Classical Translation Research Articles

Intralingual and Interlingual Translation of Chinese Classics—Taking the English Translation of the Tao Te Ching as an Example

Intralingual and Interlingual Translation of Chinese Classics—Taking the English Translation of the Tao Te Ching as an Example

Translating and performing China for the English-speaking stage: Royal Shakespeare Company’s re-staging of The Injustice to Dou E

Contemporary China is increasingly open in its interaction with the global cultural community, generating one of the most prestigious projects—the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Chinese Classics Translation Projects” (2015–2023). This article examines this project’s first production Snow in Midsummer, a performance based on a new translation of the Chinese classic Dou E Yuan (窦娥冤, The Injustice to Dou E That Moved Heaven and Earth). Through exploring the multiple agents involved in the RSC’s re-staging of the play, this article traces the processes of translation and performance characterised by an oft-hidden collaborative agency. It uncovers the collaborative agency at work and argues that the agency in this theatre production aims to set the conditions to make the original Chinese classic new, so as to enable its rejuvenation and transformation. Key finding of this article is that the collaborative agency of the translator, playwright, director, stage designer, and actors/actresses in re-staging has enlivened the 13th-century Chinese classic with enriched narratives and produced a performance that is nuanced and relevant to the contemporary world. This article makes a case for the paradigmatic shift from a product-based approach to theatre translation to a process-based one. It opens new avenues to future research into the question of complexity of collaborative agency in restaging the foreign classic to the contemporary English-speaking audiences for both areas of theatre translation for performance and transnational theatre production.

Study on the English translation of excerpts from Mencius: Gong Sun Chou based on translator’s subjectivity

The translator is the subject of translation, serving as a medium for cultural exchange and communication. However, translators in the external dissemination of Chinese culture have long been neglected and marginalized. With the “cultural turn” in translation studies, translators have gained due attention. As one of the representative works of Confucianism, Mencius is an important part of traditional Chinese culture, but its foreign translation is later than the Analects of Confucius and other classics, which also reflects the problem of scholars’ insufficient investment in its research. This paper makes a comparative analysis of how the English translation of the core concepts of Mencius by James Legge, Derk Bodde and D.C. LAU reflects the translator’s subjectivity, and in turn how the translator’s subjectivity affects their translation strategy, in order to make a contribution to the foreign translation of classics.

A Study on the Translation of Culture-Specific Items in Character Depiction in the English Version of Pu Songling’s Liaozhai Zhiyi

The characterization through literary translation is crucial to the international dissemination and reception of literary works. Nevertheless, the research on the translation of character depiction in Liaozhai Zhiyi greatly falls behind other translation themes of Liaozhai Zhiyi. This study is intended to explore the translation of culture-specific items (CSIs) in character depiction in Liaozhai Zhiyi from Chinese to English, within the framework of character’s three dimensions: physiological, sociological and psychological. This study reveals the shifts in the characterization by investigating translator’s strategies, and the significant integration of CSIs and character depiction. The findings demonstrates that the translator’s choice of strategies influences the rendering of character depiction. It is found that the character depiction in the original text of Liaozhai Zhiyi is more mysterious, whereas in the translated text, it seems to possess a stronger sense of intimacy. This study suggests that translators thoroughly consider the culture-specific elements in character depiction, and take into account the combination of multi-strategies. It is hoped that this study contributes to the research field of character depiction translation in Liaozhai Zhiyi, and sheds light on the translation of ancient Chinese classics.

Transliteration in the Translation of The Classic of Tea: Problems and Solutions

The Classic of Tea, authored by the Tea Sage Lu Yu, encompasses over 400 entries related to tea names, names of tea utensils, personal names, place names, dynastic titles, titles of literary works, Chinese units of measurement, and other uniquely Chinese terms such as the Five Elements and the Bagua. During translation, it is often challenging to find exact lexical equivalents for these names in the target language, necessitating the use of phonetic transliteration. Phonetic transliteration is a common method in the translation of Chinese classics. However, improper use of phonetic transliteration can present reading difficulties for readers, impede subsequent cultural exchange, and is particularly problematic in works like The Classic of Tea, which require extensive use of this method. This paper examines the application of phonetic transliteration in the English translation of The Classic of Tea from the perspective of reader comprehension. It identifies issues such as excessive use of transliteration, difficulties for Western readers in pronunciation, and ambiguity in reference. To address these issues, strategies such as reducing transliteration, adjusting information layout, re-annotating phonetically, adding Chinese characters, and inserting hyperlinked audio files are proposed. These strategies aim to alleviate the reading burden and enhance the effectiveness of phonetic transliteration.

