20230630 final exam 01

202270081683 陈彦希 Chen Yanxi 英语口译(English interpreting)

The C-E Translation Methods and Strategies of Chinese Classics: A Case Study on Chuang Tzu

Chen Yanxi, 202270081683

Abstract

China is a country with a long history and elegant civilization. In the long history of 5,000 years, many precious traditional cultures have been bred. Chinese classics are the important media to record traditional Chinese culture. Therefore, the translation of Chinese classics is an important way to spread the traditional culture of the Chinese nation, which can strengthen the dissemination of excellent traditional Chinese culture, enhance the international community's understanding of China and create a good international environment. At present, the research on the translation of Chinese classics is relatively lagging behind, and there are few targeted theoretical studies in the field of translation. We are faced with translation difficulties such as culture-loaded words, which lead to problems in the dissemination of traditional classics. As an important representative work of Chinese classical literature and philosophy, Chuang Tzu contains many terms and idioms with traditional Chinese characteristics, which can fully express the essence of traditional Taoist ideology and culture, which are also the main difficulties in its English translation. This paper discusses the translation methods and strategies of Chinese classics through the three parts of the translation difficulty, terminology translation and idiom translation of Chuang Tzu, so as to provide reference for the translation of Chinese classics and the dissemination of Chinese traditional culture.

Keywords

Chuang Tzu; Translation of Chinese Classics; Translation of Terms; Translation of Idioms; Dissemination of culture

Introduction

As one of the seven sons of the pre-Qin Dynasty, Chuang Tzu (Zhuang Zi), whose original name was Zhuang Zhou, was a famous philosopher and writer in the Warring States Period. He effectively founded the school of philosophy — Chuang Tzu theory, one of the important representatives of the traditional Taoist school. He and Lao Zi, the founder of Taoist thought, were called "Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi". Chuang Tzu is a cultural canon produced in the "axis period" of Chinese history and culture. It is regarded as the Nan Hua's Scriptures by Taoism. There are 33 existing chapters in the world, divided into 3 parts: inner chapter, outer chapter and miscellaneous chapter. It was written by Chuang Tzu, his disciples and descendants. It contains rich philosophical thought, culture and literary language, which has influenced many subsequent researchers of ideological literature. Chuang Tzu and his book Chuang Tzu provide not only a lasting spiritual food, but also an inexhaustible artistic treasure. With its philosophical and literary value and its unique charm, Chuang Tzu has attracted influential sinologists and translators from all over the world and has been widely translated into various languages. So far, the number of English versions of Chuang Tzu has reached more than 20. In Britain and the United States, the more influential versions are: Frederic Henry Balfour's version in 1881, Herbert Allen Giles' version in 1889, James Legge's version in 1891, Morton's version in 1965, Burton Watson's version in 1968, Angus Charles Graham's version in 1981, Victor H.Mair's version in 1994. In the domestic English translation, Feng Youlan's version in 1993 and Wang Rongpei's version in 1997 can be regarded as classics.

Chuang Tzu contains a large number of philosophical thoughts, as well as a large number of philosophical terms and idioms. Whether these contents can be translated accurately or not is related to the smooth inheritance and dissemination of Zhuangzi's thoughts. In the translation of Chuang Tzu, the translator must fully grasp the true meaning of the words in classical culture from the perspective of different culture and historical background stories, so as to ensure that he or she can fully and accurately express the philosophical and cultural thoughts of Chuang Tzu.

Difficulties in Translation of Chinese Classics

Language is the carrier of culture, and the meaning of text and words is the reflection of corresponding culture. Since Susan Bassnett's theory of cultural translation, the theory of "cultural turn" has become the focus of translation studies. Scholars of the "cultural school" believe that translation should focus more on cultural context and cultural perspective, and realize the transfer from text to culture. As the crystallization of traditional Chinese culture, Chinese cultural classics are like a deep treasure, condensing many factors other than language and words, such as, history, politics, culture, poetics, philosophy, ideology and so on. In applying the concept of "cultural translation", the translator should consider the text in an overall cultural context in order to achieve the reconstruction of cultural function as far as possible. However, there are some difficulties in the transliteration of cultural traits, which is due to the differences in cultural background, religious belief and ideology between Chinese and Western cultures.

Different Cultural Background

In terms of cultural background, Chinese culture emphasizes the idea of "cultivating morality with morality." Confucianism is based on the edification in rites and music, and constructs ethical order. The governance of ancient China did not depend entirely on the rule of law, but more on the rule of virtue, so that people could consciously cultivate their recognition of political rules. Western culture, however, pays more attention to the view of human nature, and believes that human virtue can only be produced in the acquired norms of the legal environment. Regime must be based on the law, the rule of law is superior to the rule of man. The differences between China and the West in the concepts of "rule of virtue" and "rule of law" determine the different trends of the two cultures. Chinese culture is more akin to the implicit tolerance of "Humanity,Justice,Etiquette,Wisdom and Faith", while western culture is relatively more "indifferent" and "ambitious", with unique rational reflection and criticism.

