up Call for a Small Planet”? And in October 1999, after being approved by the International Small Body Naming Committee, a small asteroid (8117) discovered by the Schmidt CCD Asteroid Project Team at the Beijing Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was named "Yuan Longping Star”, which seems unbelievable at the first thought but natural after a second calm one.

在危机中挺进

Advancing through the crisis

弹指ー挥间,人类已跨越新千年,进入21世纪,又一个科学的春天来临。

In the blink of an eye, mankind has crossed into the new millennium and entered the 21st century, ushering in another spring of science.

2001年2月19日上午,ー场必将载入共和国史册的科学盛典在人民大会堂举行。ー个刚从稻田里走出来的黑而且瘦的身影,一旦出现就是ー个不用辨识的形象。ー个解决了亿万中国人吃饭问题的“杂交水稻之父”,天下何人不识君?这次,他登上了国家最高科技奖的领奖台,那灿烂耀眼的光芒,瞬间聚集在他充满沧桑感的身上。这是中国首次颁发国家最高科学技术奖,其规格之高、奖金之重,在共和国历史上都是前所未有的,评选也极为严格,每年度获奖人数不超过两人,获奖者必须在当代科学技术前沿取得重大突破或者是在科学技术的发展中有突出成绩的科学家。

On the morning of February 19th, 2001, a ceremony of scientific grandeur took place at the Great Hall of the People, which will be recorded in the annals of our nation. A skinny figure, who just coming out of the fields with dark skin, was instantly recognized by all. He was the father of hybrid rice, who had solved the food problem for hundreds of millions of Chinese people. Who in the world does not know him? This time, he stepped onto the podium of the national top science and technology award, the shining and dazzling brilliance gathered on his experienced and weathered body. This was the first time that China had awarded its the highest national science and technology prize, and its high specifications and heavy prizes are unprecedented in the history of the Republic. And the selection was also extremely strict, with the number of annual winners is no more than two. The winners must have made major breakthroughs at the forefront of contemporary science and technology or have outstanding achievements in the development of science and technology as scientists.

吴文俊是中国科学院第一位获得这ー崇高荣誉的院士。他那白净而儒雅的面孑L,一看就是一位从实验室里走出来的科学家。他卓越的成就是在代数拓扑学领域的奠基性工作,半个世纪以来对国际数学领域的发展产生着广泛而积极的影响。他运用计算机进行数学定理证明和非线性方程组求解,彻底改变了数学机械化领域的面貌,为信息时代的数学发展开辟了新途径。

Wu Wenjun was the first academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to receive this prestigious honor. It could be told from his white and elegant face at a glance that he is a scientist who came out of the laboratory. His outstanding achievement was the foundation work in the field of algebraic topology, which has had far-reaching and positive effects on the development of international mathematics for half of a century. He used computers to prove mathematical theorems and solve non-linear equations, which revolutionized the field of mathematical mechanization and opened up a new way for the development of mathematics in the information age.

袁隆平则是中国工程院第一位获得这ー崇高荣誉的院士,即便登上了国家最高科技奖的领奖台,他依然朴实得像ー个刚从稻田里走来的农民,尽管他自称是ー个种了一辈子水稻的农民,但谁都知道他是ー个，，伟大的农民,,,他伟大的成就是突破经典遗传理论的禁区,提出水稻杂交新理论,实现了水稻育种的历史性突破。从对水稻杂种优势的实际利用看,当时我国杂交水稻已占全国水稻播种面积的ー半以上,平均增产20%,产生了巨大的经济和社会效益。

Yuan Longping was the first academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering to win this great honor. Even though he stepped onto the stage as the winner of the highest science and technology award in the country, he was still as simple as a farmer who has just come from the rice fields. He claimed himself as a rice farmer who has planted rice all his life, but everyone knew that he was a "great farmer". His great achievement was having broken through the confines of classical genetic theory and proposed a new theory of rice hybridization, achieving a historic breakthrough in rice breeding. From the practical utilization of rice heterosis, at that time, China’s hybrid rice area had accounted for more than half of the national rice planting area, with an average yield increase of 20%, producing enormous economic and social benefits.

国家主席江泽民为他们颁发了由他亲笔签发的奖励证书和奖金,两位科学家分别获得五百万元奖金。朱格基总理在讲话中充满了对科学和科学家的敬意,他那带着湖南乡音的普通话,在人民大会堂里铿锵而又振聋发联地回响:“崇尚科学的民族,オ是最有希望的民族”，“他们的卓越成就,不仅对我国科学技术和经济社会发展具有重大的影响,也是对人类文明进步的重要贡献。这再一次证明,中华民族是富有智慧和创造力的民族”。

President Jiang Zemin presented them with the award certificates and bonuses signed by him personally, and each of the two scientists received five million RMB. Premier Zhu Rongji's speech was full of respect for science and scientists. His Mandarin with a Hunan accent echoed powerfully in the Great Hall of the People: "A nation that venerates science is the most hopeful nation...Their outstanding achievements not only have a significant impact on the development of science, technology, and the economy and society of our country, but also make an important contribution to the progress of human civilization. This once again proves that the Chinese nation is a nation full of wisdom and creativity."

袁隆平的获奖感言依然像农民ー样实诚而谦逊:“这个奖是奖给全国农业战线的科研工作者的。我个人在杂交水稻的前沿工作中起了一点带头作用,但杂交水稻是大家干出来的,单枪匹马不可能干出来,靠国家,靠集体,靠方方面面支持,每取得一项成果,都是全国很多人协作攻关的成果。”他表示,在实现中国超级稻第一期目标的基础上,还要继续探索,追求更高的目标。

Yuan Longping's acceptance speech was as sincere and humble as a farmer: " This award is for the scientific researchers on the national agriculture front. I just played a leading role in the frontier work of hybrid rice, but hybrid rice was created by everyone. It is impossible to do it alone. It relies on the support of the country, the collective, and other aspects. Every achievement is the result of a collaborative effort by many people across the country.” He said that on the basis of achieving the first phase goal of China's super rice, there is still a need to continue exploring and pursuing higher goals.

中央电视台还特意给吴文俊和袁隆平做了一个专访节目,尽管展现的只是ー些短暂的片段,却折射出了以不同的方式走过的岁月。这也是两位科学家头一回面对面地交流,却ー见如故,言笑晏晏,ー个风趣,ー个幽默。吴文俊是在1919年五四运动后不久诞生的,比袁隆平年长!〇岁,此时已82岁,满头白发似雪。相比之下,袁隆平还是ー个小老弟,但吴老对他特别敬重,刚一落座便说:“大家都称您是’杂交水稻之父’,按学科说,农业和数学的关系向来非常密切,数学计算最早来自对农田的丈量,如几何,这个词就来自希腊文的丈量土地。从历史上看,要发展农业,必须观天测地,观天发展成了天文学,测地发展成了几何学,这就说明了几何的来源。从中国来看,尤其是这样,因为中国社会向来是以农业为主的,历史上,中国的数学发展过程里面,有许许多多的问题都来自农业。”

CCTV also made an exclusive interview program to Wu Wenjun and Yuan Longping, which reflected the years spent in different ways, even though it only showed brief clips. This was also the first time that the two scientists had exchanged face to face, but they hit it off just like old friends, talking and laughing, one witty and the other humorous. Wu Wenjun was born shortly after the May Fourth Movement in 1919, 10 years older than Yuan Longping. At the time of the interview, he was already 82 years old with a head full of snow-white hair. In contrast, Yuan Longping was still a young man, but Mr. Wu was particularly respectful of him. As soon as he was seated, he said, "Everyone calls you the father of hybrid rice. According to disciplines, the relationship between agriculture and mathematics has always been very close. Mathematical calculation originated from the measurement of farmland, such as geometry, which comes from the Greek word for measuring land. Historically, to develop agriculture, it is necessary to observe the sky and measure the earth. Then observation of the sky developed into astronomy, and measurement of the earth developed into geometry, which explains the source of geometry. From China’s point of view, this is especially true because Chinese society has always been dominated by agriculture, and historically, many of problems in the development of mathematics in China come from agriculture."

这一番话,三句不离本行,却也道出了数学与农学之间那命运般的早已被预先设定了的联系,袁隆平连连点头说:“数学是科学之母,任何科学技术发展到最高阶段,都要数量化、公式化。”

These sentences did not begin without referring to his own line, but also discussed the predestined connection between mathematics and agriculture. Yuan Longping nodded in agreement and said, "Mathematics is the mother of science, and any science and technology developed to the highest stage has to be quantitative and formulaic. ”

吴文俊接过话头,又谦虚地说出了一个真理:“搞数学、搞科学的人都要吃饭, 农业也应该算是科学之父。”

Wu Wenjun took over the conversation and humbly spoke a truth: "People who are engaged in mathematics and science need to eat as well, and agriculture should also be considered the father of science. ”

从“科学之母”到“科学之父”,这两位科学家的坐而论道,还真是趣味盎然又意味深长。

From “the mother of science" to “the father of science," the conversation between these two scientists was both delightful and profound.

袁隆平又说起自己小时候数学成绩不好,初中时向老师提问为什么“负负得正”,结果就很不理解,最终“知难而退” 了,到现在也还是没弄清楚。吴文俊听后摸着下巴哈哈大笑,说他小时候对“负负得正”也是百思不得其解,但他越是不理解越是想搞清楚,从很不理解到“知难而进”,结果呢,后来就成了数学家。说起来,他一直到高中毕业时的兴趣都在物理而不在数学,一次物理考试题很难,他却成绩出色,毕业时校方讨论保送,他那目光独特的物理老师却认定他物理考得好的原因在于数学,而攻读数学才能使他的才能得到更好更多的发挥,于是推荐他学数学。

Yuan Longping also talked about his poor math performance when he was a child. When he was in junior high school, he asked his teacher why does “a negative number times a negative number will end up being positive”, which he did not understand very much and gave up at last but he still has not figured it out yet. After listening, Wu Wenjun touched his chin and laughed, saying that he was also puzzled by this problem as a child, but the he did not understand, the more he wanted to figure it out, so that he persisted in learning mathmatics and became a mathematician. Speaking of it, his interest was in physics instead of mathematics until he graduated from high school. He did well on a physics exam with difficult questions and when the school discussed bailing him out, hisphysics teacher who is with unique vision believed that he could do well in the exam because he was good at mathmatics, and that studying mathematics could give full play to his talents, so he was recommended to learn mathematics.

两位科学家从过去的岁月谈到未来,吴先生这么大岁数了,ー讲到自己接下来的科研课题,不知不觉就提高了嗓门儿,脸上和眼神里都焕发出ー种比灯光还亮的光泽,他那年轻的心态,让袁隆平感受到了一种不老的生命力。而袁隆平此时オ 70出头,正年轻呢。当主持人邀请他拉小提琴时,他毫不犹豫地接过了小提琴,那双手,尽管终日与泥巴和秧苗打交道,可一触琴弦,他仿佛一下又回到了血气方刚的岁月,那琴声中充满了喷薄而出的朝气与活力,却又多了从岁月深处一路走过来的迂回与曲折……

The two scientists talked about the future from the past years. Mr. Wu, who was so old, unconsciously raised his voice when he talked about his next research topic, and his face and eyes glowed with a brighter luster than the light. His young mentality gave Yuan Longping a sense of vitality. And Yuan was only in his early 70s at that time, just young when compared. When the host invited him to play the violin, he took over the violin without hesitation. His hands, though dealing with mud and seedlings all day long, when touching the strings, brought him a feeling as if he had suddenly returned to the hot-blooded years. The sound of the violin was full of vitality and vigor, but also with addtional emotions of having experienced twists and turns at the bottom of his life in the past years.

谁又能想象,ー个刚刚还站在国家最高科学技术奖领奖台上的科学家,在当天便飞赴海南三亚南繁基地,一下飞机就直奔自己的试验田。他不能不赶回来,一个目标已经摆在眼前,按农业部制订的中国超级稻育种计划的第二期产量指标,亩产将要比第一期增产整整100公斤,达到800公斤,这ー目标预定在2005年实现。

Can anyone imagine that a scientist, who just stood on the podium of National Top Science and Technology Award, flew to Nanfan Base in Sanya of Hainan Province on the same day, and went straight to his experimental field after getting off the plane? He had to return because there was a target in front of him which was to increase the yield to 800 kg, 100 kg more than that of the first stage, according to the second stage yield index of China's super rice breeding program formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture. And this was scheduled to be achieved in 2005.

5年,说长也长,说短也短,袁隆平一刻也不敢耽误,执着而稳健地推进。ー个与新中国一路风雨兼程走过来的人,经历了太多的坎坷与挫折,对狂飙式的大跃进一直保持高度警觉。自从中国迈进超级稻时代后,从第一期超级稻开始,他的每ー步都是稳打稳扎,步步为营。我发现他特别喜欢“矮子爬楼梯”这个比喻,ー个迈向科学高峰的登攀者,其实很少有抬头仰望的姿态,更多的时候,他都是低着头,躬着身,ー步ー个台阶地往上登,哪怕登得再高,他也是ー副俯身于田间的姿态〇

Five years is a period that was not too long but also not too short. Yuan dared not to delay for a moment, but pushed forward with determination and caution. A person who has come all the way with the new China has experienced too many hardships and setbacks, and has always been highly alert to the crazy Great Leap Forward. Since China entered the age of super rice, every step has been taken steadily starting from the first phase of the super rice project. I noticed that he particularly likes the metaphor of "a dwarf climbing on the stairs." A climber who is heading for the peak of science rarely looks up but instead keeps his head down, crouching and ascending each step just like he was bending over in the rice fields even if he has climbed to a much higher place.

就在袁隆平率协作攻关的科研人员向第二期目标挺进之际,布朗那“警世的呼
唤”和灾难性的预言仿佛就要应验了,ー场粮食危机正在逼近人类。2003年10月秋收过后,我国粮价突然出现大幅度上涨,这是国内粮价在连续6年持续下跌后的首次全面上扬。每天吃着大米饭的人们,很少会想到那些稻田的播种耕耘者,而ー旦粮价上涨,顷刻间就让每ー个人绷紧了神经。其实,中国当时并未出现粮食危机,粮价上扬的幅度并不足以引发大规模的恐慌。然而,ー个从饥饿和半饥饿中走出不久的民族,是极容易发生条件反射的。尤其是在20世纪70年代以前出生的人,几乎都经历过粮食和物资紧缺的年代,一有风吹草动,一下就勾起人们对饥饿的恐惧。

It was when Yuan Longping and his team were marching towards the second phase of their goal that the “wake-up call" and catastrophic predictions of Brown seemed to come true, and that a food crisis was looming over humanity. After the autumn harvest in October 2003, grain prices in China unexpectedly increased sharply, which was the first comprehensive upward trend after a continuous six-year fall. People who eat rice every day rarely think of those who sow seeds and cultivate rice fields, but a rise in grain price makes everyone nervous in an instant. In fact, there was no food crisis in China at the time, and the price increase was not enough to trigger large-scale panic. However, a nation that had recently emerged from hunger and semi-hunger was extremely prone to a conditioned response. Especially, people born before 1970s almost all experienced a shortage of food and resources, so once there was even a slight disturbance, their fear of hunger was immediately aroused at the first sign of trouble.

除了粮价上扬引起的条件反射,当时还有一个不可回避的因素,这里又该用枯燥的数字来说话了。翻检《中国历年粮食产量、人口和人均粮食量总览（1949 - 2012年）》,1996年我国粮食总产量首次突破10000亿斤大关,人口突破了 12亿大关,由于粮食的增速赶上甚至超过了人口的增速,中国人均粮食占有量首次突破 400公斤大关,尽管比国际标准的粮食过关线还低100公斤,但这三大突破在中国历史上都是创纪录的。可到了 2003年,我国粮食总产量非但没有如人们预期的那样逐年递增,反而又跌破了 9000亿斤（4307亿公斤）,而人口则有增无减,直逼13 亿（12.9亿）,人均粮食占有量又跌到了 300多公斤。这是当时粮价上扬的ー个大背景。不过,即便是国家权威部门的数据也有出入,如此前提到国家科委主任宋健在《也论“谁来养活中国人”》一文中指出,“ 1996年中国的粮食产量达到创纪录的8亿吨”,也就是4800亿公斤,这也是国务院政府工作报告中的数据。这里,就以此为基数来看,从!996年到2003年七八年间,我国粮食总产量减产了近500亿公斤,若以人均占有粮食400公斤的标准计算,仅一年的粮食减产量就少养活ー亿多人口 ,也就是说,中国至少有一亿多人口出现了粮食缺口。而在粮食减产和人口增长的对冲效应下,人均占有粮食减少了近70多公斤（2003年我国人均粮食占有量333.3公斤）,这已远低于国际公认的粮食过关线（人均500公斤）。透过这一系列精确到了小数点的数据,不说中国发生了粮食危机,也可以说国家粮食安全的形势非常严峻。幸运的是,由于多年来的积累,中国当时拥有充足的储备粮。如果没有大量的储备粮,在不少地方已出现了抢购粮食的情势下,我国粮食势必出现巨大的缺口。

In addition to the conditioned reflex caused by rising grain prices, there was another unavoidable factor at that time, and again, it is time to use boring statistics to talk about it here. Looking through the "Overview of China's Grain Output, Population, and Per Capita Grain Consumption over the Years (1949-2012)”, in 1996, China's total grain production exceeded 1 trillion kilograms for the first time, and the population exceeded 1.2 billion. And as the growth rate of grain caught up with or even exceeded that of population, China's per capita grain consumption exceeded 400 kilograms for the first time, though it was still 100 kilograms lower than the internationally recognized grain-passing line. However, these three records were new in Chinese history. However, in 2003, China's total rice yield did not increase year by year as expected, but fell below 900 billion jin (430.7 billion kilograms), while the population was increasing and approaching 1.3 billion (1.29 billion), and per capita grain consumption declined to just over 300 kilograms again. This was what happened behind the rise in grain prices at that time. However, even the data from national authorities could be confusing. For example, Song Jian, director of the National Science and Technology Commission, pointed out in his article “On Who Will Feed China" that "China's grain production in 1996 reached a record-breaking 480 million tons," which is also the data in the government work report of the State Council. And on that basis, China's total grain production decreased by nearly 50 billion kilograms during the seven or eight years from 1996 to 2003. If calculated with the standard of 400 kilograms of grain per capita, the grain production reduced in just one year could feed over 100 million people, which means, China had a shortfall of grain for at least 100 million people. Under the offsetting effect of rice yield fall and population growth, China’s grain consumption per capita decreased by more than 70 kilograms (333.3 kilograms per capita in 2003), which was far below the internationally recognized grain clearance line (500 kilograms per capita). Based on the series of precise data to the decimal point, it is possible to say that the situation of national food security was very serious, though there was no food crisis in China. Fortunately, thanks to the accumulation over the years, China had sufficient reserves at that time. Without the reserves, there would be a huge shortage in China's grain under the situation of snapping up grain in many places.

对保障国家粮食安全而言,2003年还真是中国的ー个坎,但这个坎必须迈过去。谁都知道,粮食为万物之首,粮价为百价之基,从来不是单纯的粮价,一旦上涨,牵ー发而动全身,导致整个物价水涨船高,而随着恐慌情绪的蔓延,甚至会引起社会动乱。为了止跌回升,从2003年开始,我国开始实施鼓励农民种粮的惠农政策,这是保障国家粮食安全的政策支撑,而要使粮食增产,还必须有强有力的科技支撑。由于2003年的粮食减产和粮价上扬,在2004年3月召开的全国两会上,一度被忽视的粮食问题又成了一个热议的焦点。袁隆平作为全国政协常委,在会上做了一个《高度重视我国粮食安全问题》的发言,他提出了四点建议:ー是坚持自カ更生为主的粮食安全战略;二是充分发挥科技对粮食安全的保障作用;三是切实保证一定规模的粮食播种面积;四是切实保护和提高农民的种粮积极性。这次两会期间,他还向温家宝总理提交了一份报告,这个报告基于第一期、第二期超级稻的研究成就和进展,以及水稻在理论上的产量潜カ,提出了第三期超级稻育种计划,这是中国超级稻育种的第二个十年计划,目标是在2015年实现ー季稻大面积示范亩产达到900公斤。

For ensuring national food security, 2003 is really a hurdle for China, but this hurdle must be overcome. It is known that food comes the first among all things, and grain prices are the basis for all other prices and never a simple food price. Once it rises, it will lead to a rise in the whole, and with the spread of panic, it will even cause social unrest. In order to go from decline to growth, China began to implement the policity of benefiting farmers by encouraging farmers to grow crops starting in 2003, which was the policy support for guaranteeing national food security. And to increase food production, there must also be strong scientific and technological support. Due to the decrease of grain production and the rise of grain prices in 2003, the previously ignored food problem became a hot topic again at the National People's Congress in March 2004. Yuan Longping, as a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made a speech on "Attaching Great Importance to China's Food Security Issues” and put forward four suggestions: first, to adhere to the strategy of food security based on self-reliance ; second, to give full play to the role of science and technology in ensuring food security; third, to ensure a certain scale of grain planting area; fourth, to protect and increase famers’s enthusiasm for growing crops. During the two sessions, he also submitted a report to Premier Wen Jiabao. On the basis of the research achievements and progress of the first and second phases of super hybrid rice, as well as the theoretical yield potential of rice, he proposed the third phase of the super hybrid rice breeding plan, which was China's second decade-long plan for super hybrid rice breeding, with the goal of achieving a demonstration yield of 900 kilograms per mu of single-cropping rice in 2015.

在粮价不断推高的同时,袁隆平也正带领协作攻关的科研团队把粮食单产不断推向新的高度,这也是那几年的奇特风景,ー边是频频告急,ー边是捷报频传。还在粮价上扬之前的2002年,第二期超级稻就在龙山县百亩示范片突破了 800公斤大关（平均亩产81?公斤,最高亩产835.2公斤）,成为长江中下游地区首个平均亩产突破800公斤大关的百亩示范片。2003年,第二期超级稻又在5个百亩片达到了亩产800公斤的预期目标。2004年,在湖南中方、汝城、隆回、桂东等12个百亩片和一个千亩片,第二期超级稻均达到了亩产800公斤的攻关目标。这标志着, 中国超级稻第二期攻关目标提前一年实现了,但正式通过农业部的验收审定还是 2005年。屈指ー算,第二期攻关目标从启动到验收达标,也是历时5年。就在这年,在全国推广种植超级杂交稻,第一次被写进了中央一号文件。

While grain prices were pushing up, Yuan Longping was also leading the collaborative scientific research team to push the grain yield to a new height, which was also a unique sight in those years, where on one hand there were frequent emergencies, and on the other hand there were frequent good news reports. In 2002, before the rise in grain prices, the second phase of super hybrid rice broke the 800 kg yield mark on a hundred-mu demonstration plot in Longshan County (with an average yield of 817 kg per mu and a maximum yield of 835.2 kg per mu), becoming the first hundred-mu demonstration plot in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to achieve an average yield of over 800 kg per mu. In 2003, the second phase of super hybrid rice also achieved the expected goal of an 800 kg yield per mu in five hundred-mu plots. In 2004, the second phase of super hybrid rice achieved its goal of an 800 kg yield per mu in twelve hundred-mu plots and one thousand-mu plot in Hunan Zhongfang, Rucheng, Longhua, Guidong and other places, marking that China's second phase of super hybrid rice achieved its target one year ahead of schedule. However, it was officially approved by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2005. By counting on fingers, the second phase of tackling key problems lasted for five years from the start to the acceptance. In the same year, the promotion of super hybrid rice planting was written into the No.1 Document of the Central Committee for the first time in China.

当然,这里有必要再一次诚实交代,示范片的亩产不能和大面积推广播种的亩产画等号,这是必须打折扣的。袁隆平先生算了一笔账,如第二期超级杂交稻推广后,大面积的平均亩产达600公斤,比一般的杂交稻增产约三成,按年种植两亿亩计算,每年增产的粮食就能多养活ー亿人口。

Of course, it is necessary to be honest and confess that the yield per mu of the demonstration plots cannot be equated with the yield per mu of large-scale promotion and cultivation which must be discounted. Yuan Longping calculated that after the promotion of the second phase of super hybrid rice. The average yield per mu in large-scale cultivation would reach 600 kg, which is about 30% higher than that of ordinary hybrid rice. If estimated with a planting area of 200 million mu per year, the annual increased grain production could feed an additional 100 million people.

时至2006年,农业部又启动了中国超级稻第三期育种计划,而袁隆平总是先行ー步,2005年3月,第三期超级杂交稻试验就已提前一年在湖南启动。这一期攻关目标为亩产900公斤。在此前的示范片中,这个产量已不止一次达到了,甚至创造过突破1000公斤大关的奇迹,然而,还是那句话,那“只是小面积的试验成果,它给人类预示了水稻杂种优势利用的巨大潜カ,但并未作为科学认定的依据”,若要真正在百亩、千亩示范片里普遍达到这一目标,袁隆平觉得,常规手段基本上用到了极限,必须将分子技术与常规育种结合起来攻关。一这也是袁隆平酝酿已久的“远缘杂种优势利用或分子间杂交的技术”。他坦承,在第一期和第二期超级稻攻关中,基本上是采用常规手段,在进入第三期后,随着现代生物技术的迅速发展, 使作物育种能在分子水平上进行遗传操作。

In 2006, the Ministry of Agriculture launched China's third phase of super hybrid rice breeding program, and Yuan Longping was always one step ahead, starting the third phase of super hybrid rice trials in Hunan in March 2005, one year ahead of schedule. The goal of this phase was to achieve a yield of 900 kg per mu. In the previous demonstration plots, this yield had been achieved more than once, and even miracles of breaking the 1,000 kg mark had been created. However, as Yuan Longping said, “Those were just the results of small-scale experiments. Though they showed the huge potential of rice heterosis utilization, they did not serve as a basis of scientific determination." If this goal is to be achieved universally in hundred-mu or thousand-mu demonstration plots, Yuan Longping feels that conventional methods must have basically been used to their limits and that molecular techniques must be combined with conventional breeding. - This is also Yuan Longping's long-awaited "technology ofdistant heterosis utilization or intermolecular hybridization." He admitted that in the first and second phases of super hybrid rice breeding, conventional methods were basically used, but in the third phase, with the rapid development of modern biotechnology, crop breeding could be genetically manipulated at the molecular level.

袁隆平ー只眼看着世界遗传育种科技的最新进展,ー只眼也盯着愈演愈烈的全球性粮食危机。联合国粮农组织发布的2006年世界《农业收成预计和粮食现状》报告显示,“粮食危机已经席卷了第三世界国家,全球共有37个发展中国家面临粮食短缺、产量锐减、价格涨幅过大,整个世界有可能陷入30年来最为可怕的粮食恐慌与危机”。当时有报道称,目前全球的粮食储备只能勉强支撑人们50多天的需求,已经跌破粮食储备70天的安全线。又据联合国粮农组织称,最主要的粮食作物国际价格都创出历史新高,这ー轮粮价暴涨已使全球超过ー亿人陷入饥饿困境,每天都有人正在经历痛苦和死亡。

Yuan Longping kept a close eye on the latest advances in genetic breeding technology worldwide, as well as the increasingly severe global food crisis. According to the report of "Agricultural Harvest Forecast and Food Status" issued by FAO in 2006, "the food crisis has swept through third world countries, with 37 developing countries facing food shortages, sharp declines in production, and soaring prices and the world is in danger of falling into the most terrifying food panic and crisis in the past 30 years." At that time it was reported that the world's food reserves could barely support people's needs for more than 50 days, which had already fallen below the safety line of 70 days. According to the FAO, the prices of the world's major food crops had reached historic highs, and this round of food price spikes had put over 100 million people worldwide into hunger, with people suffering pain or death everyday.

2008年4月,南美洲的传统农业国秘鲁发生了饥荒,数千名饥肠辘辘的妇女怀抱着襁褓中的婴儿聚集在国会门口 ,阳光把飘扬的国旗和她们饥饿的身影照得特别清晰,ー张张面黄肌瘦的脸上,那形销骨立的额骨凸显出饥荒的真实,她们ー边有气无カ地敲打着空罐和空盘子,ー边嘶哑地哭喊着政府“想想办法”，“我们没有饭吃,孩子没有奶喝……”。

In April 2008, Peru, a traditional agricultural country in South America, experienced a famine. Thousands of hungry women with babies in their arms gathered at the entrance of the parliament building. The sunlight made the flying national flag and their hungry figures particularly clear, with their yellow faces and their bony cheekbones highlighting the reality of the famine. They weakly beat empty cans and plates while hoarsely crying out for the government to “do something". "We have no rice to eat, and our children have no milk to drink..."

南亚的孟加拉国,ー个以大米为主粮的国度,大米的价格比去年猛涨了一倍, 吃不起米饭的人们走上街头,向政府请愿,这其实是公民们最无奈的选择,而政府也无可奈何,只能奉劝老百姓少吃大米,多吃马铃薯。

In Bangladesh, a country in South Asia where rice is the staple food, the price of rice has doubled since last year, and people who cannot afford to eat rice have taken to the streets to petition the government, which is actually the most desperate choice for citizens, but the government can do nothing but advise people to eat less rice and more potatoes.

粮食危机不只是全世界的水稻减产,小麦、玉米等主粮也遭受重创。在西非的多哥共和国,那个就像一把门闩似的首都洛美,这里人的传统食品为玉米面团,到 2008年时,他们的玉米团已从“大拳头”缩水为“小网球”,但售价却翻了一倍。当饥饿成为日复一日的生活,很多人都不知道自己最后一次吃饱肚子是什么时候了, 而这像“小网球”ー样的玉米团根本填不饱肚子,很多人只能靠喝莫诺河的河水来充饥,这是他们的母亲河,在饥荒中也成了他们养命的河流。

The food crisis is not only a reduction in rice production worldwide, but also a heavy blow to main crops such as wheat and corn. In the latch-like capital of Lomé in the Republic of Togo in West Africa, the traditional food of people there is corn dough. By 2008, the size of the corn dough had shrunk from "big fists" to "small tennis balls", but the price of it had doubled. When hunger became a daily reality, many people could not remember when they had a full stomach last time, and these small corn balls could not fill their stomachs at all, so many people had to drink from the Mono River, their mother river, which became their life-supporting river during the famine.

喀麦隆共和国是非洲中部地区的政治经济强国之一,在这场粮食危机中也未能幸免,连政府官员也将一日三餐减为两餐,那些底层老百姓就更惨了,很多人在街上走着走着就饿得晕倒了,有的人再也没有醒来,那些活着的人则在饥饿和绝望中挣扎度日,谁也不知道这场饥荒什么时候过去,谁也不知道自己能不能度过这场饥荒活下来。

The Republic of Cameroon, one of the political and economic powerhouses in central Africa, did not spare from this food crisis. Government officials reduced their three meals a day to two, and the bottom-tier people were even worse off. Many people collapsed from hunger while walking on the streets, and some never woke up again. Those who were still alive struggled to survive in hunger and despair, and no one knew when this famine would end or whether they could survive it.

除了第三世界国家,ー些发达国家也受到了粮食危机的波及,如日本,其粮食自给率只有40%,尽管他们有雄厚的资本,但对国际粮食市场的依赖程度很高,很多超市一度出现了部分食品断货的情况。据日本媒体称,这是他们40年来第一次面对食品短缺危机。不过,既精明又充满了危机感的日本人早已有着应对各种灾难和危机的充分准备,他们拥有!50万吨大米的储备,而美国则是他们粮食供应的最大的后盾,这些储备粮绝大部分是从美国进ロ的。在没有遇到粮食危机时,日本政府不让这些大米流入市场,以免冲击当地农民的收入,而一到危机时刻,这些储备粮就可以极大地缓解这ー压カ。

In addition to the third world countries, some developed countries were also affected by the food crisis. For instance, Japan, whose self-sufficiency rate for grain was only 40%, despite their strong capital, they relied so heavily on the international food market that many supermarkets once had some food out of stock. It was reported by the Japanese media that this was the first food shortage crisis they had faced in 40 years. However, the resourceful and crisis-aware Japanese people were already well-prepared for various disasters and crises. They had a reserve of 1.5 million tons of rice, with most of which were imported from the United States, their largest backstop for their food supply. When there was no food crisis, the Japanese government did not allow the rice to flow to the market to avoid impacting local farmers' income. But in times of crisis, these reserve grains can greatly ease the pressure.

而远在大西洋的岛国海地就没有太平洋岛国日本这样幸运了。2008年4月 12日,由于出现了大规模饥荒,海地总理亚里克西遭国会弹劾,成为在粮食危机中第一个被迫下台的政府首脑。这也又一次验证了,饥饿是最大的人道主义危机,其实也是最大的政权危机,而我转述的这一幕幕惨状,还只是冰山一角。

The island nation of Haiti, far away in the Atlantic Ocean, however, is not as lucky as the Pacific island nation of Japan. On April 12, 2008, due to a massive famine, Haitian Prime Minister Alexie was impeached by the parliament, becoming the first head of government to be forced to step down during a food crisis. This once again confirms that hunger is not only the biggest humanitarian crisis but also in fact the biggest political crisis, and the heartbreaking scenes I have described are just the tip of the iceberg.