A Comparative Study on the English Translation of The Travel Dairies of Xu Xiake from the Perspective of Eco-translatology

Chinese classics are one of the representatives of traditional Chinese culture, and translating excellent classics is a way to inherit and spread brilliant Chinese culture. The Travel Dairies of Xu Xiake is of great value, and its two latest English translations, namely The Travels of Xu Xiake translated by Lu Changhuai and Jia Xiuhai and The Travel Dairies of Xu Xiake by Li Weirong et al. (i.e. the version of “Library of Chinese Classics”), are selected. The two translations of its first diary entitled “A Visit to the Tiantai Mountain” and “Tiantai SHAN” respectively are selected as main research objects. Based on the three-dimensional transformations of eco-translatology, the two translations are compared and analyzed in linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions, and the reasons why the latter is superior to the former are concluded in hopes of providing certain references for the translation of similar Chinese classics, helping more Chinese classics enter the world, and further promoting the improvement of Chinese cultural soft power.

Explicitation of Conjunctions in Two English Translations of Luoyang Jialan Ji

The translation of Chinese classics is vital to promoting Chinese culture, gaining increasing attention from the academic community in recent years. This study selected Luoyang Jialan Ji, a representative of Chinese classics, as the research data. The study examines conjunctions in different texts by constructing comparable and parallel corpora of the source text and two English translations. The findings indicate that the frequency of conjunctions in the two English versions is higher than that in the Chinese version, which proves a tendency of explicitation in the translation process from Chinese to English. Notably, there are some differences between the two English versions in the use of conjunctions, especially conditional and causal conjunctions, which reveals the different styles of translators. Furthermore, the paper summarizes translation methods of conjunctions, offering insights into the translation practice of Chinese classics.

On Sinologist Joseph Needham’s Investigation of the History of Science and Technology in Bashu Region and the Translation of Chinese Classics

On Sinologist Joseph Needham’s Investigation of the History of Science and Technology in Bashu Region and the Translation of Chinese Classics

Comparative Study of English Translations of Tang Poetry "Shu Xiang" from the Perspective of Eco-Translatology: Illustrated with the Versions by Xu Yuanchong and Stephen Owen

As one of the valuable literary legacies of China, Tang poetry contains rich linguistic and cultural knowledge. Translating it into English not only helps spread the excellent traditional culture of China to the outside world, but also promotes people to delve into and re-experience its profound meaning, thus making it last forever. This study explores the two English translations of "Shu Xiang" from the perspective of Eco-Translatology, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each translation in terms of "three-dimensional" transformation. Feeling the uniqueness of language through comparison and understanding the profoundness of culture through analysis, thereby enhancing cultural confidence. It provides reference for the translation of Chinese literary classics into English, and promotes the research on relevant models for the internationalization of Chinese literature and culture. The research results indicate that Xu Yuanchong's translation has the highest degree of integrated adaptive selection. The study also demonstrates that the theory of Eco-Translatology can be used to analyze English translations of poetry and provide a new perspective for the translation of poetry.

Nurturing Students' English Communication Skills through the Translation of Ancient Greek Classics

Traditional Chinese teaching often relies on domestic materials for students' understanding of English-speaking countries, limiting exploration of Western concepts and hindering the recognition of English as a foreign language. Recognizing the influence of ancient Greek civilization on Western culture, this article advocates for improving English communication skills through the translation of ancient Greek classics. It emphasizes the importance of this approach in gaining a deeper understanding of Western expressions and highlights the practical value of such translations. Additionally, the article underscores the role of learning classic English translation appreciation in enhancing language proficiency, literary appreciation, cross-cultural communication, and cultural confidence. Lastly, it suggests that employing the teaching method of classic translation can effectively support students' vocabulary learning, memory, and understanding of special meanings in cross-cultural contexts, fostering natural experiences of cultural differences in language and text conversions and promoting cross-cultural awareness.

