Peony Pavilion Research Articles

The liminality of the garden: A comparative study of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Tang Xianzu's The Peony Pavilion

This article explores the liminality of the garden through a comparative study of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and a coeval Chinese play, The Peony Pavilion ( mŭ dān tíng, 牡丹亭, 1598) by Tang Xianzu (汤显祖). It studies the garden as a liminal space between art and nature as well as between dream and reality: an exploration of plant symbolism and allegory in English and Chinese cultures indicates how the garden has been eroticised and politicised in the human imagination. It adopts a cross-cultural perspective, aiming to shed light on the undiscovered aspects in previous parallel studies of each play.

Exploring Cultural Adaptation and Symbolism in English Versions of “The Peony Pavilion”

Background: "The Peony Pavilion" by Tang Xianzu is a classical Chinese play renowned for its profound cultural and literary significance. Over the centuries, it has been translated into English numerous times, each rendition reflecting the translator's interpretation and cultural context. Materials and Methods: This reflective study examines a selection of English translations of "The Peony Pavilion" spanning different time periods and translators. Utilizing textual analysis and comparative study, we assess linguistic fidelity, cultural nuances, and the translators' approaches to bridging the gap between the source and target languages. Results: Our analysis reveals varying degrees of linguistic and cultural fidelity across translations. Quantitative metrics indicate a spectrum of fidelity, with scores ranging from 1 to 10, reflecting the extent to which translations capture the essence of the original text. Cultural nuances are often lost or altered, reflecting the influence of the translator's cultural background and the target audience's expectations. Conclusion: English translations of "The Peony Pavilion" present a dynamic interplay between linguistic accuracy and cultural interpretation. While some translations excel in preserving the original text's nuances, others diverge significantly, reflecting the translator's creative license and cultural context. This study underscores the importance of considering both linguistic and cultural fidelity in translating classical works, enriching cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.

The Tragic Comparison of “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Peony Pavilion”

The Tragic Comparison of “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Peony Pavilion”

Supernaturalism as a Narrative Technique in “The Tempest” and “The Peony Pavilion”

Supernaturalism as a Narrative Technique in “The Tempest” and “The Peony Pavilion”

A New Transmission of Elegant Charm: A Study on the Artistic Design Features and Aesthetic Communication Implications of Kunqu Opera’s “Peony Pavilion”

A New Transmission of Elegant Charm: A Study on the Artistic Design Features and Aesthetic Communication Implications of Kunqu Opera’s “Peony Pavilion”

Research on Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of Costume Terms in the Translation of The Peony Pavilion

Research on Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of Costume Terms in the Translation of The Peony Pavilion

Exploring the Foothold of Kunqu in Modern Society Through a Comparative Study of Different Versions of The Peony Pavilion

After the publication of the youth version of The Peony Pavilion in 2004, Kunqu, a classical Chinese theatre, experienced a significant resurgence in both popularity and esteem. This renewal instigated a stronger emphasis on inventive and contemporary adaptations of the traditional repertoire. As culture evolves and advances, there is no doubt that classical theatre must also adapt to keep up with the times. The primary aim of this essay is to examine a contemporary phenomenon through a research methodology that compares and contrasts traditional and modern theatre styles. Specifically, this research focuses on the modern rendition of The Peony Pavilion, a renowned Kunqu opera that illustrates how traditional Chinese theatre can be adjusted to modern contexts while preserving its allure and importance. Additionally, this research project investigates the qualities and mechanisms of modernization in classical Chinese theatre. By concentrating on The Peony Pavilion, this study seeks to disclose how Kunqu integrates and embraces change while retaining its fundamental aspects. As a result, the research aids in crafting efficient techniques for modifying classical art forms to contemporary settings, guaranteeing that these traditional art forms remain significant and appealing over time. This will meet the increasing demand for contemporary performances while ensuring the longevity and preservation of classical arts in the ever-evolving 21st century.

Analyzing The Peony Pavilion and Romeo and Juliet from a Comparative Perspective of Chinese and Western Cultures

Literature, as an important part of culture in terms of ideology, is the most convenient material to study the characteristics of different cultures. This paper selects the masterpieces "Peony Pavilion" and "Romeo and Juliet" of the two great Chinese and Western dramatists, Tang Xianzu and Shakespeare, and compares and analyzes them in four aspects, namely, the background of the creation, plot design, main characters' image, and the ending of the love, so as to analyze the differences between the two works in the spirit of the Chinese and Western cultures, the way of thinking, the concepts of human beings, and the understanding of tragedy.

Xiqu 2.0

Xiqu 2.0 designates an experimental approach to adapting and updating the classical theaters of the Sinophone region (xiqu) and a form of expanded Chinese opera in digital times. It highlights strategies of versioning and serialization of classical texts and tropes in (post-)modern performance environments and foregrounds media and textual interactivity, networking, and participatory contexts of production, reception, and circulation—including the production, reception, and circulation of cultural memory in the contemporary Sinosphere. The stage practice of Hong Kong–based multi-genre artist Danny Yung of Zuni Icosahedron and his long-term work with Tang Xianzu's Peony Pavilion (1598) illustrate the multiple dimensions of xiqu 2.0. Representative productions include the digital Kun opera Sigmund Freud in Search of Chinese Matter and Mind (2002, 2016) and the series The Interrupted Dream, launched in 2018. The latter links Tang's oneiric imaginary to the postcolonial critique of orientalism through references to seventeenth-century chinoiserie at the court of Louis XIV. Updated for livestreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic, the series served as a virtual channel of mediated memory across the digital Sinosphere in the aftermath of the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests and as a commentary on ancien and modern regimes, past and present revolutions, old and new Chinese dreams.

Body, Desire and Metaphor

The Peony Pavilion: The Dream Interrupted, tells the story of Du Liniang’s visit to the garden in spring and then her dream of meeting intellectual Liu Mengmei, which embodies the awakening of women’s life consciousness. However, by rereading the The Dream Interrupted from three dimensions: body narrative, desire narrative and metaphorical narrative, we can find that Tang Xianzu’s creation still has a gaze and is at the center of male narrative.

The Translation of Kunqu Opera from the Perspective of Dynamic Multimodal Discourse: A Case Study of Li Linde's English Version of Peony Pavilion

The Translation of Kunqu Opera from the Perspective of Dynamic Multimodal Discourse