让世界充满惊奇的是,尽管国际粮价飞涨,不断冲撞着中国粮食安全大堤,但撼山易,撼中国难,布朗那个“谁来养活中国”的大问号,在中国似乎不是什么问题。其实,中国也并非稳如泰山,东南亚飞涨的米价一度对近在咫尺的中国南方产生水涨船高的传导效应,幸运的是,从2003年那个低谷或拐点开始,到2006年,据国务院政府工作报告中的数据全年粮食产量达到49746万吨（即4974. 6亿公斤）,实现了连续三年增产”。这ー数据已超过了 1996年我国创纪录的粮食总产量（以国务院政府工作报告为准）〇由于粮食连年丰收,国家粮仓里有着充足的储备粮,据国家发改委当年发布的数据,我国全部储粮是5000亿斤（2500亿公斤）,约占全国全年粮食消费的一半,比全世界粮食库存占年消费的比重（17% ）要高出ー倍以上,这让国家发改委可以底气十足地宣告:“中国完全有能力保障粮食安全。” 与此同时,铁道部紧急启动了“北粮南运”计划,从东北调运1000万吨粮食以平抑南方的稻米价格,广州的国产大米价格随即开始回落。一这就是中国用事实对布朗“警世的呼唤”做出的强有力的回答,也足以证明充足的粮食储备对保障国家粮食安全是多么重要。正因为有了这样ー个基础,中国才能抵挡全球粮食危机和国际粮价飞涨的冲击,巨大的中国,不仅没有像布朗预言的那样成为世界粮食安全的巨大威胁,而且还为拯救全人类的饥饿做出了越来越大的贡献。从2006年1月 1日起,在全球粮食危机的大背景下,联合国停止了对华粮食援助,这标志着中国 26年的粮食受捐赠历史从此画上了句号,随着ー个非凡的转身,中国由此而成为世界第三大粮食援助捐赠国。

To the surprise of the world, despite the soaring international food prices kept crashing into China's food security dam, it was easy to shake the mountain than to shake China. The big question posed by Brown - “Who will feed China?" - seemed to be no problem in China. In fact, China is not as stable as Mount Tai. The soaring rice prices in Southeast Asia once had a chain reaction effect on the nearby southern regions of China. Fortunately, China's food production has increased continuously since 2003, and according to the annual work report of the State Council of China, in2006, the total grain output reached 497.46 million tons (i.e. 497.46 billion kilograms ), achieving an increase in production for three consecutive years. This figure has exceeded the record set in 1996 (subject to the government work report of the State Council). Due to the bumper harvest year after year, there are sufficient grain reserves in the national granary. According to data released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the entire grain stockpile was over 250 billion kilograms, accounting for half of the country's annual grain consumption, which is more than double the proportion of the world's grain stocks in annual consumption (17%). The National Development and Reform Commission confidently declared that "China is fully capable of ensuring food security." Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways launched an emergency plan called "North Grain to South," transporting 10 million tons of grain from Northeast China to balance rice prices in the southern part of the country. Then, domestic rice prices in Guangzhou quickly began to fall. This is China's powerful response to Brown's call with facts, and it underscores the importance of ample grain reserves in safeguarding national food security. Thanks to this foundation, China can withstand the impact of global food crises and soaring international grain prices. The huge China has not only failed to become a great threat to global food security, as Brown predicted, but has also made increasingly significant contributions to ending world hunger. On January 1, 2006, against the backdrop of the global food crisis, the United Nations halted food aid to China, marking the end of 26 years of China receiving donated grains. With an extraordinary turn, China became the world's third-largest grain-aid donor.

袁隆平深知,尽管此时我国粮食安全的形势已较2003年大为好转,但诚如古人早在春秋时代发出的警示:“居安思危,思则有备,有备无患,敢以此规。”中国人能否把饭碗一直牢牢地端在自己手里,此时他还不太乐观。一方面,他在两会期间反复提醒,要查实各地粮库是否存在虚报的问题,必须保证国家和地方的粮食储备充足;一方面,他对我国人增地减的严峻形势充满了危机感。随着第三期中国超级稻育种计划正式启动,他在2006年底又提出了“种三产四”丰产工程,即种三亩超级稻,生产出现有四亩地的粮食。一这ー工程于2007年率先在湖南示范,湖南省针对水稻生产的不同条件,同步采取三套增产方案:ー是在中低产田实施“种三产四”丰产工程,通过超级杂交早稻+超级杂交晚稻的“双超”等五种模式,实现粮食大面积丰产;二是在高产田实现“三分田养活一个人”的目标;三是抓紧第四期超级杂交稻攻关,实现早、中、晚超级杂交稻百亩片平均亩产分别达到600公斤、 1000公斤和750公斤的目标。实践证明,无论哪ー种方案或模式,都大幅度提高了现有水稻的单产和总产,到201I年时,湖南省的“种三产四”丰产工程新增稻谷就超过了十亿公斤。袁隆平计划到2015年,在全国推广“种三产四”丰产工程6000 万亩,实际上相当于8000万亩的生产水平,哪怕保守估计,每年新增稻谷也可以多养活两三千万人口。

Yuan Longping was well aware that though China's food security situation had significantly improved since 2003, "One must stay vigilant in times of safety, for being prepared is being free from worry.” just as ancient Chinese wisdom warns. And he was not very optimistic about whether Chinese people could keep their rice bowls firmly in their own hands at that time. On the one hand, he repeatedly urged during the National People's Congress to examine whether there were false reports in local grain warehouses to ensure sufficient national and local grain reserves. On the other hand, he was full of a sense of crisis about China's severe situation of increasing population and reducing land. With the launch of the third phase of China's Super Hybrid Rice Breeding Program, he proposed the “Planting Three to Harvest Four" high-yield project at the end of 2006, which means planting three acres of super hybrid rice equal to four acres of grains. This project was first demonstrated in Hunan in 2007, and Hunan province implemented three sets of yiel-increasing schemes simultaneously in response to different conditions of rice production: Firstly, the high-yielding plan of “Planting Three to Harvest Four" was implemented in low-and medium-yield fields to achieve a large-scale food harvest though five models including a "double super" model of a combination of super hybrid early rice and super hybrid late rice. Secondly, the goal “to harvest from three parts of the field to feed one person " was to be achieved in high-yielding fields. Thirdly, research into the fourth phase of super hybrid rice should be accelerated to achieve an average yield of 600 kg, 1,000 kg, and 750 kg per acre for early, middle, and late super hybrid rice, respectively. Either program or model has proven to significantly increase both the yield per unit area and the total yields of existing rice. By 2011, the “Planting Three to Harvest Four" program in Hunan had added over one billion kilograms of grains. Yuan Longping planed to promote the “Planting Three to Harvest Four” high-yield project over 60 million mu nationwide by 2015, which was equivalent to a production level of 80 million mu. Even with conservative estimates, it could produce enough food to feed an additional 20 to 30 million people.

谁都希望粮食增产,可粮食增产也是一把双刃剑。有一次,袁隆平去ー个示范片察看超级稻,ー个老农看见了他,拖着两腿泥巴从稻田里跑了过来。这是袁隆平经常会遇到的,他是农民心中的米菩萨啊,谁都想亲眼见见他,跟他说说心里话。但这个老农的一番心里话,却说得他一寸一寸地揪心:“袁老啊,我种了一辈子的水稻,从来没有这么高的产量,我们种田佬都感谢你老人家啊,你可真是我们农民的米菩萨啊!可我们也有一肚子怨气,你让稻子越打越多了,可稻子多了不值钱,我们还是不赚钱啊!”袁隆平下意识地低下头,看着老农那一双沾满泥巴的赤脚,还有那副被烈日烤得焦黑如炭的脸庞,他心里不知是什么滋味。他知道这位老农说的是老实话,这也是他一直焦虑的。“长太息以掩涕兮,哀民生之多艰。”ー个生活在湖湘大地的农业科学家,心里也有浓烈郁结的屈子情怀,而对任何事,他又必须以科学的辩证思维来考量,这让他既担心粮价过高,加重市井百姓的生活负担,又担心谷贱伤农,眼看着粮食年年增产,这些黑汗直流的稻农却不能增收。一个可怕的后果是,倘若农民都不种粮了,这试验田、示范田里的超级稻就是再高产,却不能大面积推广,又有何实际意义呢?如今谁都想吃又便宜又好吃的大米饭,但再这么便宜下去,到时候大家恐怕都没饭吃了 ,谁又愿意做那赔本的买卖呢?

Everyone hopes for an increase in food production, but increasing food production is also a double-edged sword. Once Yuan Longping went to a demonstration field for super hybrid rice. An old farmer saw him and ran from the rice field with mud on his legs. This is something he frequently encounters. He is like a Bodhisattva in the hearts of farmers, and everyone wants to meet him and talk to him. However, the old farmer's heartfelt words made Yuan worry inch by inch: “Yuan Lao, I have been planting rice all my life, and I have never had such high yields. We farmers thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and you are really the rice Bodhisattva of our farmers! But we are also full of grievances. As the rice grows more and more, the price of it becomes less and less, and we still can not make money!" Yuan Longping subconsciously lowered his head, looking at the old farmer's muddy, bare feet and the charcoal-like face blackened by the scorching sun, not knowing what it feels like. He knew the old farmer was telling the truth, and this was what he had been worried about. "Long did I sigh to hold back tears; saddened I am by the hardship of my people." As an agricultural scientist living in the Hunan region, Yuan also has a strong sense of the emotions of Qu Yuan, but he must consider everything with scientific dialectical thinking. This made him worry about high grain prices increasing the living burden on people in the cities, and low grain prices hurting farmers who watched the annual increase in grain production but could not increase their income though they had shed all their sweat under the scorching sun. A terrible consequence is that if farmers do not want to grow rice any more, the super hybrid rice in experimental fields and demonstration fields, though much high-yielding, will not be able to be widely promoted. Then what is the practical significance of it? Today everyone wants to eat cheap and tasty rice. But if if it continues to be so cheap, then I am afraid that everyone will have no rice to eat in the end. After all, who is willing to do such a business that makes little money?

谁都知道,粮食是商品,却又是非同一般的商品,始终都是最基本的生存保障和国家的战略物资,这也是国家一直难以把粮食全然交给市场的原因,否则一遇丰年,当粮食供大于求时,粮价势必大跌,甚至会跌到生产成本以下,而一遇灾年,粮食供不应求,则粮价飞涨,并推动所有的物价疯涨,那些投机商人就会囤积居奇,变本加厉,这也是旧中国最常见的现象。粮食安全,关乎每个人的身家性命,关乎国家的生死存亡。ー个拥有13亿多人口的大国,如何保证每ー个人都能吃饱肚子, 始终是治国安邦的头等大事,真是高不成、低不就,进亦忧、退亦忧啊。也正是在反复权衡之后,国家オ出台了粮价补贴,但如何补,一直充满了争议,袁隆平觉得目前的粮价补贴还有很多值得完善之处。身为省政协副主席和全国政协常委的他从未将此身份当作荣誉、虚职,每年省里和全国召开两会期间,他都会提交精心准备的提案和建议,并且都是直面严峻的现实。在2012年的全国两会上,他提交了《关于粮价的建议》。他依据湖南省物价局的调查统计数据,2011年农民种植ー亩水稻, 除去国家的粮食补贴,纯收益仅有七块五毛钱!这让他特别伤心,也让他大声疾呼:“七块五啊!太少了,农民多穷啊,农民多可怜啊!”他呼吁政府要以较高的价格收购农民的粮食,只有“大大提高农民种粮的积极性和收入,保住农民的基本利益,才能保障民生,保证老百姓的日常生活水平,保证国家粮食的安全和价格的平稳!”而现在的补贴是按田亩补,不管你种不种粮,高产低产,给的补贴都是ー样的, 也就是所谓普惠制,这不合理,难以调动农民种粮的积极性。为此,他提出了一个更合理的建议,那就是给种粮的农民按售粮的多少进行直补,生产的粮食越多,得到的实惠就越多,那种粮的积极性自然就被激发出来了。

Everyone knows that food is a commodity, but it is also an extraordinary commodity, since it is always the most basic guarantee for survival and a strategic material for the country. This is also why it has been difficult for the country to entrust food entirely to the market. Otherwise, in a bumper crop, when the food supply exceeds demand, the food price will inevitably plummet, and even drop below the production cost, while in a disaster year, when the food supply does not meet the demand, the food price will soar and drive all other prices up, encouraging speculative merchants to hoard food and making the situation worse, which was also the most common phenomenon in old China. Food security is related to everyone's life and the survival of the country. How to ensure that everyone in a country with a population of over 1.3 billion can have enough food is always the top priority in governing the country. It is really a difficult balancing act, and there are worries both forward and backwards. It was only after repeated trade-offs that the state introduced the food price subsidies. However, how to subsidize has always been controversial, and Yuan feels that the current food price subsidies still have much to be improved. As the Vice Chairman of the Provincial CPPCC and a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC, he has never treated his identity as an honour or a vacant title. Every year, during the two sessions of the provincial and national conferences, he submits well-prepared proposals and suggestions as a direct response to the harsh reality. In the 2012 National People's Congress, he submitted a proposal on food prices. Based on the survey and statistical data from the Hunan Price Bureau, in 2011, farmers only made less than 7.5 yuan in net profit per mu of rice after deducting national food subsidies. This made him particularly sad and he cried out: "Only 7.5 yuan! It's too little! How poor the farmers are! How pitiful they are!" He urged the government to purchase grains from farmers at higher prices, because only by "greatly increasing farmers' enthusiasm and income for growing grains and protecting their basic interests, can we ensure people's livelihoods, guarantee people's daily living standards, and ensure national food safety and price stability!" Whereas the current subsidies are given based on the planting area, regardless of whether one grows grains or not, with high yield or low yield. This is the so-called universal system, which is unreasonable and difficult to stimulate farmers' enthusiasm to grow grains. Therefore, he provided a more practical suggestion, which is to give direct subsidies to farmers according to the amount of grain sold. The more grain produced, the more benefits can be obtained. And famer’s enthusiasm to grow grains will naturally be aroused.

“杂交水稻之父” 一开口就成为众所瞩目的焦点,而他在这次两会上一改平日里的低调平和,竟然还提出了这样ー个引起了激烈争论的建议:“补石油不如补农民!”在众声喧哗之中,他仗义执言,为农民的利益而据理力争:“国家每年拿上亿的钱来补贴石油企业,这更不合理。石油那么贵,都是高价、高利润的垄断企业,做石油的人都是有钱人,用石油的人都是开小车的人,哪里还需要国家的补助呢?为什么不拿这个钱来补贴农民呢?农民辛辛苦苦种ー亩地得了 !00块钱,就是很多有钱人的两包烟钱!”此言ー出,一片哗然。其实,只要冷静地想ー想,他这既是在为农民鼓与呼,又何尝不是“两头兼顾”?轿车不是人人都有的,但一日三餐却是人人要吃的,很多人都以为这钱是补给农民的,却很少有人意识到,这其实也是国家给每个人饭碗里的补贴,如此我们这些不种粮的人,才能吃到便宜的粮食,这不就是“两头兼顾”惠及整个民生吗?这一番道理很朴素,却并非每个人都能朴素地理解,当场就有人好心提醒和劝阻袁隆平,为农民争取补贴可以,但不要“抨击”别人哪。但袁隆平还是直言不讳:“我怕什么?我那么大把年纪了,还不能说几句实话?憋死人啰！”

The "Father of Hybrid Rice" immediately became the focus of attention when
he spoke at the two sessions. And he changed his usual low-profile and calm demeanor this time, and even put forward such a controversial proposal that “It is better to provide subsidies for grain than for petroleum." Amidst the clamor, he bravely spoke up for the interests of farmers: "The country spends hundreds of millions of money each year to subsidize petroleum companies, which is even more unreasonable. Oil is so expensive that oil companies are high-profit monopolies with its high price. Those who do oil business are wealthy, and those who use oil are owners of private cars. They do not need state subsidies at all. Why not use this money to subsidize farmers? Farmers work hard in a field with an area of one mu but only make 100 yuan which is just the cost of two packs of cigarettes for many wealthy people!" When his statement came out, there was an uproar. In fact, it could be known after a second though that he was advocating for farmers, and can anyone not consider it as a balancing act? Not everyone has a car, but everyone needs to eat three meals a day. Many people think that this money is for farmers, but few people realize that this is also a subsidy from the country to everyone's rice bowl. In this way, those of us who do not grow crops can eat cheap food. Is not the “balancing act” benefiting the whole people’s livelihood? This is a simple truth, but not everyone can understand it simply. On the spot, Yuan Longping was kindly reminded and discouraged to fight resonably for subsidies for farmers but not to “attack" others. But Yuan Longping was still outspoken: "What am I afraid of? Am I not enough to tell the truth? It is suffocating to hold it back!"

除了粮价,让袁隆平忧心忡忡的还有耕地。这么多年来,他一直在田间地头行走,他见证过大包干时农民分田到户的喜悦,近年来却看见背井离乡、外出打エ的农民,把大片耕地抛荒了,很多粮田甚至被用来盖房子和做垃圾场了,那疯长的荒草和臭烘烘的垃圾让他痛心疾首:“耕地多宝贵啊,现在全国的耕地越来越少,如果得不到保护,耕地面积一年年减少,我们就没有退路了啊,以后粮食不够了可怎么办呢?到哪里去种呢?”这一直是他最担心的,如果那18亿亩耕地的红线守不住, 就算培育出了亩产超过1000公斤的超级稻,也没人没地种啊,到了那地步,布朗的预言还真是ー语成谶了。

In addition to food prices, Yuan Longping was also worried about cultivated land. For so many years, he has been walking in the fields. He has witnessed the joy of farmers who had distributed fields during the implementation of "all-round contract system”, but in recent years, he has also seen farmers who have left their hometowns to work elsewhere, abandoning large areas of cultivated land. Many farmlands have even been used for building houses or as garbage dumps. The wild weeds on the wasteland and the stench from garbage dumps make him heartbroken: "How precious cultivated land is! Now, the amount of cultivated land nationwide is decreasing year by year. If it is not protected, where should we grow grains when there is no enough food in the future? There will be no way back for us in that case.” This has always been his biggest concern. If the red line of the 1.8 billion mu of cultivated land cannot be kept, even if super rice with a yield of over 1,000 kilograms per mu is cultivated, there will be no arable land to grow it. If it reaches that point, Brown's prophecy will unfortunately become a reality.

ー个农业科学家,就是在这种强烈危机感的驱使下,ー步ー步把超级稻推向更高的台阶,而科技支撑一直都是保障国家粮食安全的ー个顶梁柱。为确保实现“第三期亩产900公斤、力争第四期亩产!000公斤”的超级稻攻关目标,在袁隆平的指导下,协作攻关团队相继育成了四个超级杂交稻新组合（Y两优2号、Y两优8188、 Y58S/1128、广占63S/1128）,在不同的地域进行百亩示范片试种。这里就以“ Y两优2号”为例来看看实际效果。该品种为湖南杂交水稻研究中心研究员邓启云主持育成的“ Y两优”系列品种之一。这ー系列从20世纪90年代开始培育,被业界誉为“高产世家”,2001年研发出“Y两优1号”,第二年又在此基础上开始研发升级版,历经5年攻关,到2007年终于育成“ Y两优2号”,育成不久就被国内一家企业以650万元的价格拍下了专属使用权,被媒体惊呼为“一粒卖出天价的神奇种子”。实际上,这一品种在海南试种时,亩产只有750多公斤,别说作为三期超级稻主打品种,离第二期超级稻的产量指标都还差一大截呢。但“杂交水稻之父”的眼光就是非同一般,在百里挑一中,他偏偏就看上了它。那双久经历练的火眼金睛ー般是不会看走眼的,尽管这一品种在实际产量上尚未表现出明显的优势,但它具有超级稻高冠层、矮穗层的理想株叶形态,叶片松散适中,上三叶挺直,群体通风透光良好,耐高温、低温能力都比较强,后期落色好,具有高产稳产、穗大粒多、茎秆粗壮、耐肥抗倒、抗逆性强、米质优良、口感好等诸多优点。ー个发现者的眼光,不能只看见眼前的产量,更要能看见它未被开发出来的潜カ,袁隆平预测,这ー杂交组合具有产量突破900公斤的潜カ,因此将其确定为第三期超级杂交水稻攻关的首选苗头品种,在湖南隆回县羊古坳乡等示范片里试种。

Driven by a strong sense of crisis like this, an agricultural scientist has pushed the development of super rice to higher levels step by step, and technological support has always been a cornerstone to ensure national food security. In order to ensure the realization of the super rice research goal of “a third-phase yield of 900 kilograms per mu and a fourth phase yield of 1,000 kilograms per mu”, a collaborative research team, under the guidance of Yuan Longping, has successively developed four new combinations of super hybrid rice (Y Liangyou 2, Y Liangyou 8188, Y58S/1128, and Guangzhan 63S/1128), and conducted trial planting of hundred-mu demonstration locations in different regions. “Y Liangyou 2" is used here as an example to look at the actual effect. This variety is one of the “Y Liangyou" series of varieties bred by Deng Qi-yun, a researcher at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center. The series has been cultivated since the 1990s, and has been known as "a high-yielding family" in the industry. In 2001, “Y Liangyou 1" was developed, and an upgraded version was under research based on this variety in the following year. In 2007, after five years of research, "Y Liangyou 2" was finally bred. Soon after this variety was bred, the exclusive right to use it was sold for 6.5 million yuan to a domestic company. Therefor, the variety was hailed by the media as a "magical seed sold at a sky-high price". In fact, when it was tested in Hainan, the yield per mu was only over 750 kg, which was still far below the target for the second phase of super rice, not to mention that for the third phase as a main variety. However, the vision of the "father of hybrid rice" is extraordinary. Out of hundreds of candidates, he just thought highly of it. Those experienced eyes could not be wrong. Although this variety has not yet shown obvious yield advantages, it has morphological features as a good plant type. It has tall erect-leaf canopy and lower panicle position, with loose and moderate leaves, erect upper three leaves, good group ventilation and light penetration, strong ability to tolerate high and low temperatures, and nice grain color in the later stage. And it also has many advantages such as high and stable yield, large panicles with many spikelets per pancicle, sturdy culm, fertilizer tolerance and lodging resistance, strong stress resistance, good grain quality, and good taste. A discoverer's should not only see the immediate yield, but also the untapped yield potential. Yuan Longping predicted that this hybrid combination has the yield potential to exceed 900 kg per mu, so it was identified as the preferred seed variety for the third phase of super hybrid rice development, and was planted in demonstration locations such as Yanggu’ao Township, Longhui County, Hunan Province.

那么,结果如何呢? 2011年9月18日,第三期超级稻在历经5年攻关后,迎来了中国超级稻育种计划的第三次大考。这次现场测产验收,由中国水稻研究所所长程式华担任组长,验收点就选在羊古坳乡第三期超级稻" Y两优2号”示范片。此地位于湘中偏西南的资江上游,地处雪峰山余脉望云山脚下,虽是山地,但这ー方水土的小环境可谓得天独厚,是特别适合种植超级杂交中稻的一方福地。2000 年和2004年,第一期和第二期超级稻试种先后在这里取得成功,而在第三次大考中,这一方福地是否能再创奇迹?

So, how did it turn out? On September 18, 2011, after five years of research and development, the third phase super hybrid rice ushered in the third major test of the China Super Hybrid Rice Breeding Program. The on-site yield inspection was led by Cheng Shihua, the director of the China National Rice Research Institute, and the inspection site was the demonstration plot of the “Y Liangyou 2" variety in Yanggu’ao Township. This place is located in the upper reaches of the Zijiang River in the southwest of central Hunan, at the foot of Wangyun Mountain in Xuefeng Mountains. Although it is a mountain land, it enjoys a samll environment with unique advantages especially suitable for planting super hybrid mid-season rice. In 2000 and 2004, the first and second phases of super hybrid rice trials achieved success here. Could this blessed land create another miracle in the third test?

在验收的四天前,袁隆平就来这里看了稻子的长势,那是个大晴天,金黄色的稻田把空气都映衬得金灿灿的,袁隆平看得一双眼都笑眯眯的,他唯一有些担心的就是接下来几日的天气。“只要老天爷他帮帮忙,900公斤100%能达到啦!”他有 100%的把握,可老天爷却像是偏偏要跟他们作对,就在验收的前一天,ー场暴风雨突然袭来,顷刻间把田间的稻农打得晕头转向。清醒过来了,又一个个急得直跳脚,老天啊,这么大的风雨,再结实的谷粒也会被打脱啊。袁老师年纪大了,他们不好打扰人家,就给袁隆平的助手邓启云打电话。邓启云是“ Y两优2号”的培育者, 这里的每一粒种子就像他的孩子ー样,他也正日里夜里地惦记着呢,一天24小时, 手机都不敢关机。ー个电话火急火燎地打来了 :“邓老师啊,大事不好啊,羊古坳又是风又是雨啊,连人都站不住啊,何时得了啊?”邓启云听见了农民兄弟那焦急万分的呼唤声,也听见了呼啦啦的风雨声和沉闷的雷声,但他还真有一种处变不惊的大将风度,他的声音很平静,很有底气,让农民兄弟只管放心,没事,他这个品种不受风雨影响,那稻子长得很结实,不会落粒的。可那些农民还是不敢相信,世上哪有风吹雨打不落粒的稻子啊?邓启云停了一下,脱口冒出了这样一句话:“我的孩子我清楚!”

Four days before the acceptance, Yuan Longping came here to see the growth of the rice. It was a sunny day, and The golden rice fields set off the air. Yuan Longping was pleased with what he saw. The only worry he had was the weather in the next few days. "As long as the weather cooperates, the yield of 900 kilograms per mu can be achieved with 100% certainty!" He was confident, but it seemed that the weather was going to be against them. Just the day before the acceptance, a sudden thunderstorm hit, and the farmers in the field were stunned. When they came to their senses, they were all anxious due to the thought that even the most robust grains would be stripped off in such a severe storm, not to mention the ordinary ones. Considering that Yuan Longping was old, they did not want to disturb him, so they called his assistant Deng Qiyun. Deng Qiyun was the breeder of “Y Liangyou 2", and treated every seed of the variety as his child. He also kept thinking about the variety day and night. For twenty-four hours in a day, his phone was always on. And a phone call came in a hurry: "Teacher Deng, a disaster is imminent. Yang Gu’ao was hit by wind and rain again. Even people can not stand still in this case. What should we do? When will it stop?" Deng Qiyun heard the anxious call of the farmer and the sound of howling wind and rustling rain, as well as the rumble of thunder. But he really had a calm demeanor that belonged to a general who could handle anything. He told the farmer to feel at ease with a calm and confident tone, and he assured that rice of this variety was growing strong and the grains would not fall because of wind and rain. But those farmers still did not believe it. How could there be rice that could withstand such a beating by the weather? Deng Qiyun paused for a moment, and then said: "I know my child well!"

这句话后来传开了,如今都成了邓启云的一句名言了。

This sentence was widely spread later, and now it has become a famous saying of Deng Qiyun.

第二天,风雨过后,在阴沉的天底下,那稻穗全都低垂着头,那是因为挂满了沉甸甸的稻子,看上去比在阳光下多了几分深沉〇天刚亮,羊古坳的稻农们便来田里仔细看过了,每ー株稻禾都挺身站着,在田里也找不着几粒被风雨打脱的稻子。ー夜惊心,现在一下放心了,一个个都说多亏了老天爷保佑,真是神了!尽管ー场风雨刚刚过去,从田壇到田间都被雨水冲刷泡软了,但农业部派来的专家没有等待, 现场测产验收按原定计划照常进行。专家自有专家的道理,ー个合格的品种必须能经受住恶劣天气的检验,在大自然面前,没有任何特殊情况或特殊品种是可以特殊照顾的。一切都是按照严格的测产验收规程进行,专家组首先对分割成18块田的代号进行现场随机抽签,分别抽取出三块试验田进行现场人工收割,然后在田间打谷脱粒装袋,最后进行水分检测与称重。由于昨夜下了一场大雨,谷粒含水率超过了仪器的测量范围,必须减至达标的含水率（13.5%）才能准确测算出这批超级杂交稻的亩产量。尽管颇费了一番周折,得出的却是ー个令人惊呼的结果,第三期超级稻"Y两优2号”百亩示范片不仅达到了亩产900公斤的产量指标,而且创造了世界水稻种植史上大面积亩产的最高纪录（平均亩产高达926. 6公斤）。说来还有一个小插曲,对这次测产的结果,有人不知是出于谨慎,还是别的什么原因,建议袁隆平不要提亩产突破了 900公斤这个具体数字,只说获得了“高产”。袁隆平ー
听就冒火了:“怎么能不提突破了 900公斤?我就是要攻关900公斤!”

The day after the storm, under a clear but heavy sky, the rice ears were all all hanging low, weighed down by heavy grains. They looked even deeper than how they looked under the sunlight. At the first light of day, the rice farmers in Yanggu'ao came to the field to check every rice plant. Each plant was standing upright, and there were little grains of rice in the field that had been knocked off by the wind and rain. They were all relieved after a night of panic and grateful that heaven had blessed their fields. Even though a storm had just passed, the experts sent by the Ministry of Agriculture did not wait. The on-site yield measurement and acceptance was carried out according to the original plan, rigorously following the rules. Experts have their own reasons. A qualified variety must be able to withstand the test of bad weather. In front of nature, no special varieties can be taken special care of in special circumstances. Everything was carried out in accordance with strict procedures. The expert group randomly selected three experiment fields out of 18 plots, manually harvested the rice, threshed and bagged the grains in the fields, and checked the moisture content before weighing them. Due to the heavy rain last night, the moisture content of the grains was beyond the range of the instrument, so the grains had to be dried to the standard moisture content (13.5%) to accurately measure the yield per mu of this batch of super hybrid rice. After some struggles, they finally obtained a stunning result. The third phase of super hybrid rice, “Y Liangyou 2," not only achieved the yield target of 900 kilograms per mu but also set the highest record of large-scale yield per mu in the history of world rice cultivation (an average yield of 926.6 kg per mu). Speaking of the result, there is another episode. Some people, out of caution or for some other reasons, suggested Yuan not to mention the specific number of the yield exceeding 900 kilograms per mu, but say that a "high yield” was achieved. Yuan Longping was furious when he heard this. He said, "How can we not mention that it has exceeded the yield of 900 kilograms per mu? It is the target that I have endeavored to meet!"

这ー结果随后便由湖南省农科院举行新闻发布会公布了:“袁隆平院士指导的超级稻第三期目标亩产900公斤高产攻关获得成功!”

This result was then announced in a press conference held by the Hunan Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences: "The third phase of super rice under the guidance of Yuan Longping has achieved a success of a high yield of over 900 kilograms per mu."

袁隆平的梦

Yuan Longping's Dreams

ー份满意的答卷刚刚交出,接踵而来的又是ー份新的试卷。从2012年起,袁隆平又率协作攻关的科研团队向第四期超级稻发起攻关,目标:平均亩产!000 公斤！

A satisfactory answer sheet has just been handed over and a new test paper follows. Since 2012, Yuan Longping has led a research team in cooperative research to launch a fourth-generation super hybrid rice program, with a target of an average yield of 1000 kg per mu!

是的,袁隆平又比农业部的正式启动时间抢先了一步,也可谓是一个前奏。

Yes, Yuan Longping has once again one step ahead of the official launch of the Ministry of Agriculture, which which can also be considered as a prelude to it.

每到ー个关键点,这个科学家和国家总是会出现高度默契的呼应。就在2012 年初,中共中央、国务院又发布了一个关于三农问题的中央一号文件,对农业科技创新进行了突出的强调和重申:“实现农业持续稳定发展、长期确保农产品有效供给,根本出路在科技。农业科技是确保国家粮食安全的基础支撑,是突破资源环境约束的必然选择,是加快现代农业建设的决定力量。”

At every critical point, there will always be a highly tacit echo between this scientist and the country. At the beginning of the year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council issued a Central Document No.1 on the issues relating to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, highlighting and reiterating the innovation of agricultural science and technology:” To achieve sustainable and stable development of agriculture and ensure effective supply of agricultural products for a long time, the fundamental solution lies in science and technology. Agricultural technology is the basic support to ensure national food security, the inevitable choice to break through the constraints of resources and environment, and the decisive force to speed up the construction of modern agriculture."

2013年4月9日,在博鳌亚洲论坛举行了以粮食安全为主题的农业圆桌会议, 刚一散会,时任农业部部长韩长赋就直奔三亚南繁基地超级稻育种攻关现场,与袁隆平院士共同宣布启动第四期超级杂交稻的攻关项目。随后,农业部又组建了“7 + 1”（七个科研单位加一个企业）的跨地区、跨部门协作攻关团队。作为牵头人（首席专家）的袁隆平,此时已是一位84岁的老人,岁月不饶人,也让人难免担心, 他老人家还能否再创奇迹,实现中国超级稻的“四连跳”?不过,只要你亲眼看见了那个传说中的“杂交水稻之父”,就会发现担心是多余的,他身子骨还杠杠的,一张脸黑是黑,却闪烁着风尘不染的光泽,那心态就越发年轻了,他笑称自己是“ 80 后”：“带领ー帮年轻人在从事超级稻这个年轻的、蒸蒸日上的事业,我觉得非常好!”

On April 9, 2013, an agricultural roundtable meeting on food security was held at the Boao Forum for Asia. As soon as the meeting was over, Han Changfu, then Minister of Agriculture, went straight to the super hybrid rice breeding site in Sanya Nanfan Base, and announced the launch of the fourth research project of super hybrid rice together with Academician Yuan Longping. Subsequently, the Ministry of Agriculture formed a cross-regional and cross-departmental research team of "7 + 1 "(Seven scientific research units plus one enterprise) for collaborative research. As the lead expert, Yuan Longping was already 84 years old at this time, and it was hard for people not to worry whether he would be able to create another miracle and achieve the "quadruple jump" in Chinese super rice. However, as long as you see the legendary "father of hybrid rice" in person, you will find that this worry is superfluous. His body and bones are still strong, his face is black but gleams with age-free luster, making his mentality younger. He laughs and calls himself an "80s generation “: "I think it is very good to lead a group of young people to engage in this young and thriving cause of super hybrid rice!"

这年五一国际劳动节来临之际,正在稻田里忙碌的袁隆平接到通知,赶紧洗脚上田,赶赴北京参加全国劳动模范代表座谈会。4月28日上午,中共中央总书记习近平微笑着走进会场,走向站在前排中间的袁隆平院士,他用两只手ー上一下地握住了袁老的手,那不是一般的握手,而是用双手热乎乎地捂着ー个农业科学家的手。座谈时,习近平又回忆起第一次和袁老见面时的情景,“我1998年去过你们那,当时咱们见过面”，“我那时在福建当省委副书记,主管农业,十分关心种业问题。杂交稻育种,是ー个很伟大的事业,要继续抓好”。

On the occasion of the International Labor Day on May 1st this year, Yuan Longping, who was busy in the paddy fields, received a notice and hurried to wash his feet and go to the fields to attend the National Symposium of Model Workers in Beijing. On the morning of April 28th, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, smiled as he walked into the venue and approached Academician Yuan Longping who was standing in the middle of the front row. He held Yuan Lao's hand up and down with both hands, which was not an ordinary handshake but one with both hands warmly covering the hand of an agricultural scientist. During the discussion, Xi Jinping recalled the scene when he first met Yuan Lao. "I went to your place in 1998, and we met at that time. “. "I was the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee in Fujian at that time, in charge of agriculture, and I was very concerned about the seed industry. Hybrid rice breeding is a very great cause, and we should continue to do a good job.

这次座谈会的主题是总书记与劳模代表“共话中国梦”,袁隆平就是带着梦想而来,他拿出两张超级稻的照片递给总书记,说:“我有两个梦,ー个是’禾下乘凉梦’,一个是杂交水稻覆盖全球梦,这就是我的中国梦。”

The theme of this symposium is "Talking about the Chinese Dream" between the General Secretary and the model worker representatives. Yuan Longping came with a dream. He took out two photos of super hybrid rice and handed them to the General Secretary, saying:"I have two dreams. One is the dream of enjoying the coolness under the shade of the grain, and the other is the dream of hybrid rice covering the world. This is my Chinese dream."