Analyzing Din Cheuk Lau's Translation Philosophy: A Case Study of the "Tao Te Ching"

This paper focuses on the translation philosophy of Din Cheuk Lau, using the "Tao Te Ching" as a case study for analysis. Through an examination of Din Cheuk Lau's translation philosophy, this study emphasizes its application in translating the "Tao Te Ching" and explores the impact and insights of his translation philosophy. It is found that Din Cheuk Lau's translation philosophy advocates for "cultural integration in translation without sacrificing meaning," emphasizing the accuracy of language and the preservation of culture with a core focus on "faithful transmission of the original meaning." In his translation of the "Tao Te Ching," he draws inspiration from Han Dynasty annotations and other classical translation methods while incorporating his own understanding of classical Chinese to strive for an accurate representation of the original text. Additionally, he attempts to interpret difficult-to-translate terms through annotations and explanations, providing readers with a clearer understanding. Din Cheuk Lau's translation philosophy has had a significant impact on the modern Chinese translation community.

Death of Socrates: a likely case of poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) poisoning

Introduction The death of Socrates in 399 BCE is described in Plato’s dialogue, the Phaedo, written an unknown time afterwards from accounts by others. The evidence Socrates’ death has almost always been attributed to his drinking an extract of poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, despite apparent discrepancies between the clinical features described in classical translations of the Phaedo and general clinical experience of poisoning with the toxic alkaloids it contains. Evaluation Recent acute philological analysis of the original Greek text has resolved many of the discrepancies by showing that the terms used in the classical translations were misinterpretations of the clinical signs described. It is also likely that the unpleasant clinical effects, such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and muscle fasciculation commonly described in modern reports of poison hemlock poisoning, were not mentioned to present the death of Socrates in a way consistent with his philosophical ideals and those of his pupil Plato. Conclusions Seen in this way, the death of Socrates can be accepted as a limited case report of Conium maculatum poisoning. Even after reaching that conclusion, intriguing scientific questions remain about the toxicity of the coniine alkaloids and the mechanisms of their effects.

A Study on Translation of Numbers in the Analects of Confucius from the Perspective of Cultural Translation Theory—— a Case study of the Translation Version by Gu Hongming

The language of the Analects of Confucius is concise, rich in connotation and highly abstract, so the problem of lack of meaning or semantic insufficiency is very obvious, and the numerical meaning is one of the most obvious examples. Based on Susan Bassnett view of cultural translation, this paper analyzes Gu Hongming’s translated version of Analects and finds that there are great cultural differences between Chinese and Western numerals in terms of definite reference and vague reference. In addition to definite reference, Chinese numbers also have the function of vague reference; In English, numbers are mostly used in definite reference, and vague reference is mostly based on larger numbers. This increases the difficulty for translators and readers to understand the original work. In addition to having a solid bilingual foundation, the translator should have a profound bilingual cultural knowledge to realize the translation of cultural information behind the language. The theory of cultural translation has certain feasibility in guiding the translation of Chinese classics into English, which can promote the foreign translation of Chinese classics and has certain practical significance in promoting the transmission of Chinese culture to the world.

Adopting Quranic Classical Literary Translation: Selected Parts of Jane Eyre as a Model

The present paper argues that structures of the Holy Quran may be relied on as a source of eloquence, contributing to a more idiomatic and elevated translation of the English classics. Accordingly, the paper identified a number of significant Quranic structures that can be leveraged as a translation strategy. Then, the proposed translation strategy was applied to selected parts of Charlotte Bronte’s 19th-century novel Jane Eyre. To evaluate the efficiency of the strategy, the translated excerpts were presented against Muneer Baalbaki’s published translation of the novel to be assessed by a panel of experts comprising nine linguists and translators who provided their input and evaluation on a Likert scale of 1 to 5. Based on the statistical analysis of responses, the suggested translation was found to be fairly successful, scoring an average of 4.28 out of 5.00. The study revealed that Quranic structures can be selectively applied to texts following specific strategies and taking various aspects into consideration. Moreover, it recommends conducting further studies on Quranic vocabulary and rhetorical expressions that can also be utilised in the translation of classical literature.