Different Religious Beliefs

In terms of religious beliefs, China respects Taoism, while the West attaches great importance to Christianity. Yep, there are three religions in Chinese religious culture: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, but Taoism was not introduced from other countries, but a native religion, which had a profound influence on Chinese traditional culture. China's Taoist School and Taoism (they two are different) claims that Taoism follows nature — heaven has its way, earth has its geography, people have their relationships, and things have their properties, under the guidance of the thought of "govern by doing nothing", sociaty tends to be stable and peaceful, people's hearts also tend to be harmonious and serene. Under the influence of ancient Roman and Greek mythology, the West was originally high-spirited and advocated a strong and aggressive spirit of bravery. The Christian crucifixion praised Jesus 'character of suffering with great perseverance and finally heroic sacrifice. This greatly tragic heroism is in stark contrast to the Eastern concept of "man is an integral part of nature".

Different Ideologies

In terms of the Chinese language, all the Chinese schools of thought contain the idea of "Mean". Buddhism has a "Golden Mean" way of thinking; Confucianism emphasizes in "the Doctrine of Mean"; Taoism also mentions the thoughs like "Mean", "Probity" and "Peace". This insistence on "Mean" has led Chinese people to advocate collectivism and criticize individualism since ancient times, and there have been warnings such as "the first bird will be shot with a gun" (junior is set up as the target) and "the wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it" (destruction pursues the great). Western thought, on the other hand, advocates human nature and free will, the supremacy of individual rights, and does not insist that the minority is subordinate to the majority. The satisfaction of personal interests gradually evolved into philosophical humanism, political democracy, economic liberalism and cultural self-consciousness awakening, etc.

Therefore, the cultural differences between China and the West make the realization of cultural translation very difficult. Since Matteo Ricci translated the Four Books in the 16th century, the translation of Chinese classics has a history of hundreds of years. Up to now, thousands of Chinese classics have been translated into other languages. Chinese cultural classics are influenced by the culture and ideology of a specific historical period, and have strong literary color. In the process of cross-cultural translation and dissemination, cultural misreading will inevitably occur. In order to ensure the equivalence between the source language readers and the target language readers in the aspect of information reception, the whole process of translation of classics should be driven and restricted by culture. The above difficulties are undoubtedly the key problems to be solved in the translation of Chinese classics.

The Translation of Terms in Chuang Tzu

Terms in Chuang Tzu are complicated, which are often in the form of two or three compound words, including basic Taoist terms such as "道", "阴阳", and "天", as well as philosophical terms with Chuang Tzu's characteristics, such as "心斋", "坐忘", and "物彻". The understanding of these terms is related to the understanding of Chuang Tzu's thought. This requires when the translator translates the terms of the classics, he or she should "share the same dreams and aspirations with the author". On the basis of accurate understanding, the translator should adopt certain translation methods and strategies to properly and clearly introduce the "text", "spirit", "meaning" and "implication" in Chuang Tzu to the target language readers.

Literal Translation

The translation of any traditional core concepts or terms is an account of its civilization, loaded with a complicated history and rooted in the texts shared by that civilization. The characteristic of the terms in Chuang Tzu is that they are usually composed of two or three compound words, so that it's hard for the translator to avoid mistakes when he or she interprets the profound cultural contents and meaning of Chuang Tzu from a western standpoint. By using literal translation based on the literal meaning, the translator can not only keep the original content, but also keep the original form, which can be used as a strategy in the translation of Chuang Tzu's terms. For example:

心斋: the fasting of the mind (translated by Burton Watson);

坐忘: sitting and forgetting all things (translated by James Legge).

"心斋" is from the sentence "唯道集虚。虚者，心斋也。" in the Renjianshi of Chuang Tzu. "虚其心" refers to make the subject's mind accessible and ethereal, without attachment. "心斋", as a method of spiritual cultivation, refers to the process of eliminating distractions, and eliminating desires to make one's mind empty and pure. Its essence is to eliminate the material desires, selfless and secure, keep empty and quiet soul and spirit, and maintain the freedom and ease of mind. In addition to "心斋", Chuang Tzu also talked about "坐忘". What is "坐忘"? In the chapter Dazongshi, it said, to forsake one's own body, to forget one's wisdom, to become one with the greatest truths, this is "坐忘". The "忘" of "坐忘" is not a general forgetfulness, but a great forgetfulness, forgetting oneself and the materials, forgetting both the external nature and society of things outside of one's body, and forgetting one's own body and wisdom. "忘" appears 87 times in Chuang Tzu, which is a spirit highly praised by Chuang Tzu and occupies a prominent position in Chuang Tzu's philosophy. "心斋" and "坐忘" are both unique terms in Chuang Tzu, and both Burton Watson and James Legge adopted literal translation in their translations. The term "心斋" is literally translated as "the fasting of the mind" by Burton Watson. And the term "坐忘" is literally translated as "sitting and forgetting all things" by James Legge. Both are directly translated from the literal meaning. It is a good translation that not only retains the content of the original text, but also maintains the original form.