袁隆平的第一个梦,是一个早已被广泛传播的梦,也是所有采访过他的人都不愿割舍的ー个梦想,但各有各的讲法,有人说是他儿时的梦想,有人说是他在杂交水稻刚刚研究成功时的梦想,还有人说是ー个老人的梦想。而我亲耳听袁隆平先生说过:“我在年轻时做过ー个好梦,我梦见我们种的水稻,长得跟高粱ー样高,穗子像扫把那么长,颗粒像花生米那么大,我和几个朋友就坐在稻穗下面乘凉……” 但他又说,这是他两次做过的同一个梦,年轻时做过,年老时也做过。ー个有梦想的人,也许从未老过。每次讲起这个梦,他那双闪烁发亮的眼睛里,竟然闪现着孩童般奇异的梦幻色彩。袁隆平的第二个梦,他其实并未梦见过,他说:“前ー个是我真实做过的梦,后一个是我多年来的梦想,实现这两个梦是我终生的追求。”

His first dream is a dream that has been widely spread for a long time, and it is also a dream that no one who has interviewed him is willing to let go of. However, each person has their own version of saying it. Some people say it was his childhood dream, some say it was his dream when hybrid rice was just successfully researched, and others say it was an old man's dream. And I personally heard Mr. Yuan Longping say: "I had a good dream when I was young. I dreamed that the rice we planted was as tall as sorghum, the ears were as long as brooms, and the grains were as big as peanuts. Some friends and I sat under the ears of rice to enjoy the coolness..." But he added that this was the same dream he had twice, when he was young and when he was old. A man with dreams may never get old. Every time he talks about this dream, his twinkling eyes sparkle with a childlike and whimsical dreamlike color. As for his second dream, he has never actually dreamt of. He said: "The former one is a dream I really had, and the latter one is what I have dreamed for many years. It is my lifelong pursuit to realize these two dreams."

在这次座谈会上,袁隆平从他的两个梦开始,很自然就谈到了第四期超级稻攻关目标,对此他充满了底气和信心,“根据目前的研究进展,我们有信心在三年内达标” 〇而这并非他的终极目标;科技进步永无止境,在我有生之年,亩产1000公斤我也不满足,我还要向选育第五期、第六期超级杂交稻进军,直到实现我的’禾下乘凉梦’”。为了实现第二个梦想,他还向总书记建议制订更加开放的政策,允许两系法杂交水稻走出国门,扶持龙头种业企业,把长沙打造成杂交水稻的“国际种都”,早日让杂交水稻覆盖全球,那将是人类的福音。

At this symposium, Yuan Longping started from his two dreams and naturally talked about the goal of the fourth super hybrid rice research. He was full of confidence, saying that “Based on the current research progress, we are confident to reach the standard within three years." And this is not his ultimate goal. "There is no end to scientific and technological progress. In my lifetime, I’m not satisfied with a yield of 1,000 kilograms per mu either. I will continue to work towards breeding the fifth and sixth generations of super hybrid rice until I realize my dream of enjoying the cool under the shade of the grain. In order to realize his second dream, he also suggested to the General Secretary to develop a more open policy, allowing two-line hybrid rice to go abroad and supporting leading seed enterprises to make Changsha an "international seed capital" of hybrid rice, and to make hybrid rice cover the whole world at an early date, which will be the blessing for mankind.

习近平侧耳倾听着一个农业科学家的心声,他用充满期待的目光看着袁老说:“感谢您做出的贡献,希望您再接再厉,再攀高峰!”

Xi Jinping listened to the voice of this agricultural scientist. He looked at Yuan Lao with expectant eyes and said: "Thank you for your contribution. I hope you will make persistent efforts and climb to higher peaks!"

这次座谈会,无论是总书记,还是来自各行各业、各个不同时期的全国劳模们, 说是“共话中国梦”,但ー个个都讲得非常实在。实现中国梦靠什么?靠实干,靠辛勤劳动、诚实劳动、创造性劳动,一切都可归结于总书记的一句话,“幸福不会从天而降,梦想不会自动成真”。

This symposium, whether it was the General Secretary or the national labor model representatives from various industries and different periods, was said to be "talking about the Chinese dream," but everything they said was all about reality. What does the realization of the Chinese dream depend on? It depends on practical work, diligent work, honest work and creative work. All that can be attributed to the words of the General Secretary, "Happiness does not fall from the sky, and dreams never come true automatically".

刚散会,袁隆平又匆匆赶回了他的试验田。他已经在总书记面前做出了承诺, 他也深知自己将要攻克的是世界水稻史上迄今无人登临的高峰,天时、地利、人和, 缺ー不可。而超级稻要达到更高的产量,必须有更高、更壮实的稻禾才能承载,为此,他在攻关协作研讨会上提出了培育新型高秆超级杂交稻的技术路线,同时还要把以往的攻关中取得良好效果的“良种、良法、良田、良态”等四良配套结合起来攻关。按照他设计的技术路线,随后在全国主要稻作区布置了 20多个示范片。

Just after the meeting, Yuan Longping hurried back to his experimental field. He had made a promise in front of the General Secretary, and he also knew that what he was going to conquer is the peak that no one had climbed so far in the history of rice in the world, and the weather, locations and people are indispensable. In order to achieve higher yield of super hybrid rice, it is necessary to have a rice variety with higher and stronger culm to carry heavy grains. Therefore, he put forward the technical route of cultivating new high-culm super hybrid rice at the cooperative research seminar, and at the same time, he proposed to combine the four good supporting facilities such as "improved varieties, good methods, fertile farmland and healthy environment” that had achieved good results in previous research to achieve the goal. Following the technical route he designed, more than 20 demonstration plots were subsequently set up in major rice growing areas across the country.

那个在第三期超级稻攻关中创造了世界水稻史上大面积亩产的最高纪录的羊古坳,这次又被选为第四期超级稻高产示范点。这次选用的种子是“ Y两优900 ”，该品种是通过进ー步塑造动态理想株型、扩大利用釉粳亚种间杂种优势而育成的超级稻新组合。在攻关的第一年,经农业部组织的专家组现场测产验收,平均亩产再创历史记录（988.1公斤）,但还没有达到第四期亩产!000公斤的产量指标。从结果看,只能说是“失败”了,但袁隆平总能从貌似失败的结果中看到成功的希望, “Y两优900”在首次攻关中就能达到这样高的产量,证明超级杂交稻第四期攻关技术路线的可行性。

Yanggu'ao, which created the highest record in the history of the world’s rice production in the third super rice research, was selected as the fourth super rice high-yield demonstration site this time. The selected seed variety was ”Y Liangyou 900”. This variety was a new combination bred through further shaping of the dynamic ideal plant type and expanding the advantages of inter-subspecific hybridization between indica and japonica subspecies. In the first year of the research, the average yield per mu reached a new historical record (988.1kg) after on-site yield measurement and acceptance by an expert group organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, but it has not yet reached the yield target of 1000 kg per mu in the fourth phase. From the results, it could only be said to be "failure", but Yuan Longping can always see the hope of success from the seemingly failed results. The fact that "Y Laingyou 900" can achieve such a high yield in the first challenge proves the feasibility of the technical route of the fourth phase of the super hybrid rice research.

2014年,袁隆平再次选择“ Y两优900”作为攻关品种,在地处大湘西的淑浦县选取示范片。淑浦属怀化市,也就是原黔阳地区,袁隆平在黔阳安江度过了近20 年岁月,这一方水土早已成为他的第二故乡。追溯“淑浦”一名,最早见于屈子的诗篇《涉江》,而这ー古老的县域也被称为“楚辞的源头”,是湖湘文化的ー个精神源头。袁隆平从20多岁时进入大湘西,在此工作生活了 30多年,深受屈子忧国忧民、上下求索精神的影响,也深深感受到了科学探索“路漫漫其修远兮”。在安江农校任教时,他就在淑浦搞过制种试验,对这里的地理、气候了如指掌。从第二期超级稻攻关开始,他就在淑浦县设立了兴隆、红星、黑岩三个超级稻百亩攻关片,在接连突破第二期、第三期攻关目标后,他又寄希望于第四期超级稻攻关目标在淑浦率先实现。

In 2004, Yuan Longping once again chose “Y Laingyou 900” as a breeding variety and selected demonstration plots in Xupu County, which is located in western Hunan. Xupu belongs to Huaihua City, which is the original Qianyang area. Yuan Longping spent nearly 20 years in Anjiang, Qianyang, which has already become his second hometown. The name "Xupu" was first found in Qu Yuan's poem "Crossing the River”, and this ancient county is also called "the source of Chu Ci (the Songs of Chu)", which is also a spiritual source of Huxiang culture. Yuan Longping had been working and living in Xupu for more than 30 years since he was in his 20s. He was deeply influenced by Qu Zi's spirit of worrying about the country and the people and seeking ways from top to bottom, and he also deeply felt that scientific exploration also had “a long way to go". When he was teaching at Anjiang Agricultural School, he conducted seed production experiments in Xupu and knew the geography and climate here well. Since the second phase of super rice research, he has set up three 100-mu super rice research plots of Xinglong, Hongxing and Heiyan in Xupu County. After breaking through the second and third phase challenge targets in succession, he once again hoped to achieve the fourth phase goal in Xupu.

转眼,又一个秋天来临,袁隆平在立秋后不久就从千里之外的长沙赶到了淑浦。

In a blink of an eye, another autumn came. Yuan Longping arrived at Xupu from Changsha, thousands of miles away, shortly after beginning of autumn.

古人造字多与农时有关,ー个“秋”字由“禾”与“火”字组成,秋阳似火,稻禾渐渐散发出成熟的味道,这个季节,对于ー季稻子的收成,无论是气候还是田间管理来说都到了节骨眼上。对于天气哪怕到了今天你也只能听天由命,种田就是这样,老天爷当了一半家,但田间管理则事在人为。这次袁老是抱病而来,上路时,家人和身边的工作人员都劝他等病好了再去,但农时耽误不得,他怎么也放心不下, 一定要去现场看了他オ放心。

Most of the ancient Chinese characters are related to the farming season. The character "autumn" is composed of the characters “grain" and "fire". In autumn, the sun is like fire, and the rice grain gradually exudes a mature smell. This season is a critical time for the harvest of rice, both in climate and field management. As for the weather in the season, even today, one can only leave it to fate. Farming is like this, with half controled by Heaven in weather and the remaining held by Man’s field management. But this time Yuan Lao came ill. When he set off, his family and the staff around him advised him to wait until until he recovered before going, but farming could not be delayed. And he could not rest assured, so he had to go to the scene to see it.

淑浦共布下了四个百亩示范片,分布在横板桥乡、水东镇等山区乡镇。ー个 80多岁的老人走过的路,我后来也走过,湘西的贫困一望触目,进村的路还是坑坑洼洼的砂石路,车轮卷起一阵阵砂石,打得车窗沙沙作响。但这条路再难行,也阻挡不住这个老人倔强的脚步。这已是他第三次来淑浦现场指导了。淑浦县农业局长张克松和技术组长舒友林陪着他ー连转了好几个地方,还有一块示范田路途较远,路况又差,他们担心老人受累了 ,实在不忍心带他去看了。但袁老说什么也不肯放弃,这么多年来,越到最后一段路他越是锲而不舍。这是ー个科学家认定了的真理,如果你已经费了95%的功夫,为什么要放弃那最后的5%呢?而一件事的成败往往就取决于最后一刻,ー个不经意的小细节很可能就会改变人生和命运,甚至可以改变历史。

There were four 100-mu demonstration plots in Xupu, which were distributed in Hengbanqiao Township, Shuidong Town and other mountainous towns. The road that an elderly man in his 80s walked, was also under my feet later. The road into the village was still a bumpy gravel road, with wheels rolling up a burst of grit, rustling the windows. The poverty in Xiangxi was obvious. But no matter how difficult the road is, it can not stop the old man's stubborn steps. It was his third visit to Xupu for on-site guidance. Zhang Kesong, director of the Xupu County Agriculture Bureau, and technical leader Shu Youlin, accompanied him to several places in a row. There was also a demonstration field to go, but considering the long way to it and poor road conditions, they worried that the old man would be tired, so they could not bear to take him there. But Yuan Lao refused to give up. Over the years, the closer he came to the final stretch of the road, the more persistent he became. This is a truth recognized by the scientist: if 95% effort has been spared, why should the last 5% be given up? The success or failure of an event often depends on the last moment. A careless detail is likely to change one’s life and fate, and even change history.

车又开始在山道上颠簸前行,天空如黑压压的锅ー样扣下来,乌云几乎把整个天空都吞下了。到了那块示范片,袁隆平一下车就闻到了雨水的气味,也闻到了稻穗扬花灌浆的甜丝丝的气味。他踩着田壇钻进稻丛,那茁壮的稻禾比他的胸脯还高,ー低头就看不见人了,只有他知道自己在哪儿。他弓着身子,拨开一株株稻禾, 像ー个老中医ー样望闻问切,看这稻子有什么病症,该补充什么营养。还好,这里的田间管理很到位,稻子长势很好。他又数着稻禾上的谷粒,在心里默算着一株稻子该有多少收成,ー亩田又该有多少收成。他一遍遍地数着、抚摸着,风飒飒地吹着稻禾,像风声,又像雨声。其实,当袁隆平钻进稻丛里时,细雨就开始飘落了 ,袁隆平全神贯注地察看着稻禾,竟然没有发现下雨了。等他从田壇上走出来,脚下的泥土已变成了泥浆,半截身子都已湿透。张克松和舒友林生怕他老人家着凉了,一个劲地催着他上车。临行前,他又千叮咛万嘱托,后期田间管理很重要,还有天气, 这天气谁也没法改变,但要根据气候来搞好田间管理。ーー交代过了,他オ若有所思地说:“这个品种好,眼下这稻禾的长势也很好,只要后段天气正常,田间管理到位,亩产有望突破1000公斤!”

The car began to bump along the mountain road again. The sky was like a black pot pressing down, and the dark clouds almost swallowed the whole sky. When he arrived at the demonstration field, Yuan Longping smelled the rain and the sweet smell from rice while pollen spreading and grain filling. He stepped on the ridge and got into the rice paddies. The tall rice plants were higher than his chest. When he looked down, he could not see anyone, and only he knew where he was. He bowed his body, pushed aside the rice plants, and looked, sniffed and asked like an old Chinese medicine doctor to see if there were any diseases of the rice and what nutrients needed to be replenished. Fortunately, fields were well managed and the rice was growing well here. He then counted the panicles on the rice plants, and silently calculated how much yield a rice plant should have and how much yield one mu of farmland should have. He counted and touched over and over again, and the wind blowing through the rice plants, sounding like the rusling wind or rain. In fact, it began to drizzle when Yuan Longping entered the rice paddies, but he was so focused on examining the rice plants that he did not notice the rain. When he walked out of the plants, the dust on his feet had turned into mud, and half of his body was soaked. Zhang Kesong and Shu Youlin kept urging him to get on the bus for fear that he would catch cold. Before leaving, he drilled into them the importance of field management and weather in the later growing period and said that though the weather could not be changed, the field management should be done well according to the climate. After all the instructions, he said thoughtfully: "This variety is good and the rice plants here are growing well. As long as the weather is normal in the later stage and the field management is in place, the yield per mu is expected to exceed 1,000 kg!"

此时雨越下越大了,张克松和舒友林看着一个在风雨中迟迟不肯离去的老人、ー张被雨水淋湿的脸,两人都感觉被ー种难以言说的感动渗透了。

The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Zhang Kesong and Shu Youlin were deeply touched by the sight of the old man’s slow steps to leave and his face wet by the rain.

袁隆平走后,雨还在下,一直下,秋风秋雨愁煞人,谁也不知道,这阴雨连绵的日子还将持续多久。这稻田里的守望者几乎每天盯着日历和天气。在超级稻攻关中,除了袁隆平这个首席专家,还有许多人长年累月坚守在第一线,舒友林就是其中之一,他是县农技推广中心高级农艺师、县农业局超级稻攻关办主任。说起来, 他是安江农校毕业的,也算是袁隆平的学生。无论天晴还是下雨,他每天都蹲在稻田里,每隔不久就要给袁老师打电话,从稻子的长势如何到抽查稻穗颗粒有多少, 还有天气,他都要一五一十告诉袁隆平。袁隆平连ー个细节都不会放过,一旦发现了什么问题就会进行技术指导。他最担心的还是天气,这样久雨不晴,日照不足, 土壤温度低,空气湿度大,如果不及时排出积水或发生大水串灌,极容易发生稻瘟病,而这种可怕的病症在整个水稻生长期都有可能发生。

After Yuan Longping left, it was still raining, all the time. And it worried people. No one knew how long the rainy days would last. The watchers of this rice field kept an eye on the calendar and the weather almost every day. In the super hybrid rice research, besides Yuan Longping, the chief expert, there are many people who have been sticking to the front line for many years. Shu Youlin is one of them. He is a senior agronomist of the county agricultural technology extension center and director of the super hybrid rice research office of the county agricultural bureau. He graduated from Anjiang Agricultural School and can also be considered one of Yuan Longping’s students. Whether it was sunny or rainy, he squatted in the rice field every day. And he would also call Yuan Longping every now and then to report on the growth of the rice, the number of grains in each ear inspected, and the weather. Yuan Longping never missed a single detail, and would provide technical guidance once he found any problems. What Yuan worried most was the weather. During such a long period of rain, there would be insufficient sunshine, low soil temperature and high air humidity. If accumulated water was not discharged in time or a flood occured, the plants would be prone to rice blast, which would last during the whole growing period.

幸好,到了 9月下旬,老天开眼了,淑浦终于从淫雨霏霏的日子里走出来,对稻田里的守望者,那感觉真如重见天日一般,又加之田间管理和对稻瘟病的防治到位,袁隆平最担心的灾害没有发生。此时,离收割季节越来越近了 ,能否达标,就看最后十来天了。其实,关心超级稻命运的还不只是袁隆平这个首席专家,还有当时的湖南省农委。到了 9月底,湖南省农委便组织七位专家,按照国家农业测产标准来淑浦测算了三块田,毛谷亩产最高达到了 !300公斤,但除水去杂后,离1000公斤大关还差1〇多公斤。这个结果让大伙儿心里打起了鼓,有人估计这一次又过不了关。袁隆平也有这个心理准备,但他根据测算数据和稻子的长势仔细分析了一番,眼下离农业部测产还有十天,稻子还处于生长期,他估计,每亩每天还可以增加五六斤,十来天还能增产30公斤左右。当然,这只是他的预测,而天有不测风云, 人算不如天算。

Fortunately, in late September, the weather cleared up and the rainy days finally ended in Xupu. For the watchers in the rice field, it felt like seeing the light again after a long wait in the dark. In addition, by focusing on field management and preventing from rice blast, the worst-case scenario that Yuan Longping worried about never occurred. The harvest season was approaching day by da, and whether there would be a success or failure of the super hybrid rice breeding depended on the growth in the last ten days. In fact, Yuan Longping, the chief expert, was not the only one who cared about the fate of super rice, the Hunan Agricultural Committee at that time was also concerned. At the end of September, the Hunan Agriculture Committee organized seven experts to measure the three fields in Xupu according to the national standards for agricultural yield measurement. The highest yield of gross grains per mu reached 1,300 kg, but after removing water and impurities, the it was still ten kilograms short of the 1,000-kilogram benchmark. This result made everyone nervous, and some people estimated that it would fail again this time. Yuan Longping was also mentally prepared for the potential result. But after a careful analysis based on the data and the growth of rice, he estimated that since the plants were growing, there could be an addtional yield of five to six jin per mu every day befor the yield measurement of the Ministry of Agriculture, which means an addtional yield of 30 kilograms per mu could be increased in the coming ten days. Of course, this was only his prediction, and anything unexpected may happen any time.

2014年10月10日,中国超级稻迎来了第四次大考。这次的验收组组长又是隆回县羊古坳乡第三期超级稻验收组组长程式华。此前,来自全国各地的验收专家已先期抵达淑浦,还有上百名扛着长枪短炮的记者早已闻风而至。中国超级稻育种计划自!996年启动以来,历经!8年攻关,一直备受国内外水稻领域关注,而这次能否攻克1000公斤大关,“杂交水稻之父”袁隆平又能否再创ー个“超级神话”,也就成了举世瞩目的焦点。但袁隆平这个焦点人物却差一点就来不了现场, 就在验收的两天前,张克松接到袁隆平秘书的电话:“袁老师身体不好,不能过来了。”

On October 10, 2014, China's super hybrid rice faced its fourth major assessment. The head of the evaluation team was Cheng Shihua again, the leader of the third phase of super hybrid rice assessment team in Yanggu'ao Township, Longhui County. Previously, assessment experts from all over the country had arrived in Xupu in advance, and hundreds of reporters armed with various cameras had arrived. Since its launch in 1996, China’s Super Hybrid Rice Breeding Program had been attracting attention in the field of rice both at home and abroad during 18 years of research. Whether the 1000 kg mark could be overcome this time, and whether Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice", could create another "super myth", became the focus of the world's attention. However, Yuan Longping, the focus figure, almost could not come to the scene. Just two days before the acceptance, Zhang Kesong received a phone call from Yuan Longping's secretary, saying that “Mr. Yuan is not well and can not come this time."

张克松放下电话,长长地叹了一口气,ー脸失落地告诉舒友林:“唉,袁老师不来了。”

Zhang Kesong put down the phone, sighed deeply and looked disappointed as he told Shu Youlin: "Alas, Mr. Yuan will not be coming."

对农业部这次测产验收,张克松心里一直没有底,ー听袁老师来不了,更一下没了主心骨。没想到,第二天中午袁隆平的秘书又打来了电话:“袁老师决定亲自过来。”这让张克松又长长地舒了一口气,仿佛袁老师ー来,这个1000公斤的重负就能卸下了。这其实是他的心理感觉,作为首席专家的袁隆平也改变不了那个最终结果,农业部的测产验收比高考还要严格,现场测产时,所有参与攻关的人员,哪怕沾了一点边的都不得参与其中,只能作为旁观者。这个,张克松自然知道,但袁老师一来,他莫名地就平添了一股底气,还有几分豪气。

Zhang Kesong was uncertain about the yield assessment by the Ministry of Agriculture. When he heard that Mr. Yuan could not come, he felt like he lost his support. Unexpectedly, Yuan Longping's secretary called again at noon the next day, sayting that “Mr. Yuan has decided to come in person.” Zhang breathed a long sigh of relief again, as if the burden of achieving the 1,000-kilogram yied could be lifted with the arrival of Mr. Yuan. This was actually his psychological feeling. Yuan Longping, as the chief expert, could not change the final result. The evaluation by the Ministry of Agriculture was stricter than the college entrance examination. During the on-site production measurement, all the personnel involved in the research, even if they were tangentially related, were not allowed to participate in the fieldwork, but could only be bystanders. This was what Zhang Kesong naturally knew, but when Mr. Yuan came, he inexplicably gained confidence and some lofty spirit.

那是个秋高气爽的艳阳天,没有什么比阳光更懂得稻子,金黄的阳光映照着金黄的稻田,这其实是ー种互相映衬,天地间都透射出金黄灿亮的光泽。在稻田边上,ー块牌子高竖着,老远就能看见那牌子上被阳光照亮的大字:“超级杂交稻第四期亩产千公斤高产攻关示范基地;面积:1〇2.6亩;首席专家:袁隆平。”它的存在, 仿佛时空中的一个坐标,从春到秋一直竖立在这儿。此时又以此为中心,里三层外三层地围满了人,但见人头攒动,却不见稻浪翻滚,那水稻宛如垂下来的瀑布ー样, 连风也吹不动,这让很多记者在结果出来之前就发出了惊呼:“天啊,这就是传说中的瀑布稻啊!”

It was a sunny day in autumn, and nothing knew rice better than sunshine. The golden sun illuminated the golden rice fields, creating a mutual reflection that shone with a golden luster. On the edge of the rice field, a sign stands high, displaying the big characters illuminated by sunlight from a distance: "Super hybrid rice fourth phase 1000 kg per mu high yield demonstration base; Area:102.6 mu; Chief expert: Yuan Longping.” The sign was like a coordinate in space and time that stood there from spring to autumn. At this moment, it was surrounded by crowds of people. While people were moving through the rice paddies, however, there were no rice waves rolling. The rice was like a waterfall that could not even be swayed by the wind, which made many reporters exclaim before the results came out:"Oh my God, this is the legendary waterfall rice!"

在袁隆平赶来之前,现场测产验收就已经开始,刚打下来的湿谷子太重了,连磅秤都被压得颤颤巍巍,但这还只是毛谷,而按严格的现场测产程序,那可真是容不得一滴水分、一粒沙子,还必须晒干水分,用风车去杂后,才能称重验收。每个人都在等待那个最终的结果。而在正式结果公布之前,时间变得特别漫长,就像ー个漫长的悬念,让人心情特别紧张,还有些莫名其妙的复杂。就在这时,ー个熟悉的身影终于出现了,见过的,没见过的,都认得他是谁。袁隆平还没走到田边,就被呼啦ー下拥上来的老乡和记者们前呼后拥地包围了。

Before Yuan Longping arrived, the on-site production measurement and acceptance had already started. The newly harvested wet grain was so heavy that even the weighing scales were crushed to tremble. But it was only a rough yield and according to the strict on-site production measurement procedures, not even a drop of water or a grain of sand was allowed. So, the grain must be dried and then cleaned by a windmill before being weighed for assessment. Everyone was waiting for the final result. However, the time before the official result was announced seemed to be extremely long, just like a long suspense, which made people nervous with mixed feelings. At this moment, a familiar figure finally appeared and everyone knew who he was, whether they had seen him before or not. Yuan Longping was surrounded by villagers and journalists before he could approach the field.

袁隆平ー边亲热地跟他们招呼、握手,ー边问张克松:“收割完了吗?”

While greeting and shaking hands with people, he asked Zhang Kesong, "Is the harvest finished?"

张克松凑近他说:“两个点已经收割完了,还有一个点正在收割呢。”

Zhang Kesong approached him and said:” Two locations have been harvested, and the last one is being harvested."

他压低声音把两个点的毛谷数量报给了袁隆平,又紧张地看着袁隆平的反应。

He lowered his voice to report the double-digit number of gross grains to Yuan Longping, and nervously watched Yuan's reaction.

袁隆平淡定地笑了笑说:“过千公斤应该没问题。”

Yuan smiled calmly and said:"There should be no problem surpassing 1,000 kilograms."

张克松听了,那紧绷的神经又稍稍放松了。

Zhang Kesong felt his nerves relax slightly after hearing this.

那三块抽签选定的测产田,用了一个上午オ收割完。这顿午饭,袁隆平和大伙儿就是在田边上吃的,每人手里都捧着一个乡下人吃饭的粗瓷大碗,没什么菜,那米饭则是用这次攻关的“ Y两优900”超级稻做的饭。ー个“杂交水稻之父”追求的不仅仅是高产,还有稻米纯正的品质、香味和口感。在产量揭晓之前,那香喷喷的大米饭,每个人都美美地吃了一大碗,ー边吃还ー边竖起大拇指,用湖南话说:“好呷,真好呷!”这里还有一个小插曲,ー个老农吃光了一碗,拍拍屁股上的泥巴,又去添了一大碗,都堆得冒尖了。袁隆平ー看乐了,上前问这个老农:“这个种子好不好?”没想到老农竟然摇了摇头。这就怪了,难道这大米饭不好吃?吃着不香?很多人都惊奇地看着那个老农,老农却不紧不慢地开腔了:“好是好,就是划不来啊。”袁隆平一听,更觉奇怪了,这个种子还没在大田里推广呢,还只是免费给他们试种的,是不是有人乱收费,收了他们的种子钱呢?袁隆平对农民的利益格外关心,如果有人这样坑农伤农,那可要追查。那老农连连摇头,没有人收他们的种子钱,但他却老老实实地说:“这米饭实在太好呷了,ー碗不够啊,吃了还想吃呢!这么下去,ー餐就要多呷两碗饭,这可划不来啊!”袁隆平和大伙儿ー听,都乐了。

It took one morning to harvest all the three fields that were selected randomly. Everyone had the lunch by the field, holding big coarse china bowls commonly used by rural people. There were not many dishes, and the rice was made with the "Y Liangyou 900" super hybrid rice that they worked on this time. As the "father of hybrid rice”, Yuan pursues not only high yield, but also the quality, fragrance and taste of rice. Before the yield was announced, everyone ate a big bowl of delicious rice, giving a thumbs-up and saying in Hunan dialect: “Good! It’s so delicious!” There was also an episode. An old farmer ate up a bowl, wiped off the mud on his backside, and added a big bowl, which was piled up. Yuan was so glad to see it that he came forward and asked the old farmer:"Is this rice varity good?” To everyone’s surprise, the old farmer shook his head. That was strange. Was not this rice delicious? Did not it taste good? Many people looked at the old farmer in surprise, and he calmly explained: “It is good, but it is not a good deal.” Hearing this, Yuan Longping was even more puzzled because the seeds had not been promoted in a large field, and were only given for free to them for trial planting. So was there someone who charged them for the seeds? Yuan Longping was particularly concerned about the interests of farmers, so if someone cheated farmers and charged them for the seeds, he would investigate it. The old farmer shook his head repeatedly and said that no one had charged them for the seeds, but he said honestly: "This rice is so delicious and one bowl of it is not enough. I still want more! But if I go on like this, I will need two more bowls of it at a meal, and this costs a lot!” Yuan Longping and everyone laughed when they heard it.

到了下午3点光景,最后一刻终于来临。所有人一下静了下来,中国水稻研究所所长、农业部验收组组长程式华几乎是一字ー顿地宣布:“这次百亩片平均亩产 1026.7公斤!”那寂静的现场又持续了几秒钟的寂静,仿佛被ー个结果震住了,又突然被一种蓄积已久的力量猛地ー掀,顷刻间爆发出暴风雨般的惊呼声。那的确是ー个足以让世界震惊的结果,就算把后边那个零头忽略不计,亩产达到1000公斤,也刷新了世界水稻史上大面积亩产的最高纪录,这是“杂交水稻之父”的又一个巅峰之作。这是ー个世界级的新闻,ー个小时后,农业部就在北京召开新闻发布会,向世界宣布了这ー消息:中国超级杂交稻第四期亩产千公斤攻关取得成功,这个原定于2020年实现的目标,提前6年实现了 !

At around 3 pm, the final moment arrived. Everyone fell silent, and Cheng Shihua, director of China Rice Research Institute and head of the acceptance team of the Ministry of Agriculture, almost announced word by word: "The average yield per mu of the 100-mu demonstration plots is 1,026.7 kilograms!” The quiet scene lasted for a few seconds. Everyone was seemingly shocked by the result. And suddenly the silence was broken by a force that had accumulated for a long time, and burst into a storm-like scream. That was indeed a surprising enough result that should shock the world. Even if the mantissa was ignored, the yield per mu would reach 1,000 kilograms, which also set a new record for the highest yield per mu in the history of world rice farming. And this was another peak achievement of the "Father of Hybrid Rice". This is world-class news. An hour later, the Ministry of Agriculture held a press conference in Beijing to announce the news to the world: the thousand-kilogram-per-mu goal of the fourth phase of super hybrid rice in China had been achieved six years ahead of schedule (2020).

对这ー结果,农业部做出了这样的评价,这“表明中国人有能力有信心依靠自己的力量解决国家粮食安全问题,也将对维护全球粮食安全产生重要而深远的影响”。

The Ministry of Agriculture commented on the result that “This proves that Chinese people have the ability and confidence to solve the national food security problem by themselves, and will also have an important and far-reaching impact on maintaining global food security".

与此同时,国家科技部做出了这样的评价,这“标志着中国杂交水稻研究再次登上世界之巅,将载入世界农业科技史册,不仅是中国人的骄傲,更是一个世界奇迹”。

At the same time, the Ministry of Science and Technology made an evaluation as follows: “This marks another peak of China's hybrid rice research, which will be recorded in the history of the world's agricultural science and technology. This is not only the pride of Chinese people, but also a miracle of the world".

对这个世界奇迹,一向镇定自若、成败不惊的袁隆平也难掩激动之情,他感觉自己向“禾下乘凉梦”又迈出了艰难而坚实的ー步。回首中国杂交水稻一路走来的历程,从三系法、两系法到超级稻,从超级稻的第一期到第四期目标,从最初的亩产500多公斤,到现在示范片平均亩产突破1000公斤大关,作为首席专家和总设计师的袁隆平,每取得一项科技上的突破,从未归功于自己名下,他首先想到的是国家的支持和团队的力量,并从政策和科技这两大支撑予以诠释:“一方面是杂交水稻一直在国家的强大支撑下不断长大,一方面是参与杂交水稻攻关的科研团队非常优秀,非常有战斗カ,敢于勇攀高峰!”

Despite his usual calm and collected demeanor, Yuan Longping could hardly contain his excitement for this miracle. He felt that he had taken another difficult but solid step towards “the dream of enjoying the cool under the shade of grain". Looking back on the history of China’s hybrid rice, from three-line method, two-line method to super hybrid rice, from the first to the fourth phase of goals of super rice, from the initial yield of over 500 kg per mu to the current average yield of over 1,000 kg per mu in demonstration plots, Yuan Longping, as the chief expert and chief designer, has never given credit to himself for each technological breakthrough, but rather first thought of the support of the country and the strength of the team, and explained the two major supports from policy and technology: “For one thing, hybrid rice has been growing under the strong support of the country; For another, the scientific research team involved in tackling key problems of hybrid rice is excellent and effective, and dare to climb the peak bravely!"

一直以来,他最不愿提到的就是自己,这是ー个科学家虚怀若谷的谦逊,其实也是他真诚的坦言:“一粒种子再神奇也不可能改变世界,只有两方面都到位了,中国杂交稻水平才能远远领先全世界,中国人オ有能力牢牢将饭碗端在自己手里。很多人都把功劳算到我头上,这是不对的,我充其量只是起到了部分带头的作用。”

All along, the last thing he wants to mention is himself, which is a humble trait of a scientist and shows his sincere frankness: "No matter how magical a seed is, it can not change the world. It is only when both two supports are in place that China's hybrid rice level can lead the world far ahead, and that Chinese people can have the ability to firmly hold their rice bowls in their own hands. Many people are creding the achievements to me, which is not reasonable. At best, I only played a partial leading role."

当然,他不会忘怀自己和习近平总书记“共话中国梦”时做出的承诺:“现在我可以向总书记和全国人民报喜了,下ー步,我要向每公顷十六吨目标攻关!”

Of course, he would not forget the promise he made when he and General Secretary Xi Jinping were ”talking about the Chinese dream together, saying: "Now I can report good news to the General Secretary and people of the whole country. Next, I will continue my research of 16 tons per hectare!"