ПЕЧАТНЫЙ СОЦИАЛИЗМ И (МНОГО)НАЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ДЕТСКАЯ КНИГА

Presenting the collection of archival articles on the creation of national literatures for children in the USSR, the brief introduction proposes to see the early Soviet construction of a new subfield of national literatures as yet another example of invented traditions. New children’s literatures in Soviet republics demonstrated their deep involvement in the common — Soviet — literary development and simultaneously their cultivated sense of cultural autonomy, marked by specifically national themes, plots, and styles. Translations of international classics into national languages added a necessary “global” and “universal” dimension to national children’s literatures. In turn, the activation and instrumentalization of folklore helped to identify and popularize “specific” ethnic points of view and intonations. As the key example of this dynamics, the introduction examines two performative “parades” of national children’s literatures, which were staged in the journal Detskaia literatura (Children’s Literature) in 1936–1937 and in 1971–1972. Within forty years, almost universal complaints about the lack of qualified children’s writers were replaced with extensive reports about highly developed systems of creation, production and dissemination of literature for children.

A Study on the Translation Revision of The She King Retranslated by James Legge—Taking the English Translation of Ode as the Analysis Center

James Legge, a famous British sinologist in the 19th century, translated The She King three times in nine years, and he translated The She King into English for the first time, making great contributions to the English translation of Chinese classics. The three versions of The She King present different characteristics, so this study selects the 40 poems in Legge’s 1871 prose version, the 1876 rhymed version of The Odes in The She King, and the 38 poems in the 1879 selected translations on religious themes as the main objects of study, analyzes the translation modifications at the macro and micro levels in the retranslation of The She King to further explore the Legge’s translation. The reasons for Legge’s retranslation of The She King mainly in terms of changes in identity, adjustments in one's own religious thoughts and poetic cognition, and the care for readers. This kind of revisions and retranslations facilitated the wide dissemination and process of classics.

The Tri-Match of “Meaning, Genre and Literary Strength” in the English Translation of Chinese Classics—A Comparative Study on the English Translation of <i>Tao Te Ching</i>

The Tri-Match of “Meaning, Genre and Literary Strength” in the English Translation of Chinese Classics—A Comparative Study on the English Translation of <i>Tao Te Ching</i>

Researches on the C-E Translation of Chinese Classics between 2002 and 2022: Review and Prospect

Researches on the C-E Translation of Chinese Classics between 2002 and 2022: Review and Prospect

A Study on Translation Methods and Strategies in the English Translation of the Li Sao by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang

The poem Li Sao in Chu Ci first created the form of the unique genre “Sao Ti” in Chinese literature, displaying a positive romantic spirit. It has been included in textbooks multiple times and has had a significant impact on the development of Chinese literature. After the Han Dynasty, later literati always highly respected Qu Yuan. The quality of the English translation of Li Sao, as a representative chapter of the Chu Ci, directly reflects the quality of the selected translation. This article takes the English translation of Li Sao by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang as the starting point, analyzes its translation methods from three levels: rhythm, rhetoric, and culturally-loaded words, and explores the translation strategies the translators adopt. This will provide valuable reference experience for translators and have a certain guiding significance for the English translation of literary classics in China.

New Translations of Some Tangut Words

Some important documents, such as the Tangut legal texts “Revised and Newly Approved Code of the Heavenly Prosperity Reign (1149–1168)” (Tiansheng lüling) and “New Laws of the Pig Year” (Hainian xinfa), are not fully clarified. One reason is that some Tangut words cannot be understood correctly. The main key to finding exact meanings of Tangut words are translations of Chinese classics. In this paper it is shown how using the Tangut translation of a Chinese leishu, “Forest of Categories” (Lei lin), and finding correct interpretations of nine words results in reasonable translations of legal provisions.