Addition

The words and expressions of traditional Chinese culture classics are closely combined, with concise semantics and deep parataxis. This is especially true of the terms in Chuang Tzu. It is difficult to find words that directly corresponds to them in English. Therefore, when the translator translates, if needed, he or she should add some necessary words and adjust the translation, thus to make obscure Chinese philosophy words implied meaning clearer and make the translation vivid and better accepted by western readers. For example:

“六气不调，四时不节”。 "The six vital breaths of yin, yang, wind, rain, light and darkness are in discord, and the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter are out of natural order." (translated by Wang Rongpei)

"六气不调，四时不节" is from the Zaiyou of Chuang Tzu. The "六气" refers to yin, yang, wind, rain, darkness and light. When it's time to yin, it's not yin; when it's time to yang, it's not yang; when it's time to get dark, it's not dark; when it's time to be light, it's not light; when it's time for wind to come, there's no wind; when it's time to rain, there's no rain. As for the translation of the "六气", we can say that translators express their own views and have their own advantages. James Legge translated it as "the six elementary energies of the changing (seasons)". Burton Watson translated it as "the changes of the six breaths". Victor H.Mair translated it as "the six vital breath". Wang Rongpei translated it as "The six vital breaths of yin, yang, wind, rain, light and darkness". After comparing the translation of "六气" by several translators above, we can find that Wang Rongpei's translation takes the readers' feelings into full consideration, and expresses the "六气" clearly through the addition. It not only shows the literal meaning, but also presents the deep meaning contained in it, which makes up for the unclear meaning of the translation such as "the six vital breaths". So does the translation of "四时不节". "四时不节" means that during the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, the wheather is not hot or cold in the right time. In Wang Rongpei's translation of the term "四时", he did not literally translate it as "the four seasons", but added the specific content of "四时" appropriately, translating it as "the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter," so as to make the translation directly reach the original meaning. This translation strategy not only conveys the cultural information of the original text smoothly, but also deepens the western readers' understanding of Chinese culture.

Abstraction and Specification

The language of Chuang Tzu is full of sensibility, and the internalized emotion presents the sensible embodiment of life form. The language representation of the romantic image leaves a lot of space for the readers to reflect the reality and imagination of the real world. The translator often forgets its spirit for its meaning, or forgets its spirit for its concrete. This requires the translator to adopt the translation strategy of abstraction and specification when translating Chuang Tzu, he or she should not only focus on the real thing, but also work hard in the empty place. He or she should preserve the original flavor of the source of poetic thinking in the original text while ensuring that the interpretation space is transmitted to the target language readers, such as the English translation of "气" in Chuag Tzu. The concept of "气" is one of the most profound fundamental differences between Chinese and Western philosophy of the universe. In China, the universe is energy (一池有能量的液体), which is composed of Chi (气). Everything is from it, and finally goes to it, again and again, never stop. In Chuang Tzu, "气" refers to the original state of the material world, which is filled between heaven and earth, and is the basis for the change and development of all things.

The translation of "气" should not stop at its superficial meaning. We should put the "气" in Chuang Tzu into practice so as to make it easier for the target language readers to understand. Angus Charles Graham translated "气" into "the vital yin and yang breath", he combined "Chi" with "yin and yang". In Chuang Tzu's view, "yin" and "yang" are the two most important parts of the "六气", meaning that "气" operates under the natural law of the objective process of the universe. The harmony between "yin" and "yang" is very important. There is no such abstract concept as "气" in Western philosophy, and "yin and yang" has become a cognitive concept that can be accepted by the concept of "阴阳" in the Western world. Angus Charles Graham's translation of "气" and "阴阳" helps Western readers understand the meaning of "气". Victor H.Mair translated "气" into "vital breath". The word "breath" doesn't just mean "the breath of human-beings". In English, it also means "spirit or vitality; life". Victor H.Mair expressed the concept of "气" as "crucial vitality and vigor", reflecting the central significance of "气" — living organisms. Burton Watson expressed "气" as "spirit", refers to a state of mental activity that is completely free of preconceptions and that does not make value judgments about worldly things. Burton Watson turned the philosophical meaning of "气" into a practical noun — "spirit". Although this is controversial in the translation community, it is still a translation that is reasonably acceptable to Western readers. The three translators all adopt the strategy of abstraction and specification in the translation of "气", which expresses the original meaning well.