多事之秋

The Eventful Autumn

接下来的一切,还得从2014年的那个秋天说起,那个反差太强烈,ー边是袁隆平担任首席专家的中国超级杂交稻第四期攻关,亩产突破1000公斤大关,登上了世界水稻史上“迄今尚无人登临的ー个高峰”;ー边是“安徽万亩袁隆平超级稻减产绝收,被下‘逐客令’”。那触目惊心的大标题,将矛头直指袁隆平一“杂交稻, 隆平造”。这两大新闻事件几乎是在同一时间发生的,在阳光与阴霾的大逆转中, ー场阴霾密布的灾难转眼间就把ー个金色的秋天推向了一个多事之秋。一位令人崇敬的“杂交水稻之父”,转眼间变成了一个千夫所指的罪魁祸首,而一粒拯救了亿万苍生的神奇种子转眼间变成了灾难的祸根,甚至是ー股汹涌而来的祸水。那些遭此劫难、深受其害的可怜老百姓,发誓要将“杂交稻,隆平造”逐出他们的稻田

Everything that follows has to start from the autumn of 2014. The contrast was too strong: on the one hand, Yuan Longping served as the chief expert for the fourth phase of China's super hybrid rice research, achieving a new yield record of over 1,000 kg per mu, "a peak that has never been reached in the history of rice worldwide"; on the other hand, "Anhui 10,000 mu of Yuan Longping super rice was reduced in yield and failed to harvest, facing 'eviction'." The shocking headline pointed directly at Yuan Longping - "Hybrid rice, made by Longping." These two events happened almost at the same time. In the reversal of sunshine and haze, a disaster surrounded by gloom pushed a golden autumn into a tumultuous season in a twinkling of an eye. A revered "father of hybrid rice" has suddenly become a culprit accused by thousands of people. The magical seed that saved millions of lives, in an instant, became the root of disaster, even a surging disaster. Those poor people who suffered from this disaster vowed to drive "hybrid rice, made by Longping" out of their rice fields.

若从新闻的时效性看,那篇极具轰动性和杀伤カ的新闻报道,却也并非在第一时间曝光的爆炸性新闻,其实是ー个迟到的新闻。事发于2014年10月,而报道的时间已是2015年4月9日,时隔半年,ー个新闻早已变成了旧闻,但那“几乎同一时期”发生的两个事件,一正一负,像特写镜头ー样被嫁接在ー起后,哪怕时过境迁,那强烈的反差依然极具轰动效应。从新闻效应看,“好事不出门,坏事传千里”,越是负面新闻越是能迎合人们的逆反心理。而在这样ー个网络媒体高度发达、信息爆炸的时代,像袁隆平这样ー个长期以来为人敬仰又家喻户晓的正面人物形象,连同他所开创的杂交稻和超级稻,几乎从来没有遭遇过如此具有杀伤カ的负面新闻,一旦舆论反转,那突如其来的负能量几乎如掀天翻地的风暴一般,几分钟内就有数百万人被席卷,从门户网站到自媒体,从网络传播到无数人奔走相告,形成如螺旋般扩散和放大的“风暴效应”,这一切几乎可以在瞬间完成。

From the perspective of news timeliness, that sensational and damaging news report was not a breaking news exposed immediately. The incident happened in October 2014, and the report was published on April 9, 2015. After half a year, news had already turned into old news. However, the two events that happened "almost at the same time," one positive and one negative, were grafted together like a close-up shot. Even if time has passed, the strong contrast still had a sensational impact. From the perspective of news effect, "good news does not travel far, while bad news spreads fast." Negative news is more likely to cater to people's rebellious psychology. In this era of highly-developed internet media and information explosion, figures like Yuan Longping, who have been respected for a long time and are well-known positive role models, along with the hybrid rice and super rice he created, have never encountered such damaging negative news. Once public opinion changes, the sudden negative energy is like a storm that can sweep up millions of people within minutes, from portal websites to self-media, from online dissemination to people telling each other, creating a "storm effect" that spreads and amplifies like a spiral.

作为袁隆平和中国超级稻的追踪者,我第一时间看到那篇报道时也如坠云里雾里,这一切到底是怎么回事呢?若要搞清楚真相,其实并不难。灾害发生后,安徽省及受灾区五河县两级农委便对这次灾害进行了深入调查,并做出了明确的鉴定:“绝收或减产的区域,在孕穗和抽穗期间遭遇低温连阴雨,属于典型的穗颈瘟危害。”这种“典型的穗颈瘟”,其实就是稻瘟病的ー种。稻瘟病位居水稻三大重要病害（稻瘟病、白叶枯病、纹枯病）之首,也是此次灾害真正的罪魁祸首,被称为“水稻的癌症”,凡有水稻的地方就有稻瘟病,只有轻重之别,发病后一般减产15%以上, 重者绝收,对稻米品质也有严重影响。一这也是迄今为止难以被人类攻克的ー道世界级难题。一直以来,国内外的科学家都致カ于对稻瘟病的研究,然而至今也未能在高抗性上取得突破性的成果。所谓癌症,换句话说就是不治之症,至少是顽症。由于无抗性强的品种,近年来此病发生面积呈上升趋势,若防治不カ,将会给水稻生产造成巨大的损失,对粮食安全构成严重威胁。

As a tracker of super rice in Yuan Longping and China, when I first saw the report, it felt like navigating through a dense fog, not knowing the full picture in front. What happened to all this? It is not difficult to find out the truth. After the disaster, the agricultural committees of Anhui province and the affected area of Wuhe county conducted a thorough investigation and made a clear identification: "In areas where crops were reduced or lost, there was a typical neck blast hazard during the heading and flowering stage caused by low-temperature continuous rain." This "typical neck blast" is actually a type of rice blast disease. Rice blast disease is the most important of the three major rice diseases (rice blast disease, bacterial leaf blight, and sheath blight), which is also the real culprit for the disaster and known as the "cancer of rice." Where there is rice, there is rice blast disease, and the severity varies. Once the disease occurs, the yield typically decreases by more than 15% and heavy losses occur. It also has a serious impact on rice quality. This is still a world-class problem that is difficult for humans to solve. For a long time, scientists at home and abroad have devoted themselves to the study of rice blast, but so far they have not achieved breakthrough results in high resistance to it. The so-called "cancer", in other words, is an incurable disease, at least a stubborn disease. Due to the lack of strongly resistant varieties, the incidence area of this disease has been increasing in recent years. If prevention and control are insufficient, it will cause huge losses to rice production, posing a severe threat to food security.

那么,在科技高度发达的今天,是否又有根治的可能呢?这其实是我接下来要追踪的ー个问题。要说呢,也不是没有,如今人类已开始尝试用分子或基因技术来治疗癌症,对于人类自身而言,这是为了救死扶伤,似乎没有什么争议。但如果利用分子或基因技术来防治农作物的病症,譬如说针对某ー病虫害将抗逆性基因转
入农作物中,这ー难题是有可能从根本上攻克的,但只要一涉及分子生物技术,尤其是转基因技术,人类立马如临大敌,谈“转”色变。目前在中国,无论是国家层面,还是袁隆平等科学家,在这方面也一直是高度审慎的。由于转基因技术不能在水稻、小麦等主要粮食作物生产中推广应用,目前也就只能采取传统的常规手段, 以趋利避害或避重就轻为前提,如在选择种子时,对稻瘟病抗性不强的品种,就选在稻瘟病轻发区种植,而所谓的轻发区也是相对的,一旦遭遇阴雨连绵、连日不开的天气,就为稻瘟病提供了温床,轻发区有时候会成为重灾区。对此,迄今以来最有效的手段就是将防治措施落实到位。

So, with today's highly developed science and technology, is there any possibility of radical cure? This is actually a question that I will follow next. The answer could actually not be negative. Nowadays, molecular or genetic technology has been used to treat human cancer. As far as human beings are concerned, this is done to save lives, and there seems to be no controversy. If molecular or genetic technology is used to prevent and control crop diseases, such as transferring resistance genes into crops to target a specific pest or disease, this problem could be fundamentally solved. However, as soon as molecular biotechnology, especially genetically modified technology, is involved, humans immediately become fearful when talking about it. Currently, whether at the national level or among scientists like Yuan Longping in China, everyone has been highly cautious about this issue. Due to the inability to promote and apply genetic technology in the production of major food crops such as rice and wheat, only conventional methods can be used at present, with the premise of avoiding risks and lightening the burden. For example, when selecting seeds, varieties with weak resistance to rice blast disease are planted in areas where the disease prevalence is low. However, the so-called low-prevalence areas are relative. Once it encounters continuous rain and dark days, it creates a hotbed for rice blast disease, and low-prevalence areas can sometimes become disaster areas. The most effective way to deal with it is to implement prevention and control measures effectively.

在杂交稻和超级稻攻关中,袁隆平一直把稻瘟病视为心头之患。他也不止ー次地坦言,超级稻在对抗稻瘟病等水稻病症上并不“超级”,在这一世界性难题被攻克之前,超级稻也只能和其他常规品种ー样,以防治为主。对此,那篇将矛头直指“杂交稻,隆平造”的报道者也做过调查,并做出了理性的报道:“稻瘟病的发生原因较为复杂,即使水稻品种在审定时达到了抗甚至更高水准,但也存在因抗性下降、外界环境变换等原因引发稻瘟病的危险。”这是大实话。我在前文提及,在湖南淑浦的第四期超级稻攻关示范片,也曾遭遇了长时间阴雨天气,袁隆平一再叮嘱田间管理责任人要将预防措施落实到位,而淑浦示范片最终没有因灾减产,反而创纪录地突破1000公斤大关,ー个重要原因就是适期预防措施落实到位,否则别说创造世界纪录,而且极有可能像安徽五河县ー样发生“减产绝收”的灾害。

In tackling key problems of hybrid rice and super rice, Yuan Longping has always regarded rice blast as a worry. He also admitted more than once that super rice is not "super" in fighting rice diseases such as rice blast. Before this worldwide problem is overcome, super rice can only focus on prevention and control like other conventional varieties. In this regard, the reporters who pointed the finger at "hybrid rice, made by Longping" also conducted an investigation and delivered a logical report stating: "The causes of rice blast are highly complex. Even if rice varieties have reached a higher level of resistance during examination and approval, there is also the risk of rice blast decreasing resistance and changing external conditions. " This is a significant truth. As previously mentioned, the fourth super rice research demonstration fields in Xupu, Hunan Province were also impacted by a prolonged period of rainy weather. Despite this, Yuan Longping persevered and urged the field management team to implement preventative measures. Thanks to these measures, the production of the Xupu demonstration plots did not suffer any reduction due to the weather, and, in fact, surpassed the 1,000 kg threshold, breaking a record. This achievement can be largely attributed to the prompt actions taken to prevent potential yield losses. Without such measures, the outcome could have been much different, with "production reduction and no harvest" similar to what was experienced in Wuhe County, Anhui Province.

对于“安徽万亩袁隆平超级稻减产绝收”的灾害,安徽省及五河县两级农委调查组已做出了结论:“此次稻瘟病是由于2014年安徽特殊的天气和适期预防措施不到位所致。”一这就是事实真相,再明白不过了,ー是天灾,还有一个就是“适期预防措施不到位”。而调查组还特别说明这“不完全是农民的过错”,这话里的意思我相信谁都能看明白,至少我是一眼就看明白了,说来这也是近年来的一个普遍问题,农民承包的责任田是有边界的,但稻瘟病以及其他病虫害是没有边界的, 如果仅凭农民单家独户是难以有效防治的,必须在农技人员的指导下,采取有组织的预防措施。这次灾害既“不完全是农民的过错”,在鉴定意见中也没有一个字说是种子的错,而罪魁祸首就是极端气候,说穿了也就是ー场自然灾害。对于此次灾害的成因,除了安徽省及五河县两级农委的调查,还有一些参与调查的专家,均ー致认为,2014年“的确属于历史罕见的稻瘟病高发气候”。如果排除这ー主要原因,许多事情你根本没法解释。据我后来走访调查,除了这次受灾的品种“两优 0293”,安徽的其他水稻品种,包括如今被人们津津乐道的常规稻,在同一时期普遍都出现了稻瘟病,而其受灾减产的情况,则看其适期预防措施的情况而论,防治措施越到位,受灾程度越低。从大面积的情况看,2014年“两优0293”在安徽共种植了 !8万亩,但出现减产或绝收的只有这次报道的ー万亩左右,约占5%。由此可见,这次的受灾品种“两优0293 ”不是遭受稻瘟病灾害的个案,却是灾害损失惨重的个案,这也更加验证了安徽省及五河县两级农委的鉴定意见是尊重科学、符合事实的,那是ー个具有结论性的鉴定。一句话,如果适期预防措施能够落实到位,这次“万亩减产”,其实是ー场不该发生的灾难。

For the disaster that "Anhui 10,000 mu of Yuan Longping super rice yield was reduced in yield and failed to harvest", the investigation team of Anhui Province and Wuhe County has made a conclusion: "The rice blast was caused by the special weather in Anhui in 2014 and inadequate preventive measures. "-This is the truth, which cannot be understood better. One is natural disasters, and the other is" inadequate preventive measures at the right time ". The investigation team also specifically stated that this is "not entirely the fault of farmers". I believe everyone can understand the meaning of this statement. At least I can understand it at a glance. It is also a common problem in recent years. There are boundaries between responsible fields contracted by farmers, but there are no boundaries between rice blast and other diseases or insect pests. If it is difficult to effectively control them only by farmers, organized preventive measures must be taken under the guidance of agricultural technicians. This disaster is "not entirely the fault of farmers", and there is not a word in the appraisal opinion showing that it is the fault of seeds.The culprit is extreme climate, which, to put it bluntly, is a natural disaster. As for the causes of the disaster, in addition to the investigation by the Agricultural Committees of Anhui Province and Wuhe County, some experts who participated in the investigation agreed that 2014 "is indeed a year with a rare climate causing high incidence of rice blast in history". If this main reason is excluded, many things could not be explained at all. According to my later investigation, except for the affected variety "Liangyou 0293", other rice varieties in Anhui, including conventional rice, which is now talked about with relish, generally appeared rice blast in the same period, and the situation of its disaster reduction depends on its timely preventive measures. The more the prevention measures are in place, the lower the disaster degree will be. From a large area, "Liangyou 0293" planted a total of 180,000 mu in Anhui in 2014, but only about 10,000 mu was reported this time, accounting for about 5%. It can be seen that the affected variety "Liangyou 0293" is not a case of rice blast disaster, but a case of heavy disaster losses, which further verifies that the appraisal opinions of Anhui Province and Wuhe County Agricultural Committees respect science and conform to facts, and it is a conclusive appraisal. To conclude, if timely preventive measures can be put in place, this "10,000 mu production reduction" is actually a disaster that should not have happened.

这里姑且不论导致“万亩减产”的原因,只说ー个被那篇报道紧紧揪住不放的话柄一“杂交稻,隆平造”,那粒惹祸的种子又真是袁隆平制造的吗?对此,我等门外汉知其然而不知其所以然,还是应该以调查结论为准。除了安徽省、五河县两级农委的调查,还有一个更权威的调查结果,国家农业部在组织专家深入调查后也给出了相关结论:这次事件实际上与袁隆平的关系不大,第一,“两优0293”并非由袁隆平选育,其完成者是别的研究人员;第二,与涉事种子有关的“隆平高科”是由湖南省农业科学院、湖南杂交水稻研究中心、袁隆平院士等共同发起设立的农业高科技股份有限公司,但袁隆平从未参与“隆平高科”的经营管理;第三,则是对此前鉴定意见的又一次确认:导致这次稻瘟病的主要原因还是气候和“适期预防措施不到位” 〇尽管有三级鉴定结果明摆着,但袁隆平从维护农民利益的高度出发,并未高高挂起,他ー听说此事,在第一时间就责成“隆平高科”尽快做出处理,“隆平高科”随即采取了一系列措施,无论涉事种子“两优0293”有没有问题,一律停售,随后又派公司高管两赴安徽,协调当地政府通过保险的方式先给了受灾农户一定的赔偿,还承诺为农民免费提供种子进行补偿,并将筹建种子行业灾后救助基金。

Let alone the reason for the "10,000-mu yield reduction" for the time being, let's just talk about a topic that was tightly grasped by that report-"Hybrid rice, made by Longping." Is that seed that caused trouble really made by Yuan Longping? To this, as a layman learning, I do not know much about it, and everything should be subject to the conclusion of the investigation. In addition to the investigation of the agricultural committees at the two levels of Anhui Province and Wuhe County, there is also a more authoritative investigation result. The Ministry of Agriculture also gave relevant conclusions after organizing experts to conduct in-depth investigations: In fact, this incident has little to do with Yuan Longping. First, "Liangyou 0293" was not selected by Yuan Longping, but was completed by other researchers; Second, "Longping Hi-Tech" related to the seeds involved is an agricultural high-tech Co., Ltd. jointly initiated by Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center and Academician Yuan Longping, but Yuan Longping never participated in the operation and management of "Longping Hi-Tech"; Third, it is another confirmation of the previous appraisal opinions: The main causes of this rice blast are climate and "inadequate preventive measures at the right time". Although the results of the three-level appraisal are obvious, Yuan Longping did not hang high but thought and acted from the height of safeguarding the interests of farmers. As soon as he heard about this matter, he instructed Longping Hi-Tech to deal with it as soon as possible. Longping Hi-Tech immediately took a series of measures. No matter whether there was any problem with the seed "Liangyou 0293" involved, it would stop selling. Later, it sent two company executives to Anhui to coordinate the local government to give the affected farmers a certain amount of compensation through insurance.

在整个事件中,有一个一直被报道者紧紧抓住不放的细节,在“两优0293”外包装袋上明确标注“抗性:稻瘟病平均5.6级”,但撕开包装袋后还有一张小纸片, 在注明抗性5.6级之后又添加了四个字:“最高9级”。—抗病的程度,有平均值,也有最高值,这没有问题。这和水稻亩产面积的数据是ー样的道理,在百亩示范片现场测产验收时,有的田亩最高可达到!000公斤,有的则只有900多公斤,而最终采用的是平均值,当然也可以标明最高值。如果内外包装一致,这个小纸片可以说毫无问题,但问题是,种子的内外包装不一致,这还真是ー个谁也不能否认的事实。对此,“隆平高科”的一位相关负责人也没有否认,但他做出了这样的解释: “标签可由内外标签组成,《种子标签管理办法》并未明确要求要把特征特性全部都印到外包装上,只要内标签是完整的,就不存在违规问题。”一这样的解释,这样的理由还不足以说服我。真实是新闻的生命,也是报告文学等非虚构类文体存立的根本,而生命在于立诚,若要揭示真相必须秉持客观公正、不偏不倚的立场,我只追寻事实真相,决不预设立场,更不会选边站。为此,我到经销过“两优0293”的种子店进行了调查,又对种过该品种的农户走访调查,我的调查结果和那篇报道是一致的。

In the whole incident, there is a detail that has been firmly grasped by the reporters, and it is clearly marked on the outer packaging bag of "Liangyou 0293" that "Resistance: The average rice blast is 5.6 ", but there is still a small piece of paper after tearing open the packaging bag. After indicating the resistance of 5.6, four words are added: "The highest level is 9". -There are average and highest values of disease resistance, which is no problem. This is the same reason as the data of rice yield area per mu. During the on-site yield measurement and acceptance of 100-mu demonstration fieids, some can reach a maximum of 1,000 kg, while others only have more than 900 kg, and the average value is finally adopted, and of course the highest value can also be marked. If the inner and outer packaging is consistent, this small piece of paper can be said to be no problem, but the problem is that the inner and outer packaging of seeds is inconsistent, which is really a fact that no one can deny. In this regard, a relevant person in charge of "Longping Hi-Tech" did not deny it, but he made such an explanation: "Labels can be composed of inner and outer labels. The Measures for the Administration of Seed Labels does not explicitly require that all the characteristics should be printed on the outer packaging. As long as the inner labels are complete, there is no violation. "-this explanation and reason is not enough to convince me. Truth is the life of news, and it is also the foundation for the existence of non-fiction styles such as reportage, and life lies in sincerity. If we want to reveal the truth, we must uphold an objective, fair and impartial position. I only pursue the truth, but never presuppose a position, and never choose a side station. For this reason, I went to the seed shops that distributed "Liangyou 0293" for investigation, and visited the farmers who planted this variety for investigation. My investigation results are consistent with that report.

随后,我又带着疑问采访了湖南杂交水稻研究中心常务副主任邓华凤,这位与我差不多同龄的育种专家,也是袁隆平先生的主要助手之一,我想听听他们是怎么解释的。邓华凤似乎早已习惯了这样的问题,他可能回答不止一百遍了,但他依然眉头紧锁,习惯性地用两手撑着桌子,隔桌望着我,在沉默片刻后方オ开口。而他ー开口,却一点也不含糊:“企业在营销流程中,对种子包装的内外说明必须一致, 并且要真实反映品种的特征特性,这事关企业的诚信问题,不能含糊。如果种子包装存在内外抗性说明不一致,肯定是不对的,种子推广方应该引以为鉴,再也不能出现类似的情况。”他说话时不是那种铿锵有力的口气,却表明了他斩钉截铁的态度,丝毫没有护短的意思。

Later, I interviewed Deng Huafeng, executive deputy director of Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, a breeding expert about my age and one of Mr. Yuan Longping's main assistants. I want to hear how they explain it. Deng Huafeng seems to have been used to such questions. He may have answered them more than a hundred times, but he still frowned, habitually supported the table with both hands, looked at me across the table, and spoke after a moment of silence. And when he opened his mouth, he was not ambiguous at all: "In the marketing process, the internal and external explanations of seed packaging must be consistent, and the characteristics of varieties should be truly reflected, which is related to the integrity of enterprises and cannot be vague. If there is inconsistency between the internal and external resistance instructions in seed packaging, it is definitely wrong, and seed promoters should learn from it and never have similar situations again."

诚然,这里又有一个事实是必须澄清的,湖南杂交水稻研究中心只是种子的研发方,并非种子的经营方,即便内外包装不一致,那也是种子公司在经营销售中的问题,与种子研发方并无直接关系,与种子本身更没有关系。这绝非我为一粒种子辩护,而是对客观事实100%的尊重,以100%的诚实向读者报告。众所周知,研发方研究出了某一品种,然后交由生产方生产出产品,再进入市场销售环节。从研发方到生产方,ー个在技术上严格把关,ー个在生产上必须保证是合格的产品,但合格不合格,他们说了不算,我们这些报道者说了更不算,还要严格按国家标准来检验。种子是非同一般的产品,是关乎粮食安全的第一要素,国家一直是高度重视和严格把关的,对种子的鉴定比一般产品更为严格,只有审定通过后,才能在生产中推广应用。那么,“两优0293”又是不是审定通过的超级稻品种呢?这也是很多人特别关注的ー个焦点。邓华凤给了我ー个明白的答案:这一品种是湖南省审定通过的超级稻,但不是国家审定通过的超级稻。

Obviously, there is another fact that must be clarified here. Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center is only the developer of seeds, not the operator of seeds. Even if the internal and external packaging is inconsistent, it is also a problem in the operation and sales of seed companies, which has no direct relationship with the developer of seeds, let alone the seeds themselves. This is by no means my defense of a seed, but 100% respect for objective facts and I report to readers with 100% honesty. As we all know, the R&D party has developed a certain variety, and then handed it over to the manufacturer to produce the product, and then entered the market for sales. From the R&D side to the production side, one strictly controlled in technology, and the other must guarantee a qualified product in production. But in terms of whether the seed is qualified or not, what both sides said do not count, what we reporters said do not count, and we must test it strictly according to national standards. Seeds are extraordinary products and the first factor related to food security. The state has always attached great importance to and strictly controlled them. The identification of seeds is stricter than that of ordinary products. Only after approval can they be popularized and applied in production. Then, is "Liangyou 0293" a super rice variety approved? This is also a focus that many people pay special attention to. Deng Huafeng gave me a clear answer: This variety is a super rice approved by Hunan Province, but it is not a super rice approved by the country.

听了他一番解释,我オ明白,对超级稻的认定分为两级,ー是农业部认定,ー是省级农业厅认定。选育单位可以向本省农业厅和国家农业部两级的超级稻专家委员会申报认定,经专家们开会研讨,以严格的超级稻认定标准进行鉴定,达到标准才能称为超级稻。“两优0293”是通过湖南省农业厅认定的超级稻品种,既然省级农业厅有认定权,理所当然为合格的超级稻品种。但该品种属于第一期超级稻,在当时审定通过时还算是很好的品种,最大优点是抗倒伏,其次是产量较高。当然, 每个品种都不是十全十美,都有一定的适应性、区域性,而这一品种存在致命的弱部认定的超级稻,却也是经国家审定通过的两系法杂交水稻品种。2006年,这ー品种在第一届国家农作物品种审定委员会第五次会议审定通过。为此,我还查到了中华人民共和国农业部公告（第706号）,对该品种的性状特征有着清楚的表述: “该品种点就是对稻瘟病的抗性不理想
熟期适中,产量高,中感白叶枯病,高感稻瘟病（穗颈瘟）,米质一般。适宜在福建、江西、湖南、湖北、安徽、浙江、江苏的长江流域稻区（武陵山区除外）以及河南南部稻区的稻瘟病轻发区作一季中稻种植。”很明显,这一品种并非广适性稻种,在农业部的公告里也强调了其“高感稻瘟病”的缺陷,并明确标出适合在“稻瘟病轻发区”种植。按照这一国家标准,“两优0293”既是经国家审定的合格品种,安徽省也是明确标示出来的适宜推广种植区。

After listening to his explanation, I realized that the identification of super rice can be divided into two levels, one is the identification of the Ministry of Agriculture and the other is the identification of the Provincial Department of Agriculture. Breeding units can report to the Super Rice Expert Committee at the provincial Department of Agriculture and the National Ministry of Agriculture for identification. After the experts meet and discuss, they can be identified according to strict super rice identification standards, and only when they meet the standards can they be called super rice. "Liangyou 0293" is a super rice variety recognized by Hunan Provincial Department of Agriculture. Since the provincial department of agriculture has the right to recognize it, it is naturally a qualified super rice variety. However, this variety belongs to the first stage super rice, which was still a good variety when it was approved at that time. Its biggest advantage is lodging resistance, followed by higher yield. Of course, each variety is not perfect, with certain adaptability and regional variation, and the fatal weakness of this variety is that its resistance to rice blast is not ideal. -It should be added here that "Liangyou 0293" is not a super rice recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, but it is also a two-line hybrid rice variety approved by the state. In 2006, this variety was approved at the fifth meeting of the first National Crop Variety Approval Committee. To this end, I also found the announcement of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China (No.706), which clearly stated the characteristics of this variety: "This variety has moderate maturity, high yield, moderate susceptibility to bacterial blight, high susceptibility to rice blast (ear neck blast) and average rice quality. It is suitable for planting mid-season rice in the Yangtze River Basin rice areas in Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu (except Wuling Mountain Area) and the rice blast light incidence areas in southern Henan." Obviously, this variety is not a widely adaptable rice variety, and its defect of" high susceptibility to rice blast "is also emphasized in the announcement of the Ministry of Agriculture, and it is clearly marked that it is suitable for planting in" areas with light incidence of rice blast ". According to this national standard, "Liangyou 0293" is a qualified variety approved by the state, Anhui is a clearly marked suitable planting area for its popularization.

又诚如邓华凤研究员所说,如今这个品种推广应用已近1〇年了,根据自然规律,ー个水稻品种,在大田种植的高峰期最多只能维持五六年,在大面积推广10多年后,如果仍能保持优良品性和长久的生命力,那就堪称世界稻作史上的奇迹,这样的奇迹不是没有,却也少有,一般而言,一个品种无论是常规品种还是杂交品种, 在播种五六年后就会逐渐老化,性状发生退化,而品种的研发、审定、推广、退出,均需本着遵循科学、实事求是的态度。一直以来,水稻品种审定都没有使用年限之说,法律上没有规定品种的退休期,如果审定的品种出现重大缺陷,普遍不受市场欢迎,推广面积越来越少,就可以按程序或优胜劣汰的市场规律退出了,但淘汰需要一个过程,在ー些广适性新品种没有研发出来之前,这些独特性的品种还有市场空间,还可以继续使用,但在使用时要注意它的特殊性和区域性,尤其是企业在推广这个品种的过程中,要时刻了解这个品种的变化情况和环境变化情况,这样才能尽量规避灾难带来的损失。

As researcher Deng Huafeng said, this variety has been popularized and applied for nearly 10 years. According to the natural law, the peak period of a rice variety planted in the field can only last for five or six years at most. After more than 10 years of large-scale popularization, if it can still maintain its excellent character and long-term vitality, it will be called a miracle in the history of rice cultivation in the world. It cannot be said that there is no such miracle, but it is rare. Generally speaking, a variety, whether it is a conventional one or a hybrid one, will gradually age after sowing for five or six years. For a long time, there is no service life in the examination and approval of rice varieties, and there is no retirement period for varieties in law. When the examined varieties show major defects, they are generally not welcomed by the market, which leads to their smaller and smaller promotion area, and then they can withdraw according to the procedures or the market law of survival of the fittest. But elimination is a process. Before some new varieties with wide adaptability are developed, these unique varieties still have market space and can continue to be used, but attention should be paid to their particularity and regionality when using them. Especially, enterprises should always know the changes of this variety and environmental changes in the process of promoting this variety, so as to avoid the losses brought by disasters as much as possible.

邓华凤那俯身倾斜的姿态挺有亲和力,我也一直在倾听,生怕漏掉了一个字。经过邓华凤这样一番解释和梳理,我脑子里那些模棱两可、不明不白的问题逐渐清晰明澈,事实真相也越来越清晰,我可以得出自己的结论了,“安徽万亩袁隆平超级稻减产绝收”的根本原因从头到尾都不是种子的问题,更与袁隆平没有什么关系, 除了前面提到的“极端气候”与“预防措施不到位”两个主因,还有一个原因就是该种子的“内外包装不一致”,若说“涉嫌造假”言重了,但也很有可能对农民产生误导。哪怕退ー万步讲,即便“两优0293”的根本原因就是种子问题,那也仅仅只是个别品种的问题,并不能说凡“杂交稻,隆平造”都有问题。这里以事实为依据, 2014年安徽“减产绝收”风波涉及的只是100多个超级稻品种中的一个小品种,其种植面积非常小,目前全国推广面积第一大、第二大、第三大的超级稻品种都没有问题,这些真相都不难搞清楚,若从最基本的客观、公正和真实的立场来说,都没有必要“向整个超级稻泼脏水”,这不是我的话,而是袁隆平先生的原话。

Deng Huafeng's leaning posture is quite affinity, and I have been listening for fear of missing a word. After Deng Huafeng's explanation and clarification, the ambiguous and unclear questions in my mind gradually answered, and the truth became clearer and clearer. I can draw my own conclusion now. The root cause of "Anhui 10,000 mu of Yuan Longping super rice production reduction and no harvest" is not the seed problem from beginning to end, and it has nothing to do with Yuan Longping. In addition to the two main reasons, "extreme climate" and "inadequate preventive measures", mentioned above, there is another reason, which is the inconsistence between the seeds' internal and external packaging. If it is too serious to say that the packaging inconsistence is suspected of fraud, it may be fair to say that it is more likely to mislead farmers. Even if we make concessions to consider that the root cause of "Liangyou 0293" is the seed problem, it is only a problem of individual varieties, and it cannot be said that all "hybrid rice made by Longping" has problems. Based on the facts, the 2014 Anhui "yield reduction and no harvest" incident involved only a small variety among more than 100 super rice varieties, and its planting area was very small. Currently, there is no problem with the first, second and third major super rice varieties in the promotion area nationwide. It is not difficult to find out the truth. From the most basic objective, fair and true standpoint, there is no need to "pour dirty water on the whole super rice", which is not my words, but Mr. Yuan's original ones.

我与邓华凤握手告别时,他又坦诚地表示,“安徽万亩水稻减产绝收事件”不管由谁负责,对所有农业工作者来说,这都是ー个值得吸取的教训,未来对水稻品种的研究,抗性将会放到更重要的位置,如何研发广适性更好的新品种,一直是所有“杂交水稻人”努力的目标。他这一席话,让我看到了科学的境界,一篇关乎科学的报道,必须尊重科学和新闻真实性这ー底线,任何一家媒体都可以对某ー焦点问题采取“新闻系列追踪报道”,这是新闻工作者的权利,也是天职,但除了权利还必须恪守职业道德和新闻伦理。如果一家媒体反复炒作一场原本不该发生的灾难,又不顾及完整的事实真相,攻其一点,不及其余,由此而掀起一轮又一轮的风浪,对于科学、对于人类,这又何尝不是一场不该发生的灾难?用袁隆平先生的话说,这是“居心不良”。但说句心里话,我还真没有从“居心不良”上来猜测报道者, 我尽可能从善良的意愿来理解他们,这让我挺佩服他们,而他们的质疑和追问或许会成为推动科技进步的另ー种力量。至少对于我,正是因为他们的报道,我オ把目光投向了他们抓住的两个焦点,ー个是产量,ー个是质量,而以袁隆平为代表的中国科研人员研发的杂交稻、超级稻,在他们看来“被强调的是产量,被忽视的是质量”一这两个问题在我脑子里也闪回了无数次,一直都很纠结又难辨真相,我相信这也是亿万中国人最揪心的两个问题:袁隆平为什么一直不遗余力地在创造超高产的杂交稻?为了追求超高产,袁隆平又是否无暇顾及或根本不顾杂交稻和超级稻的质量?

When I shook hands with Deng Huafeng to say goodbye, he frankly said that no matter who was responsible for the "10,000 mu rice yield reduction and no harvest in Anhui" incidence, it was a lesson worth learning for all agricultural workers. In the future, the research on rice varieties will put resistance in a more important position, and how to develop new varieties with better adaptability has always been the goal of all "hybrid rice people". His remarks enabled me to see the realm of science. A report about science must respect the bottom line of science and news authenticity. Any media can adopt "news series tracking reports" on a certain focus issue, which is the right and bounden duty of journalists, but besides rights, they must also abide by professional ethics and news ethics. If media repeatedly hype a disaster which originally should not have happened, for attacks on one bad part only, but regardless of the rest good and the complete truth, and set off a round after round of public opinion waves, isn't it a disaster that should not have happened for science, and for human beings? As Mr. Yuan Longping expressed it, this was an act of "malicious intent." But to be honest, I really did not consider the reporter as one with "malicious intent". I tried my best to understand them from good intentions, which made me admire them, and their queries and inquiries may become another force to promote scientific and technological progress. At least for me, it is because of their reports that I have set my sights on the two focus points they have grasped: one is production, and the other is quality. And in their opinion, hybrid rice and super rice, developed by Chinese researchers represented by Yuan Longping, “was attached more importance on production rather than quality” . — These two issues have flashed back in my mind countless times, and it is always very tangled and difficult to discern the truth. I believe these are the two most worrying questions for hundreds of millions of Chinese people: Why has Yuan Longping always spared no effort in creating super-high-yielding hybrid rice? In order to pursue super-high yields, does Yuan Longping have no time or no regard for the quality of hybrid rice and super rice?

这两个焦点其实又可归结为ー个主题一舌尖上的安危。

In fact, these two focuses can be summed up as one theme -security of food on the tip of tongue.

舌尖上的安危

Security of Food on the Tip of Tongue

舌尖上的安危,借用袁隆平先生的一句话,可以做出很朴素的诠释,“既要让老百姓吃饱,也要让老百姓吃好”,只有满足了这两个题中之义,两者缺ー不可,オ是完整的诠释,否则就是致命的缺陷。为什么从联合国到每ー个国家都要一再突出强调粮食安全?只因粮食在古今中外都是一个不稳定的、充满了灾难性的存在。

Security of food on the tip of tongue, to borrow a phrase from Mr. Yuan Longping, can be made a simple explanation: "We must not only ensure that people have enough to eat, but also that they eat well." Only when both aspects are satisfied can it be completely explained. Otherwise, there will be fatal flaws. Why does food security have to be repeatedly emphasized from the United Nations to every country? Simply because food has always been an unstable and disastrous existence throughout history and across cultures.

这里先看第一焦点,“被强调的是产量” 。一旦涉及这ー话题,我又感觉报道者的立场非常有趣,他们ー边认为袁隆平创造的杂交稻“被强调的是产量”,但列举的事实又怪有意思的,尽管以袁隆平为代表的科研团队已将百亩示范片的超级稻亩产量提高到1000公斤以上,但他们又指出“中国水稻实际亩产却远远达不到这个水平,,ー这还真是有根有据的。2014年国家统计局发布的《中国统计年鉴》显示,2013年,中国实际水稻平均亩产量仅为447.8公斤。既然有根有据,而且是权威依据,ー个问题又来了:中国超级稻的亩产突破了 1000公斤大关,而我国水稻的实际水平怎么连一半也达不到呢?

Let's look at the first focus, "the emphasis is on the yield". Once this topic is involved, I feel that the reporters' position is very interesting. They argued that the hybrid rice created by Yuan Longping "was highlighted for its yield", but the facts they listed are quite funny. Although the scientific research team represented by Yuan Longping has increased the yield of super rice in the hundred-mu demonstration field to more than 1,000 kilograms per mu, they also pointed out that the actual yield of rice per mu in China is far from this level - this is really well-founded. According to the China Statistical Yearbook released by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2014, the actual average yield of rice per mu in China was only 447.8 kilograms in 2013. Since there is solid and authoritative evidence, a question arises: China's super rice has exceeded the yield of 1000 kilograms per mu, but why cannot the actual level of rice production even reach half of that?

这其实是ー个老问题,袁隆平先生和有关专家不知解释多少遍了,ー个水稻品种,从科学家的试验田走向老百姓的稻田,那个亩产量是不能画等号的。对粮食产量的描述,虽说有时候必须斤斤计较,甚至是锚铢必较,精确到小数点,但按通俗的说法,一般以50公斤为ー关,100公斤为一大关。为了厘清事实真相,这里不妨重新梳理一下新中国水稻生产的发展历程。1949年以前,我国水稻平均亩产仅有 200公斤的水平。在杂交水稻问世之前,农业科技人员一直致カ于培育和改良常规品种,但增产潜力有限。直到黄耀祥先生开创的水稻矮化育种被推广应用,推动了水稻大幅度增产的第一次飞跃,平均亩产跃升到了 250公斤至300公斤。这里就以此为底线,来看看杂交水稻对中国粮食的贡献。1976年,随着三系法杂交水稻在全国“大推广、大增产”,我国水稻产量至少提高了 20%,平均亩产突破400公斤大关,从很大程度上缓解了我国粮食长时间紧缺的困局。1995年中国杂交水稻迈进了两系法的时代,产量又提升了 !0% 〇 1996年农业部启动了中国超级稻育种计划,到2014年,袁隆平率科研团队,在历时18年的协作攻关中,攻克了中国超级稻第一期目标到第四期目标,其中示范片的亩产从700公斤、800公斤、900公斤到 1000公斤,以每百公斤为ー个台阶连续完成了“四级跳”,而在大田推广播种的产量与之对应,从550公斤、600公斤、650公斤,大致以每50公斤为ー个台阶递增。目前,第四期超级稻尚未大面积推广,袁隆平预计推广后的平均亩产可以突破700 公斤。截至2014年那个多事之秋,中国杂交水稻从三系法、两系法到超级稻,历经近40年发展,袁隆平率协作攻关团队把中国水稻平均亩产从原来不到300公斤的水平,ー步ー步提高了一倍以上。“不积此步,无以至千里”,这个过程其实并不适合用突飞猛进来形容,只有袁隆平和参与攻关的科研人员才能切身感受到,这每ー步都举步维艰。尽管从亩产看,增产50公斤、100公斤不算什么,但亩产与总产量构成了一个巨大的乘法效应,如果把每亩增产的粮食乘以全国杂交稻、超级稻的种植面积,那就是ー个天文数字了。这里我不敢妄加猜测,必须以国家权威部门发布的数据为准。2014年10月,就在一正一反两个事件发生强烈的对冲效应的背景下,农业部在“农业科技创新”新闻发布会上公布了一系列数据,这其实也是ー种针对杂交水稻质疑的回应:从2010年开始的这三四年时间里,在黑龙江、辽宁、江苏、安徽等17个省区市,育成了一大批产量高、抗性强、适应性广的超级稻品种,每年的示范推广面积都超过了一亿亩,并且实现了“双增100”（每亩增产100斤,节本增效100元)的目标。目前,我国超级稻面积占到了杂交水稻总面积的近三成 (28% ),仅通过超级稻大幅度提高单产而增产的粮食就足以养活四亿人口。

This is actually an old problem. Mr. Yuan Longping and related experts have explained it countless times. The yield of a rice variety per mu cannot be equated when it goes from the scientist's experimental field to the farmer's rice field. Although the description of grain production sometimes needs to be precise, and even meticulous in every detail to the decimal point, in popular terms, it is generally measured in units of 50 kilograms or 100 kilograms. To clarify the truth, it may be helpful to reorganize the development process of rice production in New China. Before 1949, the average yield of rice per mu in China was only 200 kilograms. Before the advent of hybrid rice, agricultural scientists had been committed to breeding and improving conventional varieties, but the potential for yield increases was limited. It was not until the dwarf breeding of rice pioneered by Mr. Huang Yaoxiang was popularized and applied that the first leap in substantial yield increase of rice was promoted, with the average yield jumping to 250 kg to 300 kg per mu. Taking this as the bottom line, let's take a look at the contribution of hybrid rice to China's grain. In 1976, with the nationwide promotion and increased production of three-line hybrid rice, China's rice production increased by at least 20%, and the average yield exceeded 400 kilograms per mu, which greatly alleviated the long-term shortage of food in China. In 1995, China entered the era of two-line hybrid rice, and the yield increased by 10%. In 1996, China's Ministry of Agriculture launched a Super Rice Breeding Program. By 2014, the research team led by Yuan Longping had collaborated for 18 years and achieved the first to fourth goals of China's super hybrid rice. The yield per mu of demonstration fields increased from 700 kg, 800 kg, 900 kg to 1,000 kg, completing a "four-level jump" with each step of 100 kg. The corresponding yield of field promotion and planting increased by approximately 50 kg per step, from 550 kg and 600 kg to 650 kg. Currently, the fourth phase of super hybrid rice has not been widely promoted. Yuan Longping expects that the average yield per mu after promotion can exceed 700 kilograms. As of the eventful autumn of 2014, China's hybrid rice has undergone nearly 40 years of development from the three-line method and two-line method to the super rice. Yuan Longping led the collaborative research team to increase China's rice yield per mu from less than 300 kilograms to more than double of it through gradual improvement. "Without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles." In fact, this process is not suitable to be described as a rapid one. Only Yuan Longping and the research personnel involved in the research can truly feel that every step is difficult. Although increasing production by 50 or 100 kilograms per mu may not seem like much, the per mu yield and total output constitute a huge multiplication effect. If the grain yield per mu is multiplied by the planting area of hybrid rice and super rice nationwide, the number is astronomical. I dare not speculate here and must rely on data released by authoritative national departments. In October 2014, against the backdrop of two events with strong hedging effects, the Ministry of Agriculture released a series of data at the "Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation" press conference. This was actually a response to the questioning of hybrid rice. In the three to four years since 2010, numerous super rice varieties with high yield, strong resistance, and wide adaptability have been cultivated in 17 provinces and cities including Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jiangsu, and Anhui. The annual demonstration and promotion area exceeds 100 million mu, and the goal of "double increase of 100" (100 kg per mu of yield increase, cost savings and efficiency gains of 100 yuan) has been achieved. Currently, the area of super rice in China accounts for nearly 28% of the total area of hybrid rice. The increase in grain production through the significant increase in yield of super rice alone is enough to feed 400 million people.

对农业部公布的这ー组数据,迄今我尚未发现有任何一家媒体质疑和否认,但若要还原真相,还必须正视下面的数据:

Regarding the set of data released by the Ministry of Agriculture, I have not yet found any media questioning or denying it. However, to restore the truth, we must also face the following data:

中国目前的杂交水稻播种面积,迄今占水稻播种总面积的六成左右。

Currently, the planting area of hybrid rice in China accounts for about 60% of the total rice planting area.

中国超级稻的种植面积,目前还不到杂交水稻总面积的三成(28%)。

The planting area of China's super rice is currently less than 28% of the total area of hybrid rice.

看到这里我就明白了,“2013年,中国实际水稻平均亩产量仅为447. 8公斤”，这不是杂交稻和超级稻的问题,而恰恰是杂交稻和超级稻还没有在更大的范围内推广到位。这里还有一个不能混淆视听的概念,水稻产量不等于就是粮食产量,更不等于杂交水稻的产量,杂交水稻的产量也不等于是超级稻的产量。由于杂交稻尤其是超级稻所占比例并不像人们想象的那样覆盖了全中国的粮田和稻田,它的增产效应平均下来就被常规品种或一般杂交稻品种拉低了。一通过这ー系列简单的算术题,谁都会算出ー个不简单的答案,如果没有杂交稻和超级稻的增产效果,2013年我国实际水稻平均亩产量能达到447.8公斤吗?从历史数据看,可能连 400公斤也达不到。而哪怕就是这样的产量,用袁隆平先生的话说,“这是非常了不起的数字”。

Seeing this, I understand that "In 2013, China's actual average rice yield per mu was only 447.8 kilograms", which is not a problem with hybrid rice and super rice, but a problem that hybrid and super rice have not been promoted in place on a larger scale. There is another concept that cannot be confused here: rice yield is not equal to grain yield, let alone hybrid rice yield, and hybrid rice yield is not equal to super hybrid rice yield. Due to the fact that hybrid rice, especially super rice, does not cover all of China's farmland and rice fields as people imagine, its yield-increasing effect is generally lowered by conventional varieties or general hybrid rice varieties. Through this series of simple arithmetic problems, anyone can work out a not-so-simple answer. Without the increased yield effect of hybrid rice and super rice, could China's actual average rice yield per mu reach 447.8 kilograms in 2013? From historical data, it may not even reach 400 kilograms. And even with such a yield, as Mr. Yuan Longping put it, "this is a very amazing number".

若要理解这句“ 了不起”的话,除了自己跟自己比,也不妨跟别的国家对比一下。袁隆平先生也是用数字说话,目前全世界水稻种植面积在22亿亩左右,平均单产为300公斤,即便在日本等ー些农业科技发达的国家,平均单产也只有450公斤,最高的是澳大利亚,由于其得天独厚的地理条件,又加之农业科技高度发达,澳洲一直是世界上水稻单产最高的地区,其亩产平均约为660公斤。这个亩产,我国已经推广播种的第二期、第三期超级稻已经赶上了。一这个迈进望九之年的老人,还有惊人的记忆カ,还有这样清晰的思维,他随口说出的ー串串数字,我后来根据相关资料核对过,基本上八九不离十。目前,我国水稻生产已经形成了以第四期超级稻为牵引,以二、三期超级稻为骨干,以两系法杂交稻和第一期超级稻为主体的结构,在杂交水稻科研上一直处于世界领先水平。随着第四期超级稻的推广播种,赶上和超过澳大利亚只是迟早的事。袁隆平最担心的不是中国超级稻的科技水平达不到,这个他底气十足,他就担心有人混淆视听,干扰超级稻大面积推广。而他接下来发起的第五期超级稻攻关,还大有潜カ可挖。

To understand the meaning of the phrase "amazing", it's worth comparing with other countries as well. Mr. Yuan Longping also speaks with numbers. At present, the world's rice planting area is about 2.2 billion mu, with an average yield of 300 kilograms per mu. Even in some countries with advanced agricultural technology, such as Japan, the average yield is only 450 kilograms per mu, and the highest yield is in Australia, due to its unique geographical conditions and highly developed agricultural technology. Australia has always been the region with the highest rice yield in the world, with an average yield of about 660 kilograms per mu. This level of yield per mu has been achieved in China's second and third phases of super rice, which have already been promoted and planted. This elderly person who has entered the ninth decade of his life has astonishing memory and clear thinking. The string of numbers he casually uttered, which I later checked according to relevant information, were basically accurate. At present, China's rice production has formed a structure with the fourth super rice as the traction, the second and third super rice as the backbone, and the two-line hybrid rice and the first super rice as the main body, which has been at the world leading level in hybrid rice research. With the promotion and sowing of the fourth phase of Super Rice, it is only a matter of time before China catch up and surpass Australia. What Yuan Longping is most worried about is not that the scientific and technological level of super rice in China, with which he is full of confidence, is not up to standard, but that someone will confuse the public and interfere with the large-scale promotion of super rice. And his upcoming fifth phase of super rice research still has great potential to be explored.

在袁隆平看来,尽管中国超级杂交稻一直跑在世界的最前沿,倘若有所分心、放松,很可能就被别的国家迅速赶上并超过。但袁隆平更看重的还不是这种农业科技领域的国际竞争,而是与人口的增速竞赛。布朗的一句“谁来养活中国”,犹如警钟ー样敲醒了无数高枕无忧的中国人。尤其是2003年,在世界粮食危机的大背景下,中国粮食总产量一度跌入低谷而粮价上扬,让国人对粮食安全产生了强烈危机感。那时候,没有谁会觉得自己是ー个站在国家粮囤子外边的旁观者,更没有谁会指手画脚地指责“杂交稻,隆平造”这也不是,那也不行,袁隆平是人人尊敬的 “杂交水稻之父”、活灵活现的“米菩萨”、当代“神农”,谁都眼睁睁地盼着他能再创奇迹,高产,高产,超高产。

In Yuan Longping's view, although China's super hybrid rice has always running at the forefront of the world, if there is any distraction or relaxation, it is likely to be quickly caught up and surpassed by other countries. But what Yuan Longping values more is not the international competition in the field of agricultural technology, but the competition with the population growth rate. Brown's statement,"Who will feed China", was like a warning bell to wake countless carefree Chinese. Especially in 2003, against the backdrop of the global food crisis, China's total grain output once fell to a low point while grain prices rose, causing strong concerns among Chinese people about food security. At that time, no one would feel like a bystander standing outside the country's grain hoard, and no one would point fingers at "hybrid rice, created by Yuan Longping" about this problem or that defect. Yuan Longping was respected by everyone as the "father of hybrid rice", a living "rice Buddha", a contemporary "god of agriculture", and everyone was eagerly hoping that he could create miracles again to achieve high yields and super high yields.

当年,布朗提出“谁来养活中国”这一天问时,也曾充满善意地向中国提出了ー系列很具体的建议,一是要坚持计划生育政策,减少人口数量,争取不突破当时预测的人口峰值（16.6亿）;二是要严格保护耕地,大力增加对农业基础设施的投入,集中力量开发国家特别需要的农业新技术。从杂交稻到超级稻,正是中国“特别需要”的且一直在不断创新、领先世界的现代农业高新技术,在这ー技术体系的支撑下,中国粮食增产一直在与人口增长赛跑。这是ー场事关生死的竞赛,ー个不可违背的铁律,人口与粮食是必须成正比的,一旦粮食增速赶不上人口增速,就会出现粮食危机。马尔萨斯认为,人口成几何级数增长,粮食成算术级数增长。这就是说,粮食的增长远远赶不上人口的增长,人类在这两大需求之间存在严重的矛盾。因此,马尔萨斯得出的结论是悲观的,甚至是绝望的,如果不严格控制人口 ,随着时间的推移,人口爆炸的力量将远远超出地球向人类提供生活资料的能力,人类将生活在贫困与绝望之中。而以中国人口之多,增长基数如此庞大,一旦出现粮食危机,即便买光了全世界用于出口的粮食,也难以满足中国这个巨大的胃口。

When Brown asked "Who will feed China?" he also made a series of specific suggestions to China with good intentions. Firstly, he suggested adhering to the family planning policy to reduce the population and strive not to exceed the predicted population peak of 1.66 billion at that time. Secondly, he suggested strictly protecting arable land, increasing investment in agricultural infrastructure, and concentrating efforts on developing new agricultural technologies that the country urgently needs. From hybrid rice to super rice, it is the modern agricultural high-tech that China "especially needs" and has been continuously innovating and leading the world. With the support of this technology system, China's grain production has been keeping pace with population growth. This is a life-and-death competition, a law that cannot be broken: population and grain must be directly proportional, and once growth does not keep up with population growth, there will be a food crisis. Malthus believed that population grows geometrically while food production grows arithmetically. That is to say, the growth of food production runs far behind the growth of population, and there is a serious contradiction between these two major needs of humanity. Therefore, Malthus's conclusion is pessimistic, and even desperate. If population is not strictly controlled, the power of population explosion will far exceed the ability of the earth to provide living materials for human beings over time, and human beings will live in poverty and despair. With such a large population in China and such a huge growth base, once a food crisis occurs, even if all the food for export in the world is bought up, it will be difficult to satisfy China's huge appetite.

在这种高度的危机感驱使下,中国研发和推广杂交稻、超级稻,绝非袁隆平的个人行为,也绝非他凭一己之カ所能完成的,而一直是国家保障粮食安全的战略。ー个拥有十三四亿人口的泱泱大国,偶尔冒出那么几个吃饱了肚子犯糊涂的人是难免的,但无论是国家还是在国家粮食安全中举足轻重的科学家,必须始终保持理智上的清醒,除了死死守住全国保持18亿亩耕地这条红线,中国的粮食增产若要赶超人口的增速,只有一条别无选择的路:通过提高单产来挖掘粮食增产的潜カ。而中国不是一个孤立于世界的国家,一旦发生了粮食危机,势必会对全球粮食市场产生传导效应。据国外专业机构评估,中国只要有5%的粮食波动,就会对国际粮食市场产生重大冲击。反过来看,设若中国过分依赖国际市场,就会受制于人,等于把自己的脖子伸出来任人宰割。

Driven by this high sense of crisis, the research and promotion of hybrid rice and super rice in China is by no means Yuan Longping's personal behavior, nor is it something he could accomplish on his own, but has always been a national strategy to ensure food security. In a great country with a population of 1.3 billion to 4 billion people, it is inevitable that occasionally there will be a few people who are fed and confused. However, both the country and scientists who play an important role in national food security must always keep rational sobriety. In addition to firmly guarding the red line of maintaining 1.8 billion mu of arable land nationwide, there is only one choice for China to increase grain production to catch up with population growth: to tap the potential of grain production increase by increasing the yield per unit area. China is not an isolated country in the world. Once a food crisis occurs, it will inevitably have a spillover effect on the global food market. According to assessments by foreign professional organizations, a 5% fluctuation in China's grain supply would have a significant impact on the international grain market. On the other hand, if China relies too much on the international market, it will be subject to others, which means sticking out its neck and being trampled upon by others.

2013年12月,中央经济工作会议提出了 2014年经济工作的主要任务,“切实保障国家粮食安全”首次跃升为六大任务之首,粮食安全被提升至2014年国家一号战略。
2015年7月1日,《国家安全法》正式通过并实施。将粮食安全列入《国家安全法》,再次凸显了国家粮食安全的战略地位。

In December 2013, the Central Economic Work Conference put forward the main tasks of economic work in 2014, which made "to effectively ensure national food security" the top of the six major tasks for the first time, and food security was elevated to the No. 1 national strategy in 2014.
On July 1, 2015, the National Security Act was officially passed and implemented. Including food security in the National Security Act once again highlights the strategic importance of national food security.

2016年中央一号文件又是ー个以“三农”问题为主题的文件,一个贯穿始终的亮点就是“用新理念引领农业农村发展”,提出要“持续夯实现代农业基础,提高农业质量效益和竞争力”，“让农业成为充满希望的朝阳产业”，“强化现代农业科技创新推广体系建设”。文件还将“加快推进现代种业发展”单作一条,提出要“加快推进现代种业发展。大力推进育繁推一体化,提升种业自主创新能力,保障国家种业安全，，ー这对推进现代种业发展有非常重要的意义,国家种业安全,是保障国家粮食安全、关乎食品安全的第一前提。

The No.1 Central Document in 2016 is another document with the theme of "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers", and one of the highlights throughout is "using new concepts to lead the development of agriculture and rural areas". It proposed to "continuously strengthen the foundation of modern agriculture, improve the quality, efficiency and competitiveness of agriculture" to "make agriculture a promising sunrise industry", and "strengthen the construction of modern agricultural science and technology innovation and promotion system". The document also singled out "accelerating the development of modern seed industry" as a separate item, and proposed to "accelerate the development of modern seed industry and vigorously promote the integration of cultivating, breeding and promoting to enhance the seed industry's independent innovation capacity, to protect the national seed industry security" - this is very important to promote the development of modern seed industry, and national seed industry security is the first premise of protecting national food security and ensuring food safety.

我一直觉得“粮食安全”是ー个根本不用解释的词语,安全就是没有威胁、没有危险、没有隐患、没有恐惧。所谓粮食安全,就是让人类免于饥饿的威胁、危险、隐患和恐惧。对此,联合国粮农组织也有明确的定义,“保证任何人在任何时候都能得到为了生存和健康所需要的足够食物” 〇

I have always felt that "food security" is a term that needs no explanation, because safety means no threats, no danger, no hidden dangers, and no fear. So food security means to free humanity from the threats, dangers, hidden dangers, and fears of hunger. Therefore, the FAO has a clear definition of this, which is "to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient food for survival and health at all times".

布朗的预言在世界上一语成谶,随后发生的全球粮食危机验证了他并非杞人忧天,但在他最担心的中国却没有应验。中国能够举重若轻、化解危机,一直凭借着两大支撑,ー是国家保障粮食安全的政策支撑,ニ是不断促使粮食增产的科技支撑。从2003年那个拐点开始,我国粮食总产量在此后的12年里实现“十二连增”。据国家统计局发布的数据,2015年全国粮食总产量再次突破6000亿公斤大关（6214. 35亿公斤）,而中国人口总数也比2003年增长了近8000万人（达13.7亿人）。这多出的8000万人都是要吃饭的,由于我国的粮食增速赶上和超过了人口的增速,不但没有出现粮食危机,人均粮食占有量还大大提高了（从2003年的 333. 3公斤提高到了 450公斤）。一这里不妨把时间距离拉得更远ー些,到2015 年,中国人口已比中华人民共和国成立时翻了近三倍,但中国粮食总产量却翻了五倍,目前我国粮食人均占有量已高于世界平均水平,这绝非那篇报道声称的“所谓增产被减产填平” 了。应该说,以袁隆平为代表的中国杂交水稻科研队伍,没有辜负国人和世界的期望,从三系法、两系法到超级稻,他们ー步ー步地推动着粮食增产,用增产的粮食回答了布朗的发问。对此,袁隆平的欣慰之情溢于言表:“面对布朗先生的提问,我们可以郑重地回答,中国人不但能自己养活自己,还将有更多的优质稻米出口,养活世界上更多的人。”

Brown's prophecy came true in the world, and the global food crisis that followed verified that he was not a groundless worrywart, but it did not come true in China, where he was most worried. China has been able to overcome the crisis with two major supports: the national policy support to ensure food security, and the scientific and technological support to continuously increase food production. Since the turning point in 2003, China's total grain output has achieved a "twelve-year consecutive increase". According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the total grain output in China exceeded 600 billion kilograms (621.435 billion kilograms) in 2015, while the total population of China also increased by nearly 80 million people (to 1.37 billion) compared to 2003. Those extra 80 million people all need to eat, and because the growth rate of food in China has caught up and exceeded the growth rate of population, not only has there been no food crisis, but the per capita grain consumption has also greatly increased (from 333.3 kg in 2003 to 450 kg). It might be better to extend the time distance further. By 2015, China's population had nearly tripled since the founding of the People's Republic of China, but the total grain output had increased fivefold. Currently, China's per capita grain possession is higher than the world average. This is by no means the so-called "increased production being offset by reduced production" as claimed in that report. It should be said that China's hybrid rice research team, represented by Yuan Longping, has not let down the expectations of Chinese people and the world. From the three-line method, the two-line method to the super rice, they are pushing forward the increase in grain production step by step, and answering Brown's question with increased grain production. Yuan Longping's joy overflowed when he said, "In response to Mr. Brown's question, we can solemnly answer that the Chinese will not only be able to feed themselves, but will also export more high-quality rice to feed more people in the world."

我们不能关起门来算账,还得看看国际上的评说。英国经济学人智库最近发布的《2015年全球食物安全指数报告》,从食品价格承受力、食品供应能力和质量安全保障能力等三方面的安全指数进行评估,并有多达2?个严格的定性和定量指标。该智库根据这些指标ー项项进行测算和评估（共评估了 !09个国家）,美国的综合排名位居全球第一,新加坡和爱尔兰分别位列第二和第三位,中国位居第42 位。这份报告将中国列入“良好表现”ー档。但对这样ー个中上游的位次,也有国内意见人士不太满意,“这与我们日益塑造的大国形象完全不符合,我们是世界第二大经济体,而在食品安全上却远远逊色于其他发达国家”。但国际人士却不这么看,中国作为ー个发展中国家,人均GDP在这100多个国家中排名第52位,而在食品安全上却是“为数不多的食物安全水平大幅超越其社会富裕程度的国家之一”。

We cannot settle accounts behind closed doors but to consider the international opinions. The Economist Intelligence Unit recently released the "2015 Global Food Security Index Report", which assesses a three-pronged security index in terms of food affordability, food availability, as well as food quality and safety assurance, with up to 27 strict qualitative and quantitative indicators. The think tank measured and evaluated each of these indicators (evaluating a total of 109 countries). The United States ranks first in the world in comprehensive rankings, Singapore and Ireland rank second and third respectively, and China ranks 42nd. This report ranks China as having a "good performance". However, there are domestic opinion makers who are not satisfied with such a mid-to-high ranking, saying "This is completely inconsistent with the image of a great power that we are increasingly shaping. We are the world's second largest economy, but we are far behind other developed countries in food safety." However, international experts see it differently. As a developing country, China ranks 52nd in terms of per capita GDP among these more than 100 countries, but in terms of food safety, it is "one of the few countries, whose food safety level far exceeds its level of social affluence."

中国粮食能取得这样的成就,袁隆平倍感欣慰,却并不乐观,作为一个比我父亲还年长1〇多岁的前辈,他ー再告诫我们:“粮食如果出问题,就是全局性的问题, 千万不要以为现在粮食多,价格也便宜,就认为粮食生产不重要了,农民种粮的积极性高不高没关系了。全国13亿人,人口基数太大,不能盲目乐观,不能掉以轻心,那种认为现在粮食多就可以不抓粮食生产的想法,很危险!”他感觉自己头上有ー个紧箍咒,那就是他念念不忘的、为时不远的中国人口峰值,“到2030年,我国人口将达到16亿,怎样才能保证我国60%的以稻米为主食的人口有饭吃?粮食问题始终是戴在我们头上的一道紧箍咒,而要解开这道紧箍咒,唯有提高单位面积产量!”这是从深重的忧患到认准了的一条路,他语重心长地说:“中国多一点粮食不怕,若少一点粮食,你试试看!关键时刻,一粒小小的粮食,将绊倒巨大的中国!”鉴于此,中国一直奉行“以我为主、立足国内、确保产能、适度进口、科技支撑”的国家粮食安全战略,这也是袁隆平一再疾呼的“中国人必须把饭碗牢牢端在自己手里!”

China's grain industry has achieved such success, which makes Yuan Longping feel gratified but not optimistic. As a senior who is more than 10 years older than my father, he repeatedly cautions us, sayting "if there is a problem with food, it will be a systemic problem. We must not reckon that now there is plenty of food with low prices, so food production is not important, and whether farmers are enthusiastic about growing food is irrelevant." With a population of 1.3 billion people in the country, the population base is so large that we cannot be blindly optimistic and let our guard down. The idea that having plenty of food now means that we don't need to focus on food production is very dangerous!" And he felt as if he had a tight curse on his head, the peak of China's population, which he could not forget and was not far away. "By 2030, China's population will reach 1.6 billion. How can we ensure that 60% of our population, who mainly eat rice, have enough to eat? The food problem has always been a magic spell on our heads, and the only way to break the spell is to increase the yield per unit area! From deep worries to a determined path, he said with great emphasis: "China is not afraid of having more food, but could not try less food!" At a critical moment, a small grain of food will trip up the huge China! In view of this, China has always pursued the national food security strategy of "putting ourselves first, relying on domestic resources, ensuring production capacity, importing moderately, and being supported by science and technology". This is also the repeated call of Yuan Longping that "Chinese people must firmly hold their own rice bowls!"

饱汉不知饿汉饥,不了解过去,就无法认识现在,更难以理解ー个“杂交水稻之父”深重的忧患意识。“国以农为本,民以食为天”,以农立国的中国先人,早已道出农业和粮食于国于民之重要,然而数千年来,饥饿始终是中华民族难以化解的最大难题,中国是ー个具有悠久农耕文明的国度,由于耕地太少,中国不可能采取广种薄收的方式,勤劳的中国农民也一直以精耕细作的方式春播秋收,然而传统的农耕所造就的农业发展水平一直极为低下,约有80%的人口,长期处于饥饿和半饥饿的状态,一旦遭遇天灾人祸,更是饿殍遍野。反观中国历史上的每一次大饥荒, 又无不酿成大规模的农民起义。中国农民,土生土长的土命,他们朴实、本分、沉默、隐忍、宽容、和平,只要嘴里还含着最后一粒活命的谷子,他们就绝不会把他们的镰头、锄头、镰刀和斧头当作起义的武器。只有当饿死成为必然,更准确地说,只有在饿死和在别的死亡方式中做出最本能的生命选择时,反叛オ会成为农民在耕耘之外的另一条活路,换句话说,他们选择了一条比成为饿殍要痛快得多的死路。中国的农民起义,换句话说就是饥民起义,中国的红色革命,换言之就是土地革命。而饥民起义和土地革命,说到底就是为了粮食,为了争取最基本的生存保障,所谓精神食粮,哪怕再高,也高不过生命的价值和人民的生存权。

A well-fed person does not understand the hunger of a starving person. Without understanding the past, one cannot know the present, and it is even more difficult to comprehend the deep sense of anxiety of the 'father of hybrid rice'. The saying goes, 'Agriculture is the foundation of a country, and food is the paramount necessity of the people.' The ancestors of China, who established the country through agriculture, had already recognized the importance of agriculture and food to the country and the people. However, for thousands of years, hunger has always been the biggest problem that the Chinese nation has been unable to solve. China is a country with a long history of agricultural civilization, but due to the scarcity of arable land, the way of broad planting and low harvest is not allowed. Hardworking Chinese farmers have always used meticulous farming methods to sow in spring and harvest in autumn. However, the traditional farming methods have resulted in extremely low levels of agricultural development, with about 80% of the population living in a state of long-term hunger or semi-hunger. Once they encounter natural disasters or man-made calamities, famine becomes widespread. On the other hand, every great famine in Chinese history led to a large-scale peasant uprising. Chinese farmers, born and raised on the farmland, are simple, down-to-earth, silent, patient, tolerant, and peaceful. As long as they still have the last grain of survival in their mouths, they will never use their hoes, sickles, and axes as weapons of uprising. Only when starvation becomes inevitable, or more precisely, only when the most instinctive choice of life needs to be made between death by starvation or death by other means, will uprising become another way for peasants besides farming. In other words, they have chosen a much more forthright way than starving to death. The peasant uprisings in China, in other words, are famine uprisings, and the red revolution in China, in other words, is the land revolution. The peasant uprisings and land revolution, ultimately, were for the sake of food, which is the most basic guarantee of survival. The so-called spiritual sustenance, no matter how high it is valued, cannot surpass the value of life and the right to survival of people.