The Translation of Idioms in Chuang Tzu

There are a lot of words in Chuang Tzu, among which, idiom structures can be divided into two types: prototype structure and non-prototype structure. The essence of the former is to quote the idioms in Chuang Tzu directly, without changing them and choosing to retain the original language structure. For example, the original sentence of "其应若响" recorded in Chuang Tzu is "其水若动，其静若镜，其应若响". "视死若生" is an idiom from "白刃交于前，视死若生者，烈士之勇也" in the Qiushui of Chuang Tzu. The latter essentially refers to the later generations has carried on revision and adjustment for idioms in Chuang Tzu, breaking the original language structure.

Literal Translation

In the Tianxia of Chuang Tzu, it records: "是故内圣外王之道，暗而不明，郁而不发，天下之人各为其所欲焉，以自为方". The later generations formed the idiom as "内圣外王" by cutting the number of words in the original sentence, which refers to those who had the virtue of a saint and exercised the rule of kings outside, which was the highest ideal of self-cultivation and government in ancient times. Translators can effectively convey the actual meaning of the original words and idioms by literal translation when he or she translates these idioms into English. By using literal translation, "内圣外王" can be translated as "mysterious sages and wise men". Because of the English language conventions, translators do not need to translate "内圣" and "外王" into "to be a saint internally and a king externally", this process of translation does not effectively link up with the previous possessive construction "proposition of". For example, when translating the idiom "栉风沐雨" from the Tianxia of Chuang Tzu into English, translators can use literal translation to translate it into "devastating storms of wind and rain". This not only can express the original meaning of idioms, but also can effectively extend the meaning of being not afraid of wind and rain to work hard, which plays a role of discourse cohesion.

Free Translation

Compared with literal translation, free translation is less frequently used in the English translation of idioms in Chuang Tzu. Translators usually use this method in the language passages where the figurative images are larger than the English counterparts, or the idioms focus on expressing their implied meanings. For example, the idiom "槁项黄馘" in the Lieyukou of Chuang Tzu, "反于宋，见庄子，曰: “夫处穷闾厄巷，困窘织履，槁项黄馘者，商之所短也". This passage describes the dialogue between Cao Shang and Chuang Tzu. Under the emperor of Song's incitement, Cao Shang was sent on a diplomatic mission to Qin, the emperor of Song rewarded Cao Shang several carriages, and after the visit, the emperor of Qin also rewarded Cao Shang 100 carriages. After returning to Song, Cao Shang began to show off to Chuang Tzu that "living in a narrow and remote alley, weaving straw shoes in embarrassment, starving to the point of swollen legs and thin neck, sallow and emaciated, are something I cannot do." (“住在狭窄偏僻的巷子里，困窘地织草鞋度日，饿得腿肿脖细 ，面黄肌瘦，是我做不到的”) In fact, the idiom "槁项黄馘" is used to describe a person with an unhealthy appearance, a skinny neck, and a pale complexion. Translators can use free translation to scientifically and effectively discard the two specific images of "项" and "馘" and choose to use "lean" and "haggard" to describe the appearance of people with pale yellow complexion and skinny neck, and finally translate them into "You are so lean and haggard". This translation method can express the implicit meaning of idioms, so that foreign readers can understand their meanings more easily and simply, which is conducive to the spread and acceptance of traditional Chinese culture.

Annotation and Definition

When translating idioms containing names or places in the original text into English, translators can make annotations in the process of literal translation and free translation by comprehensively adopting the methods of annotation and definition. This not only can effectively retain the original structure of the translation idioms, but also can fully and accurately express the true meaning of the idioms. For example, there's a sentence "且子独不闻寿陵馀子之学行于邯郸与? 未得国能，又失其故行矣……" in the Qiushui of Chuang Tzu, when translators translate the idiom "邯郸学步" into English, he or she can reasonably apply the combination of free translation and annotation, effectively adding short annotations after the ancient places "Shouling" and "Handan" : "the state of Yan" and "the state of Zhao". Throught the method of annotation of place names can accurately express the form and meaning of the original idioms, and can also help English readers better understand the content of the translation.

Another example is the sentence "山木自寇也，膏火自煎也" in the Renshijian of Chuang Tzu, when translators translate it into English, he or she should firstly fully grasp the core idea of Chuang Tzu's philosophy — everyone knows what is useful, but not what is useless, which is drawn by the sentence "山木自寇也，膏火自煎也". The idiom "山木自寇" is derived from this, and its essence is that the bibliography on the mountain has been hacked and distributed by people because of its talents, which is used to describe the disaster caused by talents. When translators translate this idiom into English, he or she can use the passive voice to translate it into "the mountain trees are fell by themselves," but this is not enough to fully express the meaning of "自寇". He or she also needs to add an explanatory sentence (annotation) — "the axe-handle is made of wood," which can scientifically and accurately express the actual meaning and literal meaning of the idiom "山木自寇".