如今中国已进入消费时代,连袁隆平和杂交水稻都成为媒体和舆论消费的对象。这是ー个脍炙人口的膏腴时代,ー个物资过剩的时代,ー个富足得需要节食减肥的时代。尤其是20世纪80年代后出生的人,他们没有经历过动乱、饥荒和剧烈的历史震荡,很多人对饥饿是无感的,对吃饭甚至是厌腻的。但那些拼命想要减肥的人也许不知道,肥胖,其实也是一种饥饿的后遗症。那曾经像瘟疫ー样四处蔓延的饥荒,在丰衣足食的日子里似乎被人遗忘了,但那只是ー种暂时处于休眠状态的假象,哪怕没有经历过饥荒岁月的人,也会从父母乃至更久远的祖辈身上遗传饥饿基因,这是瑞士和法国科学家的发现。试验证明,饥饿基因既受身体需求的影响, 也受环境因素的影响,能够条件反射地发出饥饿信号〇譬如说,那些经历过饥饿和半饥饿的人们,往往特别容易发胖,那就是饥饿基因在起作用,一旦能吃饱饭了,身体就会本能地聚积脂肪,以抵挡下ー轮可能发生的饥饿。

作为ー个20世纪60年代出生的过来人,我觉得对年轻一代提醒一下是有必要的,但我没有一点责备的意思,甚至很理解这一代人,饥饿时代的悲惨境遇,膏腴时代的生活图谱,自然会出现代际差异,一切价值都在重新评估。只是,当你重估一切价值的时候,是否重估过饥饿与死亡的代价?哪怕到了今天,贫穷问题依然是当今世界最尖锐的社会问题之ー,贫困与饥饿并非绝版的故事。至2015年,全世界依然有超过7亿的极端贫困人口,而中国占了 1/10。据国家统计局公开发布的数据,2014年全国农村贫困人口超过了 7000万,而国家扶贫办国际合作和社会扶贫司又公开指出“中国现有8000多万贫困人口”。谁都知道,贫困与饥饿是紧密相连的,按!998年诺贝尔经济学奖获得者阿玛蒂亚・汤森的界定,“所有居民中那些缺乏获得各种食物、参加社会活动和最起码的生活与社交条件的资源的个人、家庭和群体”就是贫困人口。
Nowadays, China has entered an era of consumption, and even Yuan Longping and hybrid rice have become consumption objects of media and public opinion. This is an era of abundance, where there is an excess of material goods and people are in need of dieting and weight loss. Especially for those born after the 1980s, they have not experienced turmoil, famine, and severe historical shocks. Therefore, many people are insensitive to hunger and even disgusted with food. But those who desperately want to lose weight may not know that obesity is actually a kind of sequela of hunger. The famine that once spread like a plague seems to have been forgotten in the days of plenty, but it is only a temporary dormant state. Even those who have not experienced famine will inherit hunger genes from their parents and even more distant ancestors, according to Swiss and French scientists' findings. Experiments have shown that hunger genes are influenced by both bodily needs and environmental factors, and can conditionally reflexively emit hunger signals. For example, people who have experienced hunger or semi-hunger are often particularly prone to obesity, which means that the hunger gene is at work. Once they can eat enough, their bodies will instinctively accumulate fat to resist the next possible round of hunger.
As someone born in the 1960s, I feel it is necessary to remind the younger generation of it, but I do not mean to blame them. I even understand this generation. Comparison between the miserable situation in the hungry era and the life map in the affluent era will naturally lead to intergenerational differences and all values are being re-evaluated. However, when you reassess all values, have you reassessed the cost of hunger and death? Even today, poverty remains one of the most acute social problems in the world, and poverty and hunger are not outdated stories. As of 2015, there were still over 700 million people living in extreme poverty worldwide, with one-tenth of them in China. According to data publicly released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of rural poor population in China exceeded 70 million in 2014, while the Department of International Cooperation and Social Poverty Alleviation of Poverty Alleviation Office of The State Council publicly stated that there are over 80 million poor people in China. Everyone knows that poverty and hunger are closely related. According to the definition of Amartya Sen, the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics, "individuals, families, and groups among all residents who lack access to various foods, social activities, and at least basic living and social conditions" are considered poor.

据新华社2015年6月24日的ー则报道,半年来,新华社派出九支调查小分队,分头前往中西部贫困地区,实地体察父老乡亲的生活状况。“推开一扇破旧的木门,记者让眼睛适应一会儿,オ逐渐看清了屋内情形:屋子分成两半,左侧是牛圈,杂草上散落着牛粪,空气中弥漫着一股刺鼻的味道。右侧是人住的地方,借着手机光亮才能看到床铺块木板搭在四摞砖头上。屋中央,地面摆了三块砖, 上头架锅,底下烧柴,这就是炉灶。没有一张桌子,连个板凳都没见到。土墙被多年的炊烟熏得一片漆黑。一这,就是四川省大凉山区美姑县拉木阿觉乡马依村村民尔日书进的家。锅里煮了些土豆,便是他一家五口的午餐,有的土豆已经发了芽。对他们来说,吃米饭和肉是一件奢侈的事。大米每十天逢集时才能吃到;肉ー年最多吃三次,分别是彝族过年、汉族春节及彝族火把节……”这悲凉的情景,让记者伤心地感叹,“大凉山,ー个贫困样本”。这又何尝不是全国贫困人口生活现状的ー个样本。

According to a report by Xinhua News Agency on June 24, 2015, in the past six months, Xinhua News Agency has sent nine investigation teams to poverty-stricken areas in central and western China to conduct on-site inspections of the living conditions of local villagers. "After open a broken wooden door, the journalist adjusted his vision for a while before gradually seeing the situation inside the room: the room was divided into two halves, with a cattle pen on the left side, where cow dung was scattered on the weeds, exuding a pungent smell in the air. The right side is where people live, and only with the light from the phone can you see the bed - a wooden board placed on top of four stacks of bricks. In the center of the room, there are three bricks on the ground with a pot on top and firewood burning underneath, which is the stove. There is no a single table, not even a stool in sight. The adobe wall has been blackened by years of cooking smoke. This is the home of Erri Shujin, a villager from Mayi Village, Lamu Ajue Township, Meigu County, Daliang Mountain District, Sichuan Province, China. Some potatoes were boiled in the pot, which is the lunch for his family of five. Some of the potatoes have sprouted. For them, eating rice and meat is a luxury. Rice can only be eaten every ten days on market days; meat can be eaten at most three times a year, on the Yi New Year, the Han Spring Festival, and the Yi Torch Festival...". This bleak scene made the reporter sigh sadly, "Daliang Mountain, is a sample of poverty". This is also a sample of the current living conditions of the impoverished population in the country.

只有在理智上保持高度的清醒,才能穿过迷雾看清真相。袁隆平认为某些媒体有“居心不良”之嫌,我也觉得,ー个人在做出是非判断之前,不光要摸摸自己的脑袋,还要摸摸自己的心口。袁隆平为什么一直不遗余力地创造超高产的杂交稻? 为什么“被强化的是产量”?这还真是说对了!与其说“被强调的是产量”,不如说被强调的是国家的粮食安全、每个人的生命保障。如果说食品安全是“舌尖上的安全”,而粮食安全则关乎“舌尖上的安危”,先必须保证人人有饭吃,吃得饱,这是必须摆在首位的,必须一再强调和重申的,永远。在这个第一前提之下,才能谈如何吃得好。所谓“舌尖上的味道”,对于饥不择食的人是奢侈的,只有在吃饱肚子后才能细嚼慢咽,用舌尖去细细品味。

Only by maintaining a high level of sobriety in reason can one see the truth through the foggy reality. Yuan Longping believes that some media have the suspicion of "ulterior motives", and I also think that before making a judgment of right and wrong, a person not only needs to think with his or her head, but also needs to feel with his or her own heart. Why has Yuan Longping been tirelessly creating super high-yielding hybrid rice? Why is it "the yield that is emphasized"? That is really a good description! Rather than saying that it is "the yield that is emphasized", it is better to say that it is the national food security and the protection of every individual's life that are emphasized. If food safety is the "safety on the tip of the tongue", then food security is related to the "safety and danger on the tip of the tongue". Firstly, it is necessary to ensure that everyone has enough food to eat, which is the top priority and must be emphasized and reiterated forever. Only under this first premise can we talk about how to eat well. The so-called "taste on the tip of the tongue" is a luxury for those who are starving enough to eat anything. Only after being full can they savor the last piece slowly with their tongue and appreciate the taste.

当然,袁隆平在率领科研人员发起一轮又一轮攻关时,也并未像那篇报道所说的那样“被忽视的是质量”。这也是我接下来追踪的第二个焦点。从粮食安全到食品安全,又可以用两句话来概括:“民以食为天,食以安为先。”

Of course, when Yuan Longping led the research team to launch one after another round of research, he did not "neglect the quality" as stated in the report. This is also the second focus I will track next. From food security to food safety, it can be summarized in two sentences: "In terms of people, food is the first necessity; in terms of food, safety is the top priority."

从杂交稻到超级稻,吃了又是否安全呢?米质又怎么样呢?说来,杂交水稻的质量和产量一样,也是ー步ー步提升的。从杂交水稻第一个出发点看,袁隆平先生说得很明白,在我国粮食长期紧缺的特殊历史背景下,1976年杂交水稻开始在全国大面积推广,主要是为了提高产量,解决温饱问题,“我国是世界上第一个在生产上利用水稻杂种优势的国家,杂交稻比一般水稻每亩增产100公斤左右,1976年至 1991年全国累计种植杂交稻19亿多亩,增产粮食近2000亿公斤,由此可见,杂交水稻的推广,对解决我国11亿人口的温饱问题发挥了极其重要的作用”。随着温饱问题逐渐解决,中国人走向了一个丰衣足食的时代,ー个以前很少在中国出现的词开始流行起来一生活质量。以前是为了吃饱,现在还要吃好,人们希望能买到更好吃、营养更丰富的大米,而农民也必须种出更好的大米才能有经济效益。也就在这种背景下,对让很多人吃饱了肚子的杂交水稻,很少有人再说什么感恩的话。你不能说这些人不知好歹,更不能说他们是吃饱了撑的。袁隆平先生觉得这是入情入理的,生活质量日益提高了,对一日三餐都少不了的大米饭自然就有些挑剔了,这是人之常情,也是人类社会的进步。吃饭第一,人类的生活质量首先就是在饭碗里提高的。

From hybrid rice to super hybrid rice, is it safe to eat? What about the quality of rice? Generally speaking, the quality and yield of hybrid rice has also been gradually improving. From the first starting point of hybrid rice, Mr. Yuan Longping made it very clear that in the special historical background of long-term food shortage in China, hybrid rice began to be widely promoted nationwide in 1976, mainly to increase production and solve the problem of eating. "China is the first country in the world to use the rice heterosis in production, with hybrid rice yields about 100 kilograms per mu more than ordinary rice. From 1976 to 1991, more than 1.9 billion mu of hybrid rice was planted nationwide, increasing food production by nearly 200 billion kilograms. It can be seen that the promotion of hybrid rice has played an extremely important role in solving the food problem of China's 1.1 billion population. As the problem of eating gradually solved, Chinese people entered an era of abundance, with a phrase that was rarely seen in China before began to become popular - quality of life. It used to be about enough food, but now it is about quality food. People hope to buy rice that is more delicious and nutritious, and farmers must also grow better rice in order to have economic benefits. In this context, few people express gratitude for hybrid rice that has fed many people. You cannot say these people ungrateful, let alone saying they are just fed up and get bored. Mr. Yuan Longping thinks this is reasonable and logical that because of the improvement of living standards, people become more picky about the staple food of rice that is indispensable for three meals a day. This is a common human emotion, which also shows the progress of human society. Eating comes first. The quality of human life is primarily improved as changes shown in rice bowls.

在中国,谁都知道上海人的精明,尤其是他们对生活的讲究与细致,这里,就有ー个时常被拿来说事儿的话题。20世纪90年代初,上海一家米店有一天突然挂了ー个牌子,“今天不卖湖南米”。好家伙,一下就有很多人排队来买米。这家米店并未标明他们不卖的是湖南杂交稻米,但谁都知道湖南是杂交水稻的发源地,湖南米也就成了杂交稻的代名词,而杂交稻又成了劣质米的代名词。后来,一家报社还请了一些有头有脸的人物来座谈,有人说杂交稻是“三不稻”，“米不养人,糠不养猪,草不养牛”。随后,该报头版刊发了“座谈纪要”,惹起了一场不小的风波。在众声喧哗的推波助澜之下,且不说那些吃杂交稻的人,连ー些研究杂交稻的人也感到前景黯淡,随着人们对米质的要求越来越高,搞杂交稻似乎没有什么前途了。

In China, everyone knows that Shanghai people are shrewd, especially in their attention to detail and refinement in life. There is a topic that is often discussed. In the early 1990s, a rice shop in Shanghai suddenly hung a sign that read, "We're not selling Hunan rice today." Wow, there were many people lining up to buy rice all of a sudden. This rice shop did not indicate that they did not sell Hunan hybrid rice, but everyone knew that Hunan is the birthplace of hybrid rice, and Hunan rice has become synonymous with hybrid rice, and hybrid rice has become synonymous with inferior rice. Later, a newspaper also invited some influential people to have a discussion. Some people said that hybrid rice is the "three 'not' rice", which means "not to feed people with hybrid rice, not to feed pigs with its bran, and not to feed cows with its straw." Later, the front page of the newspaper published the 'minutes of the symposium', causing a considerable stir. Amidst the clamor of public opinion, not to mention those who eat hybrid rice, even some researchers of hybrid rice feel pessimistic about its prospects. With people's increasing demand for rice quality, it seems that there is no future in developing hybrid rice.

袁隆平不知经历了多少大风大浪,无论别人怎样兴风作浪,他都早已有一种 “曾经沧海难为水”的从容与淡定,但有一点他是毫不含糊的,那就是科学。ー个科学家,必须用科学的事实来说话。面对误解和偏见,他没有理直气壮地激辩,而是心平气和地摆事实,讲道理。为此,他甚至不是以一个科学家的身份,而是以ー个普通读者的身份给《人民日报》写了一封“读者来信”,这封信以《杂交稻既能高产又能优质》为题在1992年6月18日公开发表了。他坦承:“的确,在我国南方生产的稻谷中,有相当一部分米质较差,这主要是双季早稻,目前积压的稻谷以及历年来粮店出售的大米,大多数为这种早釉稻。杂交稻、常规稻与任何其他农作物ー样,品种不同,产量和品质是有差别的,有的甚至很悬殊。一般地说,大多数杂交稻品种的米质属于中等,其中也有个别杂交稻品种的米质较差,但绝不能以个别品种的优劣来概括一般。”此外,米质与季节也有关,袁隆平说:“双季晚稻和一季中稻一般品质较好,粮店偶尔出售这种稻米时,则出现排长队争购的现象,而杂交稻则占双季晚稻和中稻面积的80%左右,产量占90%以上,因此,说杂交稻属劣质米与事实不符。”他还举了一个在当时很有说服力的例子,如参与协作攻关的谢华安院士主持育成的杂交水稻新组合“汕优63 ”,就是ー个“最好的例证”,在当时这是全国种植面积最大、产量最高的ー个杂交稻品种,不仅产量高而且品质好,还被评为全国优质釉稻米,获得了国家科技进步一等奖。你能说这样的杂交稻米质不好吗?

I do not know how many ups and downs Yuan Longping has experienced. But no matter how others stir up trouble, he has already had a sense of calm and a nonchalant attitude of 'Since I have seen the great sea, other waters can never attract me'. But one thing he is absolutely certain about is science. A scientist must speak with scientific facts. Faced with misunderstandings and prejudices, he did not argue self-righteously, but calmly presented the facts and reasoned. For this reason, he even wrote a "reader's letter" to the People's Daily not as a scientist, but as an ordinary reader. This letter, titled 'Hybrid Rice Can Be Both High-Yielding and High-Quality,' was published on June 18, 1992. He admitted, "Indeed, in the southern part of our country, a considerable portion of rice has poor quality, which is mainly double-season early rice, and the current stockpiled rice, as well as the majority of rice sold in grain stores over the years are this type of early indica rice." Just like any other crops, hybrid rice and conventional rice, when different in varieties, will have different yields and quality, and among them some even show great disparity. Generally speaking, most hybrid rice varieties are with medium quality, and though there are also a few hybrid rice varieties with poor rice quality, it is not appropriate to generalize the quality of hybrid rice based on individual varieties. In addition, rice quality is also related to the season. Yuan Longping said: "The quality of double-season late rice and single mid-season rice is generally better. When grain stores occasionally sell this kind of rice, there is a phenomenon of queuing up to buy it. Hybrid rice accounts for about 80% of the area of double-season late rice and mid-season rice, and its output accounts for more than 90%. Therefore, it is not true to say that hybrid rice belongs to inferior rice." He also gave a convincing example at that time. The new combination of hybrid rice, "Shanyou 63", developed by academician Xie Hua'an, who participated in collaborative research, was the "best example". At that time, it was a hybrid rice variety with the largest planting area and the highest yield in the country. It was not only with high yield and good quality, but also rated as national high-quality indica rice, and won the first prize of national scientific and technological progress. Can you say that the quality such hybrid rice is not good?

看了这封“读者来信”,你不一定要懂得科学,你只要知道常识,就不会再说那样的怪话,除非你真的跟自己的肚子过不去。袁隆平既以科学事实澄清了真相,又以科学的方式揭示了杂交水稻可持续发展的趋势,杂交水稻不但蕴藏着巨大的增产潜カ,其米质还有一步ー步提升的空间。一如常言道,没有最好,只有更好。为了让人类吃到更有品质的优质杂交稻米,袁隆平当时在不断挖掘增产潜力的同时, 也一直在不遗余力地寻找既高产又优质的杂交组合。但当时由于杂交水稻研究还处于初级阶段,也就是三系杂交稻时代,由于其系统内存在遗传制约,那时候要选育ー个优良杂交组合非常困难。几年后,随着两系杂交稻问世,如同进入了优势组合的自由王国,又加之幅员辽阔的中国有丰富的优质遗传资源可以利用,还可以利用国际上的资源,选育优良组合的概率大大提高了。

When reading this "reader's letter", you do not necessarily have to understand science but just need to know common sense, and then you will not say such strange things again, unless you really have a hard time with your own stomach. Yuan Longping not only clarified the truth with scientific facts, but also revealed the trend of sustainable development of hybrid rice scientifically. Hybrid rice not only has huge potential for increasing yield, but also has room for step-by-step improvement in rice quality. As the saying goes, there is no best, only better. In order to provide humans with higher quality hybrid rice, Yuan Longping continuously explored the potential for increased production while tirelessly searching for hybrid combinations that were both high-yielding and high-quality. However, at that time, research on hybrid rice was still in its early stages, that is, the era of three-line hybrid rice, and due to genetic constraints within the system, it was very difficult to breed a superior hybrid combination. A few years later, with the advent of two-line hybrid rice, it was like entering a free kingdom of advantageous combinations. Coupled with the vast territory of China, which has abundant high-quality genetic resources that can be utilized, as well as international resources, the probability of breeding excellent combinations has greatly increased.

这里又要说到袁隆平的助手周坤炉了,他利用出国进行技术指导和合作研究的机会,大量收集优质水稻的亲本材料,凭自己用嘴咀嚼的感觉,选择具有香味的优良单株。回国之后,他ー头扎进优质香型杂交水稻研究中,先后育成了香稻不育系和用香稻不育配组成“香优63”等系列组合,为了早日定型育成新的优良组合, 他打破常规,不断更新育种技术,一年种植四季,创造了水稻育种史上的新纪录,终于育成了既高产、优质,又抗性好,而且稻穗上结出香与不香两种籽粒的杂交香稻, 其稻米是食用时再不需要掺和的香米,被誉为超级香米、超泰米,其食味有口皆碑, 超过泰国米。到1999年,“香优63”推广种植达!00万亩以上。除了这ー优质杂交稻品种,在袁隆平的指导下,由尹华奇研究员培育的优质两系杂交早釉组合一 “香两优68 ”,米质优良,米饭清香柔软,作为两系法杂交稻,在20世纪90年代的产量也不低了,亩产超过500公斤,堪称高产优质杂交稻。

Here we have to mention Zhou Kunlu, Yuan Longping's assistant. He took the opportunity of going abroad for technical guidance and collaborative research, collected many parent materials of high-quality rice, and selected excellent single plants with fragrance based on his own chewing feeling. After returning to the country, he plunged into the research of high-quality fragrant hybrid rice, and successively bred fragrant rice sterile lines and series combinations such as 'Xiangyou 63'. In order to develop new excellent combinations as soon as possible, he broke the routine, constantly updated breeding techniques, planted four seasons a year, and created a new record in the history of rice breeding. Finally, he bred a hybrid fragrant rice which is not only with high yield, high quality and good resistance, but also with fragrant and non-fragrant hybrid grains on the rice ears, and no longer needs to be mixed with others when eaten. The rice is known as super fragrant rice and super Thai rice, and its taste is well known and exceeds that of Thai rice. By 1999, the promotion and cultivation of 'Xiangyou 63' had exceeded 1 million mu. In addition to this high-quality hybrid rice variety, under the guidance of Yuan Longping, the high-quality two-line hybrid early indica combination "Xiangliangyou 68" cultivated by researcher Yin Huaqi has excellent rice quality, fragrant and soft rice, and as a two-line hybrid rice, its yield in the 1990s was also not low, with a yield of more than 500 kilograms per mu, which can be called high-yield and high-quality hybrid rice.

尤其是进入超级稻时代后,从第一期到第四期超级稻,不只是产量节节攀升, 米质也越来越好。超级稻的米质怎么样,我说了不算,媒体说了不算,哪怕袁隆平先生说了也不算。谁说了算?国家有严格的检测标准。如袁隆平选用的攻关苗头品种“Y两优1号”“Y两优2号”均达到了国颁三级以上优质米标准,而率先突破 1000公斤的大关的“Y两优900”,其主要米质指标更是达到了国颁ー级优质米标准。凡是经国家严格把关、审定通过的杂交水稻品种,普遍具有丰富的营养,稻米中含有维生素、铁等有利于人体健康的物质。但像我等升斗小民,大多把米质混同于单纯的口感、口味了,这样一来就比较复杂了,由于每个人从小生活的环境不同, 饮食习惯不同,自然养成了不同的口味,对米好不好吃就仅凭舌尖上的感觉了。

Especially after entering the era of super rice, from the first to the fourth phase of super rice, not only has the yield of hybrid rice been increasing, but the quality of rice has also been improving. In terms of how the quality of super rice is, it is not my opinion, nor the media's, and even not Mr. Yuan Longping's that counts. So, who has the final say? The country has strict testing standards. The varieties of "Y Liangyou 1" and "Y Liangyou 2" selected by Yuan Longping have both reached the national third-level or above high-quality rice standards, while the "Y Liangyou 900" which first broke through the 1,000 kg yield per mu, has even reached the national first-level high-quality rice standard in terms of its main rice quality indicators. Hybrid rice varieties that have been strictly screened and approved by the state are generally with rich nutrition, and contains substances, such as vitamins and iron, beneficial to human health. But for someone like me, as one of ordinary folks, I almost confuse the quality of rice with its taste and flavor. And this makes it more complicated to evaluate the quality of rice, because everyone has grown up in different environments and developed different tastes due to their eating habits. So whether rice is good or not depends solely on the feeling on one's tongue.

譬如说像生长于洞庭湖畔的湖南人,从小到大吃惯了釉米,那里甚至管这种米叫仙米。而杂交稻中的晚釉米,一直最对我的胃口,那细长的或椭圆形的米粒,像ー粒粒透明的或半透明的小珍珠,煮出来的米饭软韧有劲而不黏,细腻可口,还有ー股清香,我觉得非常好吃。但我用这种米饭来招待从小生长在北方的朋友,他们却觉得不对胃口,甚至觉得吃米饭伤胃。可见,如果没有一个统ー的米质标准,对ー个水稻品种的评判就只能因人而异了,也就没有什么标准了。如法式大餐名列世界西餐之首,你要我品尝一次还挺新鲜,你要我连吃三餐绝对受不了,但我不怪人家味道不好,是我不习惯那个味道。因此,米质只能以国家的检测为标准,不能以个人的口味为标准,否则就乱套了。

For example, Hunanese people who grow up near Dongting Lake are accustomed to eating indica rice from childhood to adulthood, and even call this type of rice 'Xianmi'. And my favorite rice has always been the late-season indica rice among hybrid rice. The slender or oval grains, like transparent or semi-transparent small pearls, are soft and chewy but not sticky when cooked, delicate and delicious with a hint of fragrance. I think it is very tasty. But when I use this type of rice to treat my friends who grow up in the north, they feel it does not suit their taste and even think that eating rice hurts their stomach. Therefore, it can be seen that without a unified standard for rice quality, the evaluation of a rice variety can only be subjective and there may be nothing called standard. Taking French cuisine as another example, though it ranks first among Western cuisine in the world, it is quite good for me to taste it once, but I definitely cannot stand eating it three meals in a row. However, I would not blame the taste for being bad, rather, it is just that I am not used to it. Therefore, the quality of rice can only be measured by national standards, not by personal taste, otherwise it will be chaotic.

哪怕是同一品种,怎么种,在哪儿种,在什么时候种,也有千差万别。前几年, 广东一度抵制湖南大米,一下又连累了杂交稻,因为在这种杂交稻米里检测出了重金属超标。这其实又是城门失火、殃及池鱼了。重金属是否超标,与种子没有一毛钱的关系,如果你那稻田里的土壤或灌溉用水重金属超标,哪怕你种的是来自太空的种子,也会出现重金属超标。但一般人不管这些,尤其在情绪失控之下,总是直接指向某某品种又出了问题,而天底下几乎所有的杂交稻、超级稻都和袁隆平有关系,而一旦扯上了袁隆平和杂交稻,就是爆炸性新闻。一粒种子,ー个“杂交水稻之父”,不知为此而背了多少黑锅。袁隆平很少为自己辩白,他也没有那么多时间和精力。但他一直在强调,一粒种子很重要,但还必须采取良种、良法、良田、良态等 “四良配套”,良种是核心,良法是手段,也就是良好的栽培技术。若要高产优质, 还要有良田,土地要肥沃,排灌要方便,水土要保证干净无污染。还有一个因素也很重要,就是要有良好的气候和生态环境。为什么泰国米质好,ー个重要原因就是那里的气候和生态条件优越,环境保护好。又以越南为例,他们也是典型的“杂交稻,隆平造”,可他们的米质也很好,这也是由于他们的生态条件和环境保护都比我们优越。中国并不缺少良田、良态,但这几十年来,多少良田沃土、大河小溪、自然生态都难逃被破坏、被玷污的命运。这是一粒种子和一个“杂交水稻之父”都无能为カ的,袁隆平也一直在为保护耕地、保护生态环境而奔走疾呼。而他能掌握主动权的,ー是培育出优良的种子,再就是按良田、良态的标准选择超级稻攻关示范片, 采用良法精耕细作。其实,这不只是狭义的超级稻攻关示范片,也是打造现代绿色生态农业的标本。

Even for the same variety, how it is grown, where it is grown, and when it is grown can vary greatly. A few years ago, Guangdong initiated a boycott against Hunan rice due to high levels of heavy metals found in the hybrid rice. This posed a significant problem for the hybrid rice industry. Actually, this is just another instance of "A fire on the city gate brings disaster to the fish in the moat." Whether the heavy metals exceed the standard has nothing to do with seeds. If the soil or irrigation water in paddy fields contains high levels of heavy metals that exceed the standard, even if the planted seeds are from space, the heavy metals will also exceed the standard. But most people do not care about this, especially when their emotions are out of control. They always point out that there is something wrong with a certain variety, and since almost all hybrid rice and super hybrid rice in the country are related to Yuan Longping, once Yuan Longping and hybrid rice are involved, it is explosive news. I do not know how many unjust accusations a seed and a "father of hybrid rice" have suffered for this. Yuan seldom defends himself, and he also does not have much time and energy. However, he has always stressed that a seed is very important, but it is necessary to adopt "four good supporting facilities" including improved varieties, good methods, fertile farmland and healthy environment. Improved varieties are the core and good methods are the means, that is, good cultivation techniques. If we want high yield and quality, we also need good farmland with fertile soil, convenient irrigation and drainage, and unpolluted soil and water. Another factor that is also very important is to have a good climate and ecological environment. An important reason for the good quality of rice in Thailand is that the climate and ecological conditions there are superior, and the environment is well protected. Take Vietnam as an example. They also plant typical "hybrid rice made by Longping", but their rice quality is very good, and that is also because their ecological conditions and environmental protection are superior to ours. There is originally no shortage of fertile land and good environment in China, but in recent decades, much fertile farmland, rivers and streams, and natural ecology cannot escape the fate of being destroyed and defiled. This is something that neither a seed nor a "father of hybrid rice" can do, and Yuan Longping has been campaigning for the protection of cultivated land and ecological environment. What he can do on his own initiative is to breed excellent seeds, and then select demonstration fields for super hybrid rice research according to the standards of fertile land and good conditions, and adopt good methods for intensive cultivation. In fact, those are not only demonstration fields for super hybrid rice research in a narrow sense, but also good examples for building modern green ecological agriculture.

每次见到袁隆平先生,他都要我尝尝他们超级稻的味道,“我们那个亩产!000 公斤的超级稻,我已经给!00多人吃过了,都说ロ感非常好”〇这时候的袁隆平,一脸天真无邪的表情,就像个热情好客的孩子,在炫耀他们家里有什么好吃的。袁隆平的热情好客也是有口皆碑的,他带出来的博士研究生邓启云,是“Y两优”系列的主持研发者,他还扮演了一个有趣的角色:煮饭者。每次要招待客人吃饭,袁老师便ー个劲地喊他:“启傍子,快去淘米煮饭,把你最好的大米拿出来,把你的看家本领使出来!”还别说,这个角色还真非邓启云莫属,袁隆平从第二期到第四期超级稻的攻关品种,都是选用“Y两优”系列,而目前产量最高、米质最优的就是袁隆平说的那个亩产!000公斤、口感非常好的超级稻一“ Y两优900” 〇在邓启云的汽车尾箱里,就放着小袋包装的“ Y两优900”样品,他还送了我ー袋,让我尝ー尝。我两次在湖南杂交水稻研究中心长时间驻点采访,每餐吃的都是超级稻米饭。在食堂里吃饭的人很多,很多都是国外来参加杂交水稻技术培训的学员,我们吃的是大锅饭,但那米饭还真是好吃,也许是特别对我的胃口吧,我连一粒米饭都不会剩下, 觉得剩饭简直是暴殄天物了。我也偷偷观察着那些国外的学员,他们饭量很大,一大碗热腾腾的米饭都堆成尖儿了。他们吃不惯火辣辣的湖南菜,有的人就光吃饭, 但没有谁狼吞虎咽,都是一口一口地品咂、咀嚼,看那有滋有味的样子,我也觉得挺享受。

Every time I see Mr. Yuan Longping, he asks me to taste their super rice. "I have had over 100 people eat our super hybrid rice, which has a yield of 1,000 kg per mu, and they all say it tastes very good." While talking, Yuan Longping, with an innocent expression on his face, was like a hospitable child, showing off what delicious food they had at home. Yuan Longping's hospitality is also well-known. Deng Qiyun, his doctoral student, is the lead developer of the "Y Liangyou" series, and he also plays an interesting role: a cook. Whenever he wants to entertain guests for dinner, Mr. Yuan will keep calling him: " Qi Yazi, please go to wash rice and cook for us, take out your best rice, and bring out your mastery!" Well, this role really belongs to Deng Qiyun. The key varieties of super rice in Yuan's research from the second stage to the fourth stage are all from "Y Liangyou" series. At present, the super hybrid rice with the highest yield and the best rice quality is the one with a yield of 1,000 kg per mu and very good taste mentioned by Yuan Longping-"Y Liangyou 900". In the trunk of Deng Qiyun's car, there is a sample of "Y Liangyou 900" packed in a small bag, and he also gave me a bag for me to try. I stayed in Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center for a long time twice, and I ate super hybrid rice for every meal in the canteen of it. There were many people eating in the canteen, many of whom are foreign students who came to participate in hybrid rice technical training. We ate rice cooked in a big pot, but it really tasted delicious. Maybe it was especially to my appetite. I could not even leave a grain of rice because I think the rice is simply precious that cannot be leftovers. I also secretly observed those foreign students who ate a lot, and piled up hot rice to the top into a big bowl. They could not get used to the spicy Hunan cuisine, and some of them only eat rice, with nobody gobbling it up. They all tasted and chewed it mouthful by mouthful, which I also enjoyed when I looked at them.

袁隆平先生讲起,有一次他去香港,见到了一位港商。这位港商对袁隆平毕恭毕敬,却从来没吃过袁隆平发明的杂交稻米,一直只吃泰国米。袁隆平就笑着问他,想不想尝尝中国超级杂交稻的味道?这位港商出于礼貌也不好谢绝。那顿饭, 就是用袁隆平带来的ー小包超级稻米煮的。看得出,那位港商开始只是想尝ー尝, 这ー尝,那筷子就停不下了,整整吃了两碗饭。眼看着还剩下ー小碗饭,他抚着肚子笑着说,这大米饭真是太好吃了,比泰国米还好吃,可惜再也吃不下了。袁隆平也陪着他笑笑,心想人家毕竟是客人,他这样夸奖也许带着一种礼貌和客套。但这位港商告辞时,竟然要来了一个饭盒,将剩下的米饭颗粒不剩地装下了,说是要带给家人尝ー尝。袁隆平心想,这就不是礼貌和客套了,看来这超级稻还真是对他的胃口。

Mr. Yuan Longping told about a time when he went to Hong Kong and met a Hong Kong businessman. The Hong Kong businessman was respectful to Yuan Longping, but he had never eaten hybrid rice invented by Yuan Longping, and had only eaten Thai rice. So, Yuan Longping smiled and asked him whether he wanted to taste the flavor of China's super hybrid rice. Out of courtesy, this Hong Kong businessman could not refuse. That meal was cooked with a small bag of super hybrid rice brought by Yuan Longping. The Hong Kong businessman just wanted to taste it at first. But after his taste, he could not stop eating, and have two bowls of rice. Seeing that there was still a small bowl of rice left, he caressed his stomach and said with a smile, "This rice is really delicious, better than Thai rice, but I could not eat it anymore now." Yuan Longping also smiled with him, thinking that the man is a guest after all, and he may praise the rice with a kind of courtesy. However, when the Hong Kong businessman was about to leave, he brought a lunch box from somewhere and packed the remaining rice grains, saying that he wanted to bring them to his family for a taste. Yuan Longping thought that the man might not do this only because of politeness. It seemed that this super rice was really to his appetite.

每次讲起这个故事,袁隆平先生都有一番感慨,那神情与言谈间也充满了欣慰:“过去认为,产量高的米质不好,米质好的产量不高,这是片面的。在20世纪, 我们杂交稻确实主要是解决温饱问题,以产量为主,品质放在次要地位,现在大家生活水平提高了,老百姓不满足于吃饱,还要吃好,所以我们在进入新世纪的时候就做了战略调整,要高产优质,但是我有个前提,不以牺牲产量为代价来求优质,我们要在高产的前提下求优质,这个转变难度很大,但我们做到了。”

Every time he tells this story, Mr. Yuan Longping has some feelings, and his expression and speech are full of joy: "In the past, it was thought that the rice with high yield was not good, and the yield with good rice quality was not high, which was one-sided. In the 20th century, our hybrid rice in fact was mainly bred to solve food shortage, with yield put first and quality second. But now people's living standards have improved, and they are not just satisfied with eating enough but also want to eat well. Therefore, when we entered the new century, we made strategic adjustments to achieve high yield and high quality. However, I made it under a premise that we should not seek quality at the expense of yield. We must seek quality on the premise of high yield. This change is very difficult, but we have done it."

然而,那篇报道里却没有提及杂交稻、超级稻达到了国颁优质稻标准,我相信这不是故意的,也许是没有注意到,但他们援引日本农林水产省研究员Hiroshi Na- kan。博士的话来证明超级稻“重量不重质”。1981年日本发展超级稻是为了“feed�ing animals^ （喂牲口）,因此オ会“重量不重质”，2013年,日本超级稻的产量为11 万吨,全部用于动物饲料,然而中国在发展超级稻应对粮食安全时,并没有提及这一至关重要的差异。此言ー出,又是ー个爆炸性新闻,在国内一下炸锅了。这也深深刺痛了国人敏感的神经,太伤中国人的自尊了,超级稻竟然是日本人用来喂牲口的,而袁隆平带头发展超级稻,这不是把中国人都当牲口吗?冷静,这时候千万要冷静,因为他们说的是大实话。事实上,很多国家都把稻米、小麦、玉米等三大谷物都用来做饲料,无论是常规稻还是超级稻,只要人能吃的,也是牲口能吃的,常言道,人畜一般嘛。据布朗在《谁来养活中国》一文中分析,随着中国人的生活从温饱走向小康,膳食结构必然会从谷物转向多样化,而肉、奶、蛋、禽、鱼等动物性食品的产出,需要更多的粮食转化,因此造成了对粮食的更大需求,ー吨猪肉约需要消耗四吨粮食。尽管人类习惯于把动物的食物称为饲料,但饲料和粮食在营养上并没有本质的差别,一切生命都不能缺乏营养。哪怕日本人真是用超级稻来喂牲口, 也不必大惊小怪,优质的饲料可以生产出优质的肉、奶、蛋、禽、鱼等动物性食品,这也同样是供人类食用的。关键是,那种有高产能力的“饲料稻”如果像那篇报道声称的“重量不重质”,那些追求高品质生活的日本人,不ー样也在吃低劣的动物性食品吗?

However, in that report, it did not mention that hybrid rice and super hybrid rice had reached the national standard of high-quality rice. I believe this was not intentional, or perhaps it was not noticed, but they quoted Dr. HiroshiNa-kano, a researcher from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as saying that the breeding of super rice was "attached more importance on yield rather than quality". In 1981, Japan developed super hybrid rice for "feeding animals", so it was "attached more importance on yield rather than quality". In 2013, the output of super rice in Japan was 110,000 tons, all of which were used for animal feed. However, China did not mention this crucial difference when developing super rice to cope with food security. When this statement came out, it was another explosive news, which was also exploded in China. This deeply hurts the sensitive nerves of Chinese people, and it hurts the self-esteem of Chinese people too much. How should Yuan Longping take the lead in developing super rice when super rice was actually used by the Japanese to feed livestock? Isn't he treating Chinese people as livestock? Stay calm! It is important to stay calm at this moment because they are telling the truth. In fact, many countries use rice, wheat, corn and other three major grains as livestock feed. Whether it is conventional rice or super rice, as long as it can be eaten by humans, they can also be eaten by animals. As the saying goes, people and animals are just like each other. According to Brown's analysis in Who Will Feed China, as Chinese people's life moves from adequate food and clothing to a well-off life, the dietary structure will inevitably change from grain to diversified food, and the output of animal foods such as meat, milk, eggs, poultry and fish needs more grain transformation, which leads to greater demand for grain. For instance, one ton of pork needs about four tons of grain. Although human beings are used to calling animal food as feed, there is no essential difference in nutrition between feed and grain, and all lives cannot exist without nutrition. Even if the Japanese really feed their animals with super rice, there is no need to make a fuss. High-quality feed can produce high-quality animal foods such as meat, milk, eggs, poultry and fish, which are also for human consumption. The key point is, if the "feed rice" with high yield is "attached more importance on yield rather than quality" as claimed in that report, are Japanese people who pursue high-quality life not eating inferior animal food?

当然,中国超级稻也绝对不是日本那种用来喂牲口的“饲料稻”,这里又不妨听听邓华凤怎么说。这位温和谦恭、很有涵养的专家,ー听此言也忍无可忍了,厉声呵斥:“简直是胡乱之说!”他说,科学界对超级稻的定义也不只是单纯的超高产,通常是指在产量、品质、抗性等方面显著超过现有水稻品种的水稻,其认定的标准主要考量三个方面:第一是产量要求高;第二是品质标准上,要求米质达到部颁优质二至三级,对有些晚稻要求达到二级,早稻和中稻则要达到三级;第三是要达到抗当地两种及以上主要水稻病虫害的抗性标准。但无论是哪种用途,在耕地少人口多的国情下,水稻研发的创新标准首先必须是高产。——他这一番话,让我对ー场灾难的追寻可以告一段落了,而从ー场不该发生的灾难到逐渐浮出水面的真相,按照严格的逻辑推论出来的并非荒谬的谎言,而是ー个常识。

Of course, China's super rice is definitely not the kind of "feed rice" used to feed animals in Japan. Here, we might as well listen to what Deng Huafeng said. This gentle and courteous expert, who is very self-restraint, could not bear it when he heard this statement. He snapped at it: "It is nonsense!" He said that the definition of super hybrid rice in the scientific community is not just super-high yield rice, but usually refers to rice that significantly exceeds existing varieties, in terms of yield, quality and resistance. The criteria for its identification mainly consider from three aspects: First, the yield requirements are high; Second, the quality is required to reach the second to third grade of ministerial quality standard, with some late rice required to reach the second grade, and early rice and mid-season rice to reach the second grade; Third, it is required to meet the resistance standard of being resistant to two or more major rice diseases and insect pests in the local area. However, for either use, in a country with little arable land and a large population, the innovation standard of rice research and development must first be high yield. -His words brought my pursuit of a disaster to an end, and from a disaster that should not have happened to the truth that gradually surfaced, what was inferred according to strict logic was not absurd lies, but common sense.

如今在中国一提到优质大米,很多人首先想到的不是国产大米,而是日本米、泰国米,如泰国的“茉莉香米”,日本的“越光米”,都让人们津津乐道。这里就看看 “越光米”,说来话长,在二战末期的1944年,日本新潟县农业试验场就开始越光稻的杂交育种试验,1953年正式在新潟县和千叶县开始种植。越光稻耐高温,稻穗饱满,米粒颗粒均匀、饱满、胶质浓厚、色泽晶莹透亮,口感香糯、柔软且味道上佳。但这一品种也有很多缺陷,如易倒伏,对稻瘟病的抵抗性较弱。为了解决这些缺陷,在中国杂交水稻研究成功后,日本育种专家进ー步采取杂交育种的方式,在进入21世纪后,先后培育开发出了对稻瘟病抵抗强的一系列品种,统称为“越光 BL”,如今在日本已广为栽培。可见,越光稻也并非常规水稻品种,从最初开始杂交育种试验,到大功告成的“越光BL”系列品种,实为杂交水稻。特别值得一提的是,日本越光国际水稻奖事务局对“杂交水稻之父”袁隆平也非常尊重,在1998年 11月给袁隆平颁发了“越光国际水稻奖”。如今有人拿日本的“越光米”来贬低袁隆平和杂交稻,实在让人啼笑皆非。

Nowadays, when it comes to high-quality rice in China, many people first think of Japanese rice and Thai rice instead of domestic rice, such as "jasmine rice" in Thailand and "Yueguang rice" in Japan, which make people relish it. Let's take a look at "Yueguang Rice" here. It is a long story. In 1944, at the end of World War II, the cross-breeding experiment of Yueguang Rice began in Niigata Agricultural Experimental Site, Japan, and it was officially planted in Niigata Prefecture and Chiba Prefecture in 1953. Yueguang Rice has high temperature resistance, full ears, uniform and full grains, thick colloid, crystal clear color, fragrant, soft and excellent taste. However, this variety also has many defects, such as easy lodging and weak resistance to rice blast. In order to address these defects, after the successful research of hybrid rice in China, Japanese breeding experts further adopted the method of cross-breeding. After entering the 21st century, they successively cultivated and developed a series of varieties with strong resistance to rice blast, collectively called "Yueguang BL", which is now widely cultivated in Japan. It can be seen that Yueguang rice is not a conventional rice variety either, but actually a hybrid rice, from the initial cross-breeding experiment to the final successful "Yueguang BL" series varieties. It is particularly worth mentioning that the Yueguang International Rice Award Bureau of Japan also respects Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, and awarded Yuan Longping the Yueguang International Rice Award in November 1998. Nowadays, some people use Japanese "Yueguang Rice" to belittle Yuan Longping and hybrid rice, which is really ironic.

更让人啼笑皆非的是,在“杂交稻,隆平造”掀起的一片质疑声中,很多中国人对“越光米”却是一片追捧。在淘宝网店就有标明为“南鱼沼有机越光大米”,看那标价,吓我ー跳,每公斤竟然卖到了三百元!没错,不是日元,是人民币。除了“越光米”,还有一种名曰“一目惚”日本米,实际指的是产自日本宫城县“一目惚れ”，翻译成中文为“ー见钟情”。我们很多同胞对这种大米还真是“ー见钟情”,尽管其价格高得离谱,竟然还是被ー抢而空,在媒体和不明真相的消费者中也引起轰动。后来有网友爆料,这种“一目惚”天价米的实际产地为中国东北,为辽宁盘锦一家中外合资公司一东华农业发展有限公司开发,据该公司总经理徐广平证实,“东华农业生产的‘一目惚’大米通过订单方式销往日本”,但中国市场上的天价米“一目惚”是否由该公司所产,则不得而知。但我觉得出口转内销是有可能的。如果真是盘锦所产,这种天价米在当地售价最低每公斤仅六元。这和中国人赴日疯抢的马桶盖产自杭州的新闻ー样,无关米质,而与时下某些人的暴发户加崇洋媚外的浮躁心态和情绪有关,由此徒招戏谑与嘲弄。也不能怪人家日本人在忽悠你,实在是你自己忽悠自己。也有媒体记者把此事往“食品安全”上引,在2016年两会上,有记者向全国政协委员、农业部原副部长牛盾提问:“购买天价大米是否与食品安全有关?”牛盾是这样回答的:这种天价米无关食品安全,这只是“礼品大米”,非大众消费范畴。诚哉斯言!我觉得每个人也可以问问自己,即便你买到的天价米原产地真是日本,而且真是米质好得不得了,这种天价米又有多少老百姓能吃得起?这个不用扪心自问,只需摸摸自己的口袋,你一天能挣多少エ资,才能吃得起300块钱一公斤的大米?这笔账,还真必须算清楚。我也算过,ー算心里就明白了,我可以偶尔尝尝鲜,吃吃进ロ的优质米,但作为一天三顿饭的口粮实在吃不起。

What is even more ironic is that many Chinese people are pursuing "Yueguang Rice" amid the doubts caused by "hybrid rice made by Longping". On a Taobao online store, rice which is marked as "Nanyonuma Organic Yueguang Rice" was sold for 300 yuan per kilogram according to its price tag, and that really scared me. That is right, it is not Japanese yen but Chinese yuan. In addition to "Yueguang Rice", there is also a kind of Japanese rice called "One Sight Trance", which actually refers to "One Sight Trance" produced in Ishinomaki, Japan, and its name when translated means "Love at First Sight". Many of our compatriots really fell in love with this kind of rice at first sight. Although its price was outrageous, it was snapped up and caused a sensation among the media and consumers who did not know the truth. Later, some netizens broke the news that the actual origin of this high-priced "One Sight Trance" rice is Northeast China, and the rice was developed by Donghua Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., a Sino-foreign joint venture company in Panjin, Liaoning Province. According to Xu Guangping, general manager of the company, "the 'One Sight Trance' rice produced by Donghua Agriculture is sold to Japan by order", but it is not known whether the high-priced "One Sight Trance" rice in the Chinese market is produced by this company. But I think it is possible to switch from export to domestic sales. If it is really produced in Panjin, the local price of this kind of high-priced rice is only 6 yuan per kilogram. This is the same as the news that the toilet cover that Chinese people rushed to Japan to purchase was produced in Hangzhou, which has nothing to do with the quality of rice, but is related to the impetuous mentality and emotion of some people's nouveau riche and worshiping foreign things, thus attracting banter and ridicule. You can not blame the Japanese for fooling you, because it is you who are fooling yourself. Some media reporters also cited this matter to "food safety". At the two sessions in 2016, a reporter asked Niu Dun, a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC and former deputy minister of the Ministry of Agriculture: "Is buying high-priced rice related to food safety?" Ang Niu Dun replied: This kind of high-priced rice has nothing to do with food safety, it is only "rice for gift ", not the one for mass consumption. That's true! I think everyone can also ask themselves, even if the expensive rice one bought is really from Japan and of exceptional quality, how many ordinary people can afford to eat this expensive rice? There is even no need to ask oneself this, but just touch one's pocket and ask how much should one earn in a day to be able to buy a kilogram of rice priced at 300 yuan? This really must be calculated carefully. I have calculated it, and I know it in my heart. I can try it once in a while to eat imported high-quality rice, but I cannot afford it as a ration for three meals a day.

这里面有一个恩格尔系数,这是19世纪德国统计学家恩格尔研究消费结构的变化得出的ー个规律:ー个家庭收入越少,家庭收入中（或总支出中）用来购买食物的支出所占的比例就越大,随着家庭收入的增加,家庭收入中（或总支出中）用来购买食物的支出比例则会下降。据国家统计局的数据,2015年我国的恩格尔系数仍然超过30%（ 30.6%）,这就是说中国的人均食物开支仍超过了总收入的三成,而发达国家一般在二成以内。咱们老百姓一天三餐、一年365天都能吃得起价格不菲的进ロ优质米,眼下还是ー个梦想。

There is an Engel's coefficient, which is a rule obtained by German statistician Engel in the 19th century when he studied the change of consumption structure: the less a family earns, the greater the proportion of household income (or total expenditure) used to buy food, and with the increase of household income, the proportion of household income (or total expenditure) used to buy food will decrease. According to the data of the National Bureau of Statistics, China's Engel coefficient still exceeded 30% (30.6%) in 2015, which means that China's per capita food expenditure still exceeded 30% of the total income, while developed countries generally exceeded 20%. It is still a dream that common people can afford expensive imported high-quality rice for three meals a day and 365 days a year.

其实,以中国幅员之辽阔,完全可以利用杂种优势培育出不亚于“茉莉香米” “越光米”的优质米,如江苏省农科院粮食作物研究所所长王オ林将日本大米品种 “乳玉王妃”与江苏省内的品种杂交,育成了“南粳46”“南粳9108”等新品种,口感上已超过了作为参照品种的日本“越光米”。还有黑龙江的五常大米,因其独特的地理、地质、地貌、气候、土壤、水质,也就是袁隆平先生特别强调的“良态”,其米质特别优良,一直以来都是朝廷的贡米,在清代就盛传着慈禧“非五常大米不吃”。但ー个优良品种得以传承与延续,还必须不断推陈出新,如今口碑极佳的“五常稻花香大米”,则是一位号称“东北袁隆平”的水稻专家田永太培育出来的良种。尽管中国不乏优质米资源,但目前这些国产优质米,由于产量低,价格高,也不是一般老百姓能够享受的。此外,国产大米还有一个比较普遍的问题,没有日本那样善于经营的品牌意识,如有着“中国粮食第一股”之称的金健米业于1998年登陆资本市场,虽然生在粮食生产大省湖南,坐拥“鱼米之乡”,但其粮油加工的主营业务却每况愈下,一直难以形成强势的品牌效应。又如江苏的“南粳46”优质杂交稻,早在 200?年就申报为国家植物新品种,但其产业化推广和对大米品牌价值的塑造还远远不够。

In fact, with China's vast territory, it is possible to use heterosis to cultivate high-quality rice no less than "jasmine fragrant rice" and "Yueguang rice". For example, Wang Cailin, director of the Food Crops Research Institute of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, hybridized the Japanese rice variety "Ruyu Princess" with varieties of Jiangsu Province, and bred new varieties such as "Nanjing 46" and "Nanjing 9108", which have surpassed the referenced Japanese "Yueguang rice" in taste. There is also Wuchang rice in Heilongjiang, where there are unique geography, geology, landform, climate, soil and water quality, in other words, the "good condition" emphasized by Mr. Yuan Longping. The rice quality is particularly excellent, and it has always been the Gong Mi of the imperial court. In the Qing Dynasty, it was widely rumored that Cixi "did not eat rice unless it is Wuchang rice". However, if an excellent variety can be inherited and continued, it must be constantly innovated. Nowadays, "Wuchang Daohuaxiang Rice", which has excellent reputation, is an improved variety cultivated by Tian Yongtai, a rice expert known as "Northeast Yuan Longping". Although there is no shortage of high-quality rice resources in China, these domestic high-quality rice are not enjoyed by ordinary people because of their low yield and high price. In addition, there is a common problem with domestic rice, which is not as good at managing as Japan's brand awareness. For example, Jinjian Cereals Industry which is known as "the first grain stock in China", landed in the capital market in 1998. Although it was born in Hunan, a major grain producing province, and sits in the "land of fish and rice", its main business of grain and oil processing has gone from bad to worse, and it has been difficult to form a strong brand effect. Another example is Jiangsu's "Nanjing 46" high-quality hybrid rice, which was declared as a new national plant variety as early as 2007, but its industrialization promotion and shaping of rice brand value are far from enough.

中国超级稻只能从中国国情出发,既要物美,还要价廉。这也是袁隆平先生几乎别无选择的追求,如我品尝到的超级稻米,也是“隆平造”,已经可以和国外一些高品质的大米媲美了,但那还是示范片里具有标本意义的成果,而目前在我国普通稻田里种植的杂交稻、超级稻,同国外那些优质大米相比还有一定的差距,这不仅仅是种子的问题,还有良法、良田、良态是否能够配套的问题。还有一点,无论如何都必须清醒地认识到,若中国超级稻不计产量、不计成本,从纯粹的高品质上去追求,不是生产不出与国外媲美的优质米,但那绝非一般的升斗小民能够消费得起的。走笔至此,我也可以诚实地向读者报告,袁隆平先生和中国超级稻的科研团队追求的是“高产、优质、环境代价小”又让平民百姓都能吃得起的价廉物美的稻米, 这是ー个平民科学家的追求,面对天下苍生,关乎舌尖上的安危,他别无选择。

China's super rice can only proceed from China's national conditions, which should be both good and cheap. This is also the pursuit that Mr. Yuan Longping has almost no choice but to pursue. For example, the super rice I tasted is also "made by Longping", which can already be compared with some high-quality rice abroad, but it is still a specimen achievement in the demonstration fields. At present, there is still a certain gap between hybrid rice and super rice planted in ordinary rice fields in China and those high-quality rice abroad. This is not only a matter of seeds, but also a matter of whether good methods, fertile fields and good conditions can be matched. What is more, in any case, we must be soberly aware that if China's super rice pursues pure high quality regardless of yield and cost, it will not fail to produce high-quality rice comparable to that of foreign countries, but it is by no means affordable for ordinary people. At this point, I can honestly report to readers that Mr. Yuan Longping and the research team of China Super Rice are pursuing cheap and good rice with "high yield, high quality and low environmental cost", which is affordable for ordinary people. This is the pursuit of a civilian scientist. Facing the whole world, it is related to the safety on the tip of the tongue, and he has no choice.

向极限挑战

Challenge to the limit

回头再看那个灾难性的话题,说来还真是惊人的巧合,就在那篇《安徽万亩袁隆平超级稻减产绝收》的新闻横空出世之际,ー个过去式的新闻,正好赶上了一场现在进行时的新闻。就在同一天,2015年4月9日,“清明前后,种瓜点豆”,别地还是播种季节,海南却已是热火朝天。三亚南繁基地,早已是“稻花香里说丰年,听取蛙声一片”,在袁隆平先生的主持下,这里正在举行“第五期超级稻观摩培训会”。对于中国超级稻第五期攻关,这原本是ー个具有里程碑意义的新闻,但ー场如同暴风般席卷而来的负面新闻,将人们关注的目光一下逆转了。

Looking back at that disastrous topic, it's really an amazing coincidence. Just when the news of "Anhui Ten Thousand Mu Yuan Longping Super Rice Yield Reduction and No Harvest" came out, a piece of news in the past tense coincided with one in the present continuous tense. On the same day,　April 9,2015, while other places are still sowing season　just as the saying goes,　"before and after Qingming Festival, plant melons and beans",　Hainan is already in full swing. Sanya Nanfan Base has long been "a good year in the fragrance of rice and a sound of frogs". Under the auspices of Mr. Yuan Longping, the “Fifth Phase of Super Rice Observation Training Meeting" is being held here. It was originally a milestone news for the fifth phase of China's super rice research, but a piece of negative news swept like a storm reversed people's attention.

这不免让人产生疑问:从时间点上看,难道这仅仅只是巧合吗?

This inevitably raises questions: From the point of time, is this just a coincidence?

站着说话不腰疼。一个农业科学家,只能弯着腰,ー辈子都保持向下的姿势, 从早到晚在稻田里忙碌。但此时此刻,很多人关注的已不是那个一心扑在稻田里的“杂交水稻之父”,而是ー个“被卷入舆论旋涡”的袁隆平,有的媒体甚至还把他形容为“超级稻风暴眼中的袁隆平”。那么,这位86岁高龄的“杂交水稻之父”,又会做出怎样的回应呢?一这是人们最关心的,却不是袁隆平最关心的。从他开始杂交稻研究以来,他经历了多少是是非非或似是而非的风言风语,早已见惯不怪、处变不惊了。对那篇“杂交稻,隆平造”的报道,我一直试图从正面去理解,他们的出发点,也许是为受灾的农民鼓与呼,是正义的呼唤。果真如此,这其实就是袁隆平一直以来的追求:如何让老百姓吃饱肚子,如何保护农民的利益,如何让农民在同样的农田里多打点粮食,多挣几个血汗钱。一个科学家的追求,就像ー个老农ー样实在和朴素。但很遗憾,那篇报道没有提到这一点,而把矛头直指他和他的科学追求。

It is easy to talk while standing. An agricultural scientist can only bend over, keep a downward posture all his life, and be busy in rice fields from morning till night. But at this moment, many people are not concerned about the "father of hybrid rice" who devoted himself to rice fields, but Yuan Longping who was "caught in the vortex of public opinion", and some media even described him as "Yuan Longping in the eyes of super rice storm". So, how will the old "father of hybrid rice" , this 86-year-old man, respond? This is what people care most about, but not what Yuan Longping cares most about. Since he began to study hybrid rice, he has experienced many right and wrong or specious rumors, which have long been commonplace and calm. I have been trying to understand the report "Hybrid Rice, Made in Longping" from a positive perspective. Their starting point may be to drum and shout for the affected farmers, which is the call for justice. It is　really true. This is actually the pursuit of Yuan Longping: How to make people have a full stomach, how to protect the interests of farmers, and how to make farmers get more food and earn more hard-earned money in the same farmland. The pursuit of a scientist is as real and simple as that of an old farmer. Unfortunately, the report did not mention this point, but pointed the finger at him and his scientific pursuit.

那么,ー场原本不该发生的灾难,又是否真像报道所说的,让“高产凯歌戛然而止”？

Then, does a disaster that shouldn't have happened really bring "the triumph of high yield to an abrupt end" as reported?

某些媒体的力量不可低估,但ー个科学家的力量更不可低估,人生可以抵达某种巅峰状态,但科学是没有尽头的、不知道终点的旅行,袁隆平从未停止攀登的脚步,这是任何人和任何力量都不能阻挡的。在连续打破世界水稻单产纪录、实现了水稻单产1000公斤大关的历史性突破之后,一曲举世瞩目的“高产凯歌”又一次奏响,袁隆平预言,也是誓言,他要力争在自己90岁时实现第五期超级稻目标,每公顷!6吨（亩产1067公斤）。而此时,在天涯海角热カ四射的阳光下,又一茬稻子散发出了成熟的气味。稻田的阳光,总比别处更多了一种生机、ー种味道。那从天涯海角吹来的海风,吹拂着稻子灌浆的气息,让人陶醉,每个人都不知不觉地向着那稻香倾着身体,仿佛想要把这第五期超级稻的模样看清楚。袁隆平在田壇上停停走走,早已被露水和泥水打湿了裤脚,ー副黝黑瘦削的脸颊,多少年来似乎都没有改变模样,尤其是那执着而专注的神情。在他身后,就是来自全国各地的科研人员,每ー个都是杂交水稻领域响当当的人物。从海棠湾到亚龙湾,这是我走过的ー条路,也是袁隆平科研团队的试验基地或示范片。在这弥漫着稻香的田间行走,你一下就能猜到ー个老人健康长寿的原因。袁隆平先生有时候也抑制不住得意地说:“在这么好的空气和环境里生活,每天和这些生气勃勃的稻子生活在ー起,那心情该有多好啊,怎么不健康长寿呢?”

The power of some media cannot be underestimated, but the power of a scientist can't even be underestimated. Life can reach a certain peak state, but science has no end. Yuan Longping never stops climbing, which no one or any force can stop. After continuously breaking the world record of rice yield per unit area and achieving the historic breakthrough of 1000 kg rice yield per unit area, a world-famous "high-yield triumph" was played again. Yuan Longping predicted and vowed that he would strive to achieve the goal of the fifth phase of Super Rice with 16 tons per hectare (1,067 kg per mu) at the age of 90. At this time, under the hot sunshine at the ends of the earth, another crop of rice exudes a mature smell. The sunshine in rice fields always has more vitality and taste than elsewhere. The sea breeze blowing from the ends of the earth blows the breath of rice grouting, which makes people intoxicated. Everyone unconsciously leans towards the rice fragrance, as if they want to see the fifth phase of Super Rice clearly. Yuan Longping stopped and walked on the ridge, and his trousers had already been wet by dew and muddy water. His dark and thin cheeks did not seem to change for many years, especially his persistent and dedicated expression. Behind him are researchers from all over the country, each of whom is a famous figure in the field of hybrid rice. From Haitang Bay to Yalong Bay, this is a road I have traveled, and it is also the experimental base or demonstration film of Yuan Longping scientific research team. Walking in this field filled with rice fragrance, you can guess the reason why an old man lives a long and healthy life. Mr. Yuan Longping sometimes can't restrain himself from saying proudly: "Living in such a good air and environment, living with these vibrant rice every day, what a good mood I should have. How can I not live a long and healthy life?"

袁隆平选用的第五期超级稻攻关品种,也是他首次亮出的“秘密核武器”一 “超优千号”（又称“超优1000 ”或“超优一千つ,这是他主持育成的ー个超级稻新品种,不仅具有超高产的潜カ,还是高品质的软米。在第四期超级稻平均单产突破
1000公斤大关的世界纪录后,袁隆平预期“超优千号”能够更上一层楼。当然,每ー个预期目标都要用结果来验证。这年5月,就在这次观摩培训会后不久,转眼就到了收割季节。经来自广东、广西、湖南、海南等地的水稻专家现场测产验收,分别在海棠湾基地ー类田、二类田、三类田各选ー个点,每个点不少于500平方米,ー类田亩产超过了第五期超级稻的产量指标（亩产为1096. 66公斤）,直逼1100公斤大关。但这还不能说是达标了,还必须将一类田、二类田、三类田的亩产加在ー起,算出平均亩产,这样ー算就只有900多公斤（941.79公斤）,竟然连第四期目标也没有达到,更不说第五期目标了。不过,这在袁隆平的预料之中,毕竟还是第五期目标攻关的第一年,他抚摸着那颗粒饱满的稻子微笑着说:“亩产940多公斤,这已打破海南水稻亩产的历史最高纪录,但还有潜カ,大有潜カ!”

The fifth phase of Super Rice research variety selected by Yuan Longping is also the "secret nuclear weapon" he showed for the first time--"Chaoyou Qianhao" (also known as "Chaoyou 1000" or　"Super Excellent 1000"), which is a new super rice variety bred by him, not only has the potential of super high yield, but also is a high-quality soft rice. In the fourth stage, the average yield of super rice broke through 1000. After the world record of kilogram mark, Yuan Longping expects "Chaoyou 1000" to be able to rise to a higher level. Of course, every expected goal should be verified by results. In the May of that year, shortly after this observation and training meeting, it was the harvest season in an instant. After on-site yield measurement and acceptance by rice experts from Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hainan and other places, one point was selected respectively from the Class I, Class II and Class III fields of Haitangwan Base, and each point was not less than 500 square meters. The yield per mu of the Class I field exceeded the yield index of the fifth phase of Super Rice (the yield per mu is　1,096.66 kg), close to 1,100 kg mark. However, this cannot be said to be up to standard. It is necessary to add up the yield per mu of Class I, Class II and Class III fields to calculate the average yield per mu, so that ｔhis amounts to just over 900 kg (941.79 kg), which is not even the fourth phase of the target, let alone the fifth. However, this was in Yuan Longping’s expectation. After all, it is the first year of the fifth phase of the target. He stroked the full rice and said with a smile: “The yield per mu has reached over 940 kg, which has broken the historical record of rice yield per mu in Hainan, but there is still potential and great potential! "

这未免又让人有些奇怪了, ー个连连刷新世界纪录的科学家,怎么会看重打破海南历史最高纪录?说起来我又是ー个少见多怪的门外汉了,我原以为在海南这样的气候下,水稻亩产应该超过别的地方,搞清楚情况后,我オ发现这个亩产还真是不可小看。由于海南海拔低,昼夜温差小,生长期短,虽说在加速育种繁殖上有得天独厚的优势,但在水稻增产上没有太大的优势,而同一品种,如果在长江中下游等主要稻作区种植,产量还会更高。袁隆平看中的正是这个更大的增产空间,而他也早已开始布局,在全国范围内为第五期超级稻选了 39个百亩示范片。

This is a bit strange again. How can a scientist who has repeatedly set new world records put emphasis on breaking the highest record in Hainan history? As far as it is concerned, I am a rare layman again. I thought that in Hainan's climate, the yield per mu of rice should exceed that of other places. After figuring out the situation, I discovered that the yield per mu should not be underestimated. Because of low altitude, small temperature difference between day and night and short growth period in Hainan, although it has unique advantages in accelerating breeding and reproduction, it does not have great advantages in increasing rice yield. While the same variety is planted in major rice-growing areas such as the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the yield will be even higher. It is this greater yield potential that Yuan Longping is looking for, and he has already begun to lay out his plans, selecting 39 100-mu demonstration plots for the fifth phase of Super Rice nationwide.

这半年里,很多人都在琢磨ー个“超级稻风暴眼中的袁隆平”,但风暴的中心却显得一如既往地平静,袁隆平似乎压根儿就没有感觉到什么风暴,一心琢磨着如何攻克第五期超级稻的预定目标。对于一般人,最清晰的时间观念莫过于一天24 小时,而ー个农学家的生物钟,则一直不停地围绕着农时运转。当“超优千号”在海南经专家验收后,袁隆平和他的团队又带着种子从三亚赶回长沙,在当地中心试验田里播种,而后又在遍布全国各地的示范片奔波。这里就记下他的几行足迹-

In the past half a year, many people have been thinking about "Yuan Longping in the eyes of the super rice storm," but the center of the storm seems to be calm as always. Yuan Longping seems to have not felt any storm at all, and is thinking about how to conquer the predetermined target of the fifth period of Super Rice. For the average person, the clearest concept of time is 24 hours a day, and an agronomist's biological clock revolves around farming time all the time. After "Chaoyou 1000" was accepted by experts in Hainan, Yuan Longping and his team rushed back to Changsha from Sanya with seeds, sowed seeds in the local central experimental field, and then ran around in demonstration films all over the country. Here's a few lines of his footprints-

2015年7月上旬,袁隆平赶往广东梅州,这里有一个“华南双季超级稻年亩产 3000斤技术模式”的试点,试验品种为第五期超级稻首选攻关品种“超优千号”。而这ー模式是广东省为全面推进农业“转方式、调结构、促进粮食生产持续稳定发展”而推出的,从2015年起在全省多个生态区试点,由国家杂交水稻工程技术研究中心、华南农业大学、广东省农业科学院和广东省农业技术推广总站协作攻关,采用“袁隆平院士团队选育的优良品种+华南农业大学唐湘如教授团队研究的双季超级稻强源活库优米技术+钵苗机插技术”,在良种、良法、良田、良态“四良配套” 后,还与“良机”（机械化）相结合,目标是力争在三年内达到双季超级稻年亩产 3000斤（1500公斤）的产量指标。一这里特别说明一下,我在本文叙述中的亩产量,一般都是单季稻,而广东的气候适合双季稻种植,如这一目标能够实现,将创造水稻年亩产量的世界纪录。

In early July 2015, Yuan Longping rushed to Meizhou, Guangdong, where there was a pilot of the "South China double-season super rice technology model with an annual yield of 3,000 pounds per mu", testing the fifth phase of Super Rice preferred research variety “Chaoyou 1000". This model was launched in Guangdong Province to comprehensively promote the "transformation of agriculture, adjustment of its structure, and the sustainable and stable development of grain production". Since 2015, it has been piloted in a number of ecological zones in the province by the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Technology Extension Station, using the "excellent varieties selected by academician Yuan Longping's team and double-cropping super rice technology of enhancing source activating sink and improving grain quality researched by Professor Tang Xiangyu's team at South China Agricultural University plus potted seedling machine insertion technology". After the "four good matching" of improved varieties, good methods, good fields and good conditions, it was also combined with "good opportunity" (mechanization) to strive to achieve the annual yield per mu of double-cropping super rice within three years　3,000 jin(1,500　kilograms). Let me make a special note here. The yield per mu I described in this article is generally single-cropping rice, while the climate in Guangdong is suitable for double-cropping rice planting. If this goal can be achieved, it will set a world record for the annual yield per mu of rice.

这已不是袁隆平第一次来梅州,早在袁隆平向第一期超级稻发起攻关时,他就将当时的主打品种“两优培九”推荐给梅州蕉岭种植,平均每亩增产100公斤以上。但那时袁隆平还没有来到蕉岭,他的第一次蕉岭之行是2002年6月下旬,来此现场察看超级稻的种植情况,他对这一方水土赞不绝ロ ,梅州是ー个好地方,这儿的光、温、水、气自然条件优越,这里人ー看就活得很宁静,很干净,很有精气神儿。ー粒种子再神奇,还得看天时、地利、人和等综合因素,ー个人活得滋润不滋润,也得看天时、地利、人和等综合因素,这儿能够成为闻名遐迩的健康长寿之乡,就是这些缺ー不可的因素在起作用,而袁隆平一次又一次地选择在梅州进行超级稻攻关,也是看中了这些缺ー不可的因素。

This is not the first time that Yuan Longping has come to Meizhou. As early as Yuan Longping initiated the research on the first phase of Super Rice, he recommended the main variety "Liangyoupeijiu" to Jiaoling, Meizhou for planting, with an average increase in production per mu　100 over kilos. However, Yuan Longping had not yet come to Jiaoling. His first trip to Jiaoling was in late June 2002, he came here to inspect the planting of super rice, and he was full of praise for the water and soil in this area. Meizhou is a good place, where the natural conditions of light, temperature, water and gas are superior. People here live very quietly, clean and energetic at first sight. No matter how magical a seed is, it depends on the comprehensive factors such as time, place and people's harmony. If a person lives a　good　life or not, it also depends on the comprehensive factors such as favourable climatic, geographical and human conditions. It is these indispensable factors that　enables　this　place　to become a famous hometown of health and longevity, and Yuan Longping has chosen Meizhou to tackle key problems of super rice again and again, partly due to these indispensable factors.

除了袁隆平,参加这次现场测产验收的还有中国科学院院士谢华安,中国工程院院士、华南农业大学副校长罗锡文等农业领域的顶尖专家,这么多只闻其名、难见其人的农业科学家,一同走进了客家人的稻田,在这一方水土上还是破天荒的头一回,而那田野里的稻子,也是客家人头一回看到,其长势不只是喜人,而是惊人, 每ー棵稻禾上结出了那么多的稻子,却又昂然不倒,像是有一股挺立向上的力量。不是像,那是真的。可结果ー出来,老乡们ー个个就像霜打了的茄子,蔦了。这次百亩示范片的早稻,平均亩产刚过1400 （ 1407. 8斤）,是市斤,不是公斤,也就是刚过700公斤。这个产量显然比袁隆平的估计要低,他分析了一番原因,ー是因为在早稻生长的关键期遭遇异常天气,又是提前一周收割,应该说这个结果已经不低了,何况这是双季稻,早稻损失在晚稻上还可以补回来,一年不成,还有两年、三年, 按计划就是三年攻关嘛。他这一番话,让老乡们又来劲儿了,把这股劲儿都使在晚稻上了。要说呢,这个“杂交水稻之父”还真是给他们带来了福气,这年的晚稻,从插秧后一直是要风得风,要雨得雨,到了扬花吐穗的季节,又是秋高气爽,阳光朗照。到了 11月中旬,岭南水稻的秋收季节来临,示范片的最高亩产突破800公斤（1694.6斤）,创造了梅州晚稻亩产的最高纪录,平均亩产也突破了 750公斤（实测为1519.4斤）,比一般晚稻品种增产400多斤。但把早晚稻产量加在ー起,还是ー个不尽如人意的结果,离“亩产3000斤的攻关目标”还有70斤的差距。不过,这ー次老乡们并不灰心丧气,他们都记得袁老的话呢,头一年不成,还有第二年、第三年,这天底下,还真是没有那么容易的事。一从科学的角度看,要缩短这个70斤的差距还真不容易,当你开始向极限挑战,每提升一斤ー两的产量都极为艰难。

In addition to Yuan Longping, Xie Huaan, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Luo Xiwen, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and vice president of South China Agricultural University, and other top experts in the agricultural field participated in the on-site yield measurement and acceptance. So many agricultural scientists who are only heard of but are hard to see walked into the Hakka rice fields together, which is the first time in this water and soil, and the rice in that field is also the first time that Hakka people have seen it. Its growth is not only pleasing, but amazing, each rice grain produced so many rice seeds, but it does not fall down, like　there is an upward force. Not like, that's true. But as soon as the results came out, the villagers were like frosted eggplants, which withered. The average yield per mu of early rice in this 100-acre demonstration film has just passed 1,400 (1,407.8 jin),not kilograms, that is, just over 700 kilograms. This yield is obviously lower than Yuan Longping's estimate. He analyzed some reasons. First, one is because in the critical period of growth of early rice encountered abnormal weather, and another is a week ahead of the harvest．It should be said that this result has not been low, not to mention that this is a double season rice. The early rice loss can also be made up in the late rice. If one year can not, there are two or three years. According to the plan, it is a three-year-research. His words made the villagers feel energetic again, and put all the energy into the late rice. To say it, the "father of hybrid rice" really brought them good fortune. This year's late rice, after the planting of seedlings, had been with wind and rain coming on time. To the flowering spike season, sun shines brightly in crispy autumn. By mid-November, the autumn harvest season of Lingnan rice came, and the highest yield of the demonstration area exceeded 800 kg (1,694.6 kg), setting the highest yield record for late rice in Meizhou, and the average yield also exceeded 750 kg ( 1,519.4 kg), which was more than 400 kg higher than the average late rice variety. But when　adding　the early and late rice yields together, the result is less than satisfactory．There was still a gap of 70 jin compared with the target "mu yield of 3,000 jin". However, this time, the villagers were not discouraged. They all remembered Yuan Lao's words. The first year will not work, and there will be the second or the third year. There is nothing easy in this world. --Scientifically speaking, it's not easy to close that 70-pound gap, and when you start pushing the limits, it's extremely difficult to improve your yield by one pound or two.

从春播到秋收,袁隆平这年几乎一直在路上,那感觉就像他第一次去雪峰山, 一直在抵达之中,一生都在抵达之中。

From spring sowing to autumn harvest, Yuan Longping has been on the road almost all the time this year. It feels like he went to Xuefeng Mountain for the first time, and he has been arriving all his life.

这年也并非风调雨顺之年,据世界气象组织发布的报告,2015年是全球有气象观测记录以来最炎热的一年。而在这最炎热的一年中最炎热的三伏天,袁隆平马不停蹄地奔赴重庆山区、河南信阳、山东日照、湖南湘西等多地考察第五期超级杂交稻百亩高产攻关示范片。一个农业科学家,对气候是高度关注的,这极端炎热的天气,其实是厄尔尼诺暖流再一次发威,把太平洋中巨大的热量转移到大气中, 将会导致大规模的风暴、洪水、高温干旱和低温严寒等难以预测的灾难。从历史经验来看,厄尔尼诺爆发时,首当其冲的便是农业,而每一片示范田,都让袁隆平牵肠挂肚。

It was not a year of good weather either, as the World Meteorological Organization reported that 2015 was the hottest year in global meteorological records. In the hottest dog days of the hottest year, Yuan Longping went to Chongqing Mountain Area, Xinyang, Henan Province, Rizhao, Shandong Province, Xiangxi, Hunan Province and other places to inspect the fifth demonstration film of super hybrid rice with 100 mu high yield. An agricultural scientist is highly concerned about climate. This extremely hot weather is actually the re-emergence of El Niño warm current, which transfers huge heat from the Pacific Ocean to the atmosphere, and will lead to unpredictable disasters such as large-scale storms, floods, high temperature droughts and low temperature and severe cold. Historically, when El Niño breaks out, agriculture is the first to bear the brunt, and every demonstration field is a cause for concern for Yuan.

在袁隆平奔波的这些日子里,有一个日子是不能忘记的。那是9月7日,白露前タ。农谚道:“白露白迷迷,秋分稻秀齐。”此时,那半青半黄的稻子晒着秋天的太阳,正在秋风中奔涌壮大。而此时正是秋收之前田间管理的关键时期,也是袁隆平最操心的一段时间。这天,他又走进了湘西龙山县石羔镇中南村。别看这是ー个在地图上用高倍放大镜也找不到的小山沟,却也是一片特别适合水稻生长的生态区,被袁隆平选为第五期超级稻高产攻关示范片。一个叫胡昌祥的农人,像往日ー样正在稻田里忙碌着。这50多岁的汉子,是当地的ー个种田的好把式,承包了这个示范片的种植和田间管理。胡昌祥正在稻田里忙碌着,忽然听见从田壇上传来ー阵脚步声。他抬眼ー看,一个熟悉的身影正朝这边走来。啊,袁老师!他惊喜地喊了一声,就连泥带水地跑了过去,想要搀扶袁老师,ー看自己那泥巴糊糊的两手,又赶紧缩了回来,还不好意思地笑了笑。没什么不好意思的,袁隆平是很敬重这些农民兄弟的,只要看见了他们,远远地,他就会把一双大手伸向他们,就像此时,他ー下就握住了这个农人沾满泥巴的双手。那是一双让我暗自吃惊的大手,其实,除了我,连那些农民兄弟也很吃惊。庄稼人的手原本是又黑又大又粗壮的,可他们握着袁隆平的手时,ー个个也特别惊讶,我已不止ー次听到过他们的惊叹:啊呀,袁老师的手怎么比我们耕田的还要粗呢?

Among these days when Yuan Longping is running around, there is one day that can't be forgotten. It was September 7, the eve of the White Dew. Farmer slandered: "If there is dew around the White Dew, there will be a good harvest of late rice in the autumn equinox. "At this time, the half-green and half-yellow rice is basking in the autumn sun and rushing to grow in the autumn wind. At this time, it is the key period of field management before the autumn harvest, and it is also the most worrying period in Yuan Longping. On this day, he walked into Zhongnan Village, Shigao Town, Longshan County, Xiangxi. Although this is a small ravine that can't be found on the map with a magnifying glass, it is also an ecological area especially suitable for rice growth, and was selected by Yuan Longping as the demonstration film for high-yield research of the fifth　phase of super rice. A farmer named Hu Changxiang is busy in the rice fields as before. The 50-year-old man, a good local farmer, was contracted to plant and manage the demonstration plot. Hu Changxiang was busy in the rice field when he heard a burst of footsteps coming from the ridge. He looked up and saw a familiar figure coming this way. Ah, Mr. Yuan! He cried out in surprise, and even ran past with mud and water, trying to help Mr. Yuan. When he saw his muddy hands, he rushed back and smiled shyly. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Yuan Longping respects these peasant brothers very much. As long as he sees them, he will stretch out a pair of big hands to them from a distance. Just like this time, he immediately holds the peasant's muddy hands. It was a pair of big hands that surprised me secretly. In fact, besides me, even the peasant brothers were surprised. The cultivators' hands were originally black, big and thick, but when they held Yuan Longping's hand, they were particularly surprised. I have heard their amazement more than once: Oh, how can Mr. Yuan's hands be rougher than those of us who plow?

ー个农业科学家和一个农民,就这样手牵着手在田壇上走过,那亲热的样子就像两个老农在打量庄稼的长势,盘算自家田里又一年的收成。这时候正是水稻从抽穗到谷粒渐渐成熟的时期,也进入了旺盛生长时期,这就需要及时补充营养,重在保穗、攻粒、增重、防枇,还要防倒伏和病虫害。尤其是在安徽发生的稻颈瘟,把农民辛辛苦苦种出来的上万亩稻子给糟蹋了,袁隆平可以不理会那些是是非非,但农民的利益受损,稻子减产绝收,却像刀子ー样扎心。这也是他走到哪里都要再三叮嘱的,越是长势喜人,丰收在望,越要高度防范病虫害。但胡昌祥似乎不用多叮嘱,他还真是ー个种田的好把式,田间管理很扎实,没有发现病虫害,也没有杂草。如果每块稻田都像这样管理,那些虫子再厉害,又哪有什么空子可钻呢?他越看越兴奋:“好,好,长势喜人、丰收在望。水稻高产,除了需要良种外,更离不开良好的田间管理和合适的生长环境啊!”这既是夸奖,更是勉励,老胡听在心坎上了。

In this way, an agricultural scientist and a farmer walked hand in hand on the ridge, which was as affectionate as two old farmers looking at the growth of crops and calculating another year's harvest in their own fields. This is the time when rice is gradually maturing from the spike to the grain, and also into the period of vigorous growth, which requires timely supplementation of nutrition, focusing on the preservation of the spike, attacking the grain, increasing food production, preventing batch, but also to prevent collapse and pests and diseases. Especially, the rice panicle blast in Anhui spoiled tens of thousands of acres of rice that farmers had worked so hard to plant. Yuan Longping could ignore what was right and wrong, but the farmers' interests were damaged and the rice yield was cut, which was like a knife to the heart. This is what he has to repeatedly advise wherever he goes that the more promising the growth and the more the harvest is expected, the more attention we should pay to guarding against pests and diseases. However, Hu Changxiang doesn't seems to need no more instructions. He is really good at farming. The field management is very solid, and no pests and diseases are found, and no weeds are found. If every rice field is managed like this, how can there be any loopholes for those pests to exploit, even if they are really bad? The more he watched, the more excited he became: "Good, good, the growth is gratifying, and the harvest is in sight. The high yield of rice needs not only improved varieties, but also good field management and suitable growth environment. "This is not only a compliment, but also an encouragement. Old Hu kept these words in his heart.

两人在稻田里转了一圈,那咄咄逼人的太阳,逼出了他们一身透汗,人有时候还是要出一身透汗,痛快,痛快啊。这天的中午饭,他们是蹲在田坎上吃的。这不算什么,袁隆平早已习惯了。直到袁隆平走后,胡昌祥忽然猛拍了一下脑袋瓜,他想起来了,这天,正是袁老师86岁的生日啊!这个“米菩萨”的生日,很多农民都知道,胡昌祥也早已记在心里呢,怎么这天就偏偏没有想起来呢。其实,谁又能想到, ー个登上了世界水稻种植科学巅峰的科学家,他的生日竟然就在ー个偏远山村的稻田里不知不觉度过了,连他自己都忘了。

The two men turned around in the rice fields, and the blazing sun forced them to sweat. Sometimes people still have to sweat．That’s truly　comfortable. For lunch this day, they squatted on the ridge to eat. This is nothing．Yuan Longping has long been used to it. Until after Yuan Longping left, Hu Changxiang suddenly slapped his head, he remembered, this day, it was Mr. Yuan's 86th birthday ah! Many farmers know the birthday of this "rice Buddha" , and Hu Changxiang also long remembered in the heart it．But why he did not think of it this day. In fact, who would have thought that a scientist who had reached the peak of rice planting in the world had spent his birthday unconsciously in a rice field in a remote mountain village, even forgetting himself.

眼看就到了秋收季节,农业部组织的专家验收组又要测产验收了。不过,这ー茬稻子的现场测产验收,没有选在龙山,又一次选在了我此前反复提及的隆回县羊古坳乡。而结果不说是失败,也令人多少有些失望,羊古坳乡第五期超级稻百亩示范片平均亩产突破了 1000公斤（1004.3公斤）,但比2014年在淑浦第四期超级稻的产量还要低。这也证明了,尽管有人指责袁隆平的杂交稻“被强调的是产量”，而真正要把产量提升一点点,也是极为艰难的。此次测产验收虽未达标,但测产验收专家对“超优千号”都很看好,稻禾株形好,长势均衡,抗病性强,高抗倒伏,穗大粒多,结实率高,没有发现主要病虫害。这些优势,让专家们都对这一品种的增产潜カ充满了期待,攻克第五期超级稻目标,也许为期不远了。

Seeing that the autumn harvest season is coming, the expert acceptance team organized by the Ministry of Agriculture has to measure the production and accept it again. However, the on-site yield measurement and acceptance of this crop of rice was not selected in Longshan, but once again in Yanggu'ao Township, Longhui County, which I repeatedly mentioned before. The result is not a failure, but also somewhat disappointing. The average yield of the fifth phase of super rice 100-mu demonstration plot in Yanggu'ao Township exceeded 1,000 kg ( 1,004.3 kg), but it was lower than the yield of the fourth super rice in Xupu in 2014. This also proves that although some people accuse the hybrid rice in Yuan Longping of "emphasizing the yield", it is extremely difficult to really increase the yield a little. Although the yield measurement and acceptance is not up to standard, the yield measurement and acceptance experts are very optimistic about "Chaoyou 1000". The variety　 of　rice has good plant shape, balanced growth, strong disease resistance, high lodging resistance, large ears and many grains, high seed setting rate, and no major diseases and insect pests have been found. With these advantages, experts are full of expectations for the potential of increasing production of this variety, and it may not be far off to overcome the goal of the fifth phase of Super Rice.

在羊古坳乡测产后不久,从云南省“超级杂交水稻个旧示范基地”传来捷报。这是ー个屡创水稻高产纪录的基地,从2009年起就开始进行杂交稻的示范种植, 并于2010年11月正式挂牌成立了“国家杂交水稻工程技术研究中心高原育繁示范分中心”。6年来,个旧市杂交水稻种植面积不断扩大,亩产量也在不断增加。 2015年,在百亩连片“超优千号”攻关中,他们率先突破了袁隆平院士提出的第五期攻关目标（每公顷!6吨,亩产1067. 5公斤）,刷新了百亩连片平均亩产水稻的世界纪录。不过,这个示范点海拔较高、光照充足、昼夜温差大,适应水稻生长的良态非常突出,这在全国稻作区是比较少有的,这一高产纪录也就不具有代表性,只能作为参考数据。与此同时,袁隆平和他的团队选育的“超优千号”在河南信阳、湖南衡东的百亩超级水稻示范基地,均已达到了惊人的每公顷16吨的产量。

Shortly after the yield measurement in Yanggu'ao Township, good news came from "Gejiu Demonstration Base of Super Hybrid Rice" in Yunnan Province. This is a base that has repeatedly set records of high yield of rice. Since 2009, it has been carrying out demonstration planting of hybrid rice, and in November 2010, it officially established the "Plateau Breeding Demonstration Sub-center of National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center." In the past 6 years, the area of hybrid rice planting in Gejiu City has been expanding, and the mu yield has been increasing. In 2015, they took the lead in breaking through the fifth phase of the "Chaoyou 1000" project proposed by academician Yuan Longping ( 16 tons per hectare 1,067.5 kg per mu), which set a new world record for the average yield of rice per mu in a 100-mu continuous piece. However, this demonstration site has high altitude, sufficient sunshine, large temperature difference between day and night, and the good state of adapting to rice growth is very prominent, which is rare in rice-growing areas in China. This high-yield record is not representative and can only be used as reference data.　At the same time, Yuan and his team's "Chaoyou 1000" has reached a staggering yield of 16 tons per hectare at their 100-mu super rice demonstration sites in Xinyang, Henan Province and Hengdong, Hunan Province.

尽管这三个百亩示范片都达到了袁隆平此前预期的第五期超级稻产量指标了,但他此时已经不满足于这个目标了,又根据攻关的实际情况调高了产量指标, “我争取在三年之内,在我们的试验田达到每公顷17吨（亩产1133公斤）。17吨是我正式提出的目标,把常规谷种和分子技术结合起来,高产的同时实现高效,一是成本要低,二是绩效化,同时要确保米质好、品质要高”。一这一目标还远远不是他锁定的终极目标,他对自己的生命力和创造カ充满了信心,在90岁后还要向每公顷18吨（亩产1200公斤）攻关。ー个老骥伏栃、壮心不已的科学家,绝不是凭着ー股激情在驱使自己,更不是像大跃进时放“卫星”,动不动就亩产几万斤几十万斤,一切都凭理性的科学精神在支撑。那么,水稻还有多大的增产潜カ?这个在没有验证之前只能从理论上去预测。袁隆平认为水稻每公顷达到18吨是有可能的。根据日本植物生理学家吉田长ー的计算,水稻在热带的极限产量是每公顷接近16吨（15.9吨）,在温带是18吨。如果充分利用光能,按光能利用率来计算,以盛产水稻的湘中一带为例,每公顷可以达到22. 5吨（亩产1500公斤）,那么至少还有500公斤的潜カ有待科研人员去攻关,500公斤,已经超过了如今全球水稻平均的单产量,如果能够开发出来,利用起来,足以再养活一个地球。当然,他从来就不是ー个人在战斗,这么多年一轮ー轮的攻关,他培育出了一茬胜过ー茬的超高产水稻种子,也造就了一茬ー茬的中青年科学家,他坚信这些年轻人将一直攻关到每公顷20吨（亩产!333.3公斤）的目标,即便如此,也还不是水稻王国的珠穆朗玛峰, 还有继续攀登的空间。

However, he was not satisfied with this goal at this time, and adjusted the yield index according to the actual situation of tackling key problems,"I strive to reach 17 tons per hectare (1,133 kg per mu) in our experimental field within three years. 17 tons is my official goal, combining conventional grain seeds and molecular technology to achieve high efficiency with high yields. First, the cost should be low, and second, the rice yield is performance-based, while ensuring good rice quality and high quality". This goal is far from being his ultimate goal, and he has full confidence in his vitality and creativity to reach 18 tons per hectare ( 1,200 kg per acre) after the age of 90. An old scientist with a strong heart is by no means driving himself with a passion, nor is it like putting a "satellite" during the Great Leap Forward, which easily yields tens of thousands of kilograms per mu, but everything is supported by rational scientific spirit. So, how much potential does rice have for increasing production? This can only be predicted theoretically before verification. Yuan believes that it is possible to reach 18 tons of rice per hectare. According to Japanese plant physiologist Yoshida Changichi, the limit yield of rice is nearly 16 tons (15.9 tons) per hectare in the tropics and 18 tons in the temperate zones. If light energy is fully utilized, based on the utilization rate of light energy , for example, in the central Hunan area, which is rich in rice production, 22.5 tons per hectare ( 1,500 kilograms per mu) can be achieved, so there is at least 500 kilograms potential to be tackled by researchers. Five hundred kilograms, which is already more than the average yield of rice in the world today, is enough to feed another planet if it can be developed and utilized. Of course, he has never been alone in his battle. Over the years, he has produced more super-high-yielding rice seeds than any other, and he has also created a group of young and middle-aged scientists, and he firmly believes that these young people will continue to work on the goal of 20 tons per hectare ( 1,333.3 kg per mu).

这年10月9日,秋天的味道已经越来越浓了,袁隆平穿着一件红黑相间的方格子衬衫,又出现在鄱阳湖畔的稻田里,他几乎一刻也没有停下脚步,在ー天时间里就跑了两个地方,从800里鄱阳湖的东岸跑到了西岸。这两个地方,ー个是南昌市成新农场,ー个是上饶市鄱阳县饶丰镇,都是超级稻示范基地。鄱阳湖平原,一直是中国重要的商品粮基地,而江西省也是中国从未间断输出商品粮的两个省份之ー。这里只说成新农场。2013年底,国家杂交水稻工程技术研究中心与成新农场正式签约,袁隆平在该农场设立院士工作站。ー个数十年来默默无闻的农场,只因袁隆平这个江西老乡带来的一粒种子而ー举成名,成为江西唯一、全国第四个超级杂交稻“百千万”高产攻关示范工程基地。2014年,该农场连片种植了“Y两优 900”等超级稻品种,今年又种植了 !700亩“超优千号”,这样大面积地种植在全国也不多见,这与百亩示范片是不同的,可以说是大田生产了。袁隆平穿行于如同油画一般的金色稻田里,那波澜壮阔的感觉唤醒他青春岁月的激情,他有一种想要奔跑想要歌唱的冲动。不是有人预言一曲“高产凯歌戛然而止” 了吗,这时候他还真想奏响一曲“高产凯歌”。可惜,他没把小提琴带在身边,但他那风趣的比喻张口就来:“你们看看我们这超级稻的长相,青棵到老,就像大家闺秀,徐娘半老也风姿犹存,能不孕育出丰满的果实来吗!”

On October 9 of that year, when the taste of autumn has been more and more strong, wearing a red and black plaid shirt, Yuan longping appeared in paddy fields by the Poyang Lake. He almost did not stop for a moment, and ran two places in one day, covering 800 miles from the east bank of Poyang Lake to the west bank. These two places, one is Chengxin Farm in Nanchang City and the other is Raofeng Town in Poyang County, Shangrao City, both of which are super rice demonstration bases. Poyang Lake Plain has always been an important commodity grain base in China, and Jiangxi Province is also one of the two provinces that have never stopped exporting commodity grain in China. This is just a new farm. At the end of 2013, the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center officially signed a contract with Chengxin Farm, and Yuan Longping set up an academician workstation in the farm. A farm, which has been unknown for decades, became famous only because of a seed brought by Yuan Longping, a fellow villager in Jiangxi, and became the only demonstration project base for "100 million" high-yield research of super hybrid rice in Jiangxi and the fourth in China. In 2014, the farm planted a series of super rice varieties, such as "Y two excellent 900", and this year planted 1,700 mu of "Chaoyou　1000”. Such a large area of planting in the country is also uncommon. This is different from the 100-mu demonstration piece, and can be said to be a large field production. Yuan Longping walked through the golden rice fields like oil paintings, and the magnificent feeling awakened his passion of his youth. He had an impulse to run and sing. Didn't someone predict that a song of "high-yield triumph came to an abrupt end"? At this time, he really wanted to play a song of "high-yield triumph". Unfortunately, he didn't take the violin with him, but his cheeky metaphors came out loud and clear: "Look at the appearance of our super rice, green to old, just like a lady of an eminent house, and a lady half old still has the grace, can still give birth to plump fruit! "

这又是ー个不能忘怀的日子,就在袁隆平赴江西考察超级稻的同一天,1〇月9 日,此时那篇灾难性的报道已过去了半年之久,袁隆平终于公开发表了一篇回应文章一《请别再向超级稻泼脏水》。在过去沉默的半年里,没人知道袁隆平想了什么,但很多人都知道他在干什么。他其实不想做出什么回应,他也一直相信清者自清,浊者自浊,“谣言止于智者”,只要走进稻田,他就充满了希望,但那“系列追踪报道”却让他真的有些失望,而且正在向“谎言重复ー千遍,也会变成真理”的趋势演变。我不相信有人是在故意撒谎,直到现在,我也深信他们是从善良的愿望出发,但据我的追踪调查,那确实是ー篇不能呈现完整真相的报道,至少是部分失真。袁隆平一向是宽以待人的,他甚至可以容忍别人向他本人泼脏水,但绝对不能容忍别人“向超级稻泼脏水”。

It was another unforgettable day when Yuan Longping went to Jiangxi to inspect the super rice on the same day, October 9, six months after the disastrous report, Yuan finally published a response article - "Please stop throwing ｍｕｄａｔ the super rice". In the past six months of silence, no one knows what Yuan Longping thought, but many people know what he is doing. In fact, he didn't want to make any response. He also believed that the wise man knows he knows nothing, the fool thinks he knows all.　As an old saying goes："The wise men ended rumors." As long as he walked into the rice field, he was full of hope. However, the "series of follow-up reports" really disappointed him. Moreover, he was evolving towards the trend of "a lie repeated a thousand times will become truth." I don't believe anyone is lying on purpose. Until now, I am convinced that they are based on good wishes, but according to my follow-up investigation, it is indeed a report that can't present the complete truth, at least partially distorted. Yuan Longping has always been lenient with others. He can even tolerate that others throw dirty water on himself, but he can never tolerate that others disdain super rice.

他发出了一连串追问:“超级稻有什么错啊?到底是多花了钱去做研究,还是没做出什么成果来?还是老百姓没有受益?”他对杂交水稻的优缺点,就像对自己性格中的优点和缺点ー样,从来不加掩饰。他坦承,超级稻从来不是十全十美的, 在技术上仍有一些问题有待解决,如“近期出现的质疑也暴露了超级稻本身存在的ー些问题,比如其对病虫害尤其是稻瘟病的抵抗性还不甚理想”,也在文章中表示, “我理解社会对于我们农业科研的高期待,但农业科研和生产从来不能一蹴而就。超级稻的生长和改进周期很长,起码需要三年五年时间,即便你晚上加个大夜班也无法那么快就解决问题。”而“对于育种者而言,其目标都是培育高产、高质的种子,但标准太高,像你以姚明作为身高标准,我们就算长到ー米八,那还是达不到要求的,还是矮子”。任何事物都是相对的。对这次“减产绝收”的灾难性事件,他原本没有任何责任,但他从未推卸责任,并且一再表示要汲取教训,而说到底,“无非就是超级稻在发展过程中,有些品种不抗病,这是研究中出的问题,不能说整个项目不对,否定整个项目”。

He sent out a series of questions: "What's wrong with super rice? Did you spend more money on research, or did you not make any achievements? Or did ordinary people not benefit? "He never concealed the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid rice, just like those in his own character. He admits that super rice has never been perfect, and there are still some technical problems to be solved. For example, "the recent doubts have also exposed some problems of super rice itself, such as its resistance to pests and diseases, especially rice blast", and also said in the article, "I understand the high expectations of society for our agricultural scientific research, but agricultural scientific research and production can never be achieved overnight. Super rice has a long growth and improvement cycle, taking at least three to five years, and even if you put in a big night shift you can't solve the problem that quickly. "And" for breeders, the goal is to cultivate high-yield and high-quality seeds, but the standard is too high. If you take Yao Ming as the height standard, even if we grow to 1.8 meters, we still can't meet the requirements, and we are still short. " Everything is relative. He was not responsible for the catastrophic "yield loss and crop failure", but he never shirked his responsibilities and repeatedly said that he wanted to learn from the lessons. In the end, "It's just that during the development of super rice that some varieties are not disease resistant, which is a problem in the research. You can't say the whole project is wrong and negate the whole project."

对于负面报道,他的态度也是宽容而鲜明的,“任何事情,有赞成的,也会有反对的,要说没有一点反对的声音,这也是不正常的。有些人从他们的专业角度、技术角度提出看法,这也很正常”。但超级稻的科研工作不能因为出现质疑的声音就停止,他会汲取合理的意见不断完善、改进,将之变得更优秀、更完善。事实上,他从ー开始就不想追究那篇报道,结果呢,越是这样越是被人家不依不饶地抓住不放,好像他真是ー个“罪魁祸首”,真的是“罪证如山”,这个80多岁的老人,不得不这样认为:外界部分质疑之声有“居心不良”之嫌。这位平日一向谦逊温和、蔼然有长者之风的“杂交水稻之父”,终于以其少有的坚决给那些“居心不良”者以回应:“请别再向超级稻泼脏水!”

For negative reports, his attitude is also tolerant and clear. "There are pros and cons for anything. It is not normal to say that there is no voice of opposition. It is also normal for some people to put forward their opinions from their professional and technical perspectives." However, the scientific research work of super rice can't be stopped because of the voice of doubt. He will learn from reasonable opinions and constantly improve and make it better and more perfect. As a matter of fact, he didn't want to pursue that report from the beginning. As a result, the more he did, the more he was seized by others, as if he was really a "culprit" and really "a mountain of criminal evidence". This old man at his eighties has to think like this: Some voices of doubt from the outside world are suspected of being "ill-intentioned". This "father of hybrid rice", who has always been humble and gentle on weekdays, has finally responded to those with "bad intentions" with his rare determination: "Please stop throwing dirty water on super rice! "

他知道,仅凭他这样ー篇澄清事实真相的回应文章,难以让那些“居心不良” 者偃旗息鼓,他预料到还会招来又一轮的纠缠,事实也像他的预料ー样,又有报道紧紧抓住他的片言只语大做文章,但袁隆平在澄清了事实、表明了态度之后,再也不去理会那些“剪不断,理还乱”的是是非非了,他太忙了,对于他,分分秒秒都是贵比千金的时间。

He knows that it is difficult for those with "bad intentions" to die down only by his response article clarifying the truth. He expects that there will be another round of entanglement, and the facts are just like his expectations. There are reports that firmly grasp his words and make a fuss. However, after clarifying the facts and showing his attitude, Yuan Longping no longer pays attention to the right and wrong of "cutting constantly and being chaotic". He is too busy. For him, every minute is invaluable.

每次看着这ー个老人奔向稻田的背影,我就会遥想另ー个在麦田里穿行的身影:诺曼・布劳格。他在墨西哥的麦田里掀起了一场绿色革命,“帮助了一个饥饿的世界,为之提供了面包”,曾经那样为人们崇敬和礼赞,然而到了晚年,这位依然在第三世界的麦田里奔走的“绿色革命之父”,却遭到“时尚环保主义”者的群起而攻,而攻击布劳格和他的高产农业,在当时也成了一种盛行一时的时尚。很多人认为农业技术带来的问题甚至要超过农业技术要解决的问题,布劳格在墨西哥麦田里掀起的绿色革命其实并非转基因小麦,但很多人在批评转基因技术时也会把矛头指向布劳格。布劳格一开始也像袁隆平ー样,在失去了科学常识的攻击之下保持沉默,不予理睬,但那些攻击者却紧追着他不放。终于,忍无可忍的布劳格开始愤怒地反击:“他们从没有亲身经历过饥荒,我则在发展中国家待了整整50年。那些人哪怕就是在那待1个月,就会哭着喊着要拖拉机,要肥料,要灌溉管道,如果那些时尚的精英主义者不愿提供这些东西,他们同样会愤慨万分的。”在面对人口增长这ー严峻问题时,布劳格的观点也和袁隆平高度一致,布劳格一再发出警示:“世界人口如果持续以现在的速度增长下去,我们会毁灭这个物种。”为了拯救人类这个物种,布劳格一生都在同人口的增长速度赛跑。当然,历史最终也会把ー份永恒的敬意和公正的评价献给他,联合国世界粮食项目执行主席史瑞说:“在拯救的生命的数量上,布劳格超过了人类历史上任何人……他的心胸和他的智慧一样广大, 但感动世界的却是他的激情和同情。”

Every time I watch this old man rush to the back of the rice field, I will think of another figure walking through the wheat field: Norman Borlaug. He set off a green revolution in the wheat fields of Mexico, "helping a hungry world and providing it with bread", which was once revered and praised by people. However, in his later years, the "father of the green revolution" who was still running in the wheat fields of the Third World was attacked by "fashion environmentalists", and it became a fashionable thing to attack Borlaug and his high-yield agriculture at that time. Many people think that the problems brought by agricultural technology even exceed the problems to be solved by agricultural technology. In fact, the green revolution that Borlaug started in the wheat fields of Mexico was not actually genetically modified wheat, but many people also point the finger at Borlaug when they criticize genetic modification technology. Borlaug, like Yuan Longping at first, kept silent and ignored the attack without scientific common sense, but the attackers followed him closely. Finally, the unbearable Borlaug began to fight back angrily: "They have never experienced famine personally,　while　I have　spent 50 years in developing countries. Those people would be crying out for tractors, fertilizer, and irrigation pipes even if they were there for just 1 month, and they would be equally indignant if the fashionable elitists wouldn't provide them. "In the face of the serious problem of population growth, Borlaug's views are also highly consistent with Yuan Longping, and Borlaug has repeatedly issued warnings: "If the world population continues to grow at the current rate, we will destroy this species. "In order to save the human species, Borlaug has been racing against the growth rate of population all his life. Of course, history will eventually dedicate an eternal respect and fair evaluation to him, said Shi Rui, executive chairman of the United Nations World Food Program: "In the number of lives saved, Borlaug surpassed anyone in human history … His mind is as vast as his wisdom, but what touched the world was his passion and sympathy. "

这发自肺腑的敬意和评价,又何尝不能用在“杂交水稻之父”袁隆平身上? 一位“杂交水稻之父”,一位“绿色革命之父”,他们在晚年的遭遇,何其相似乃尔!但无论遭遇多少误解和非议,袁隆平也像布劳格一样,为了拯救人类这个物种,将以毕生的精力同人口的增长速度赛跑。

Why can't this heartfelt respect and evaluation be applied to Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice? A "father of hybrid rice" and a "father of green revolution", how similar their experiences in their later years are! However, no matter how many misunderstandings and criticisms he encounters, Yuan Longping, like Borlaug, will race against the population growth rate with his whole life in order to save the human species.

（湖南文艺出版社2016年出版）

(Published by Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House, 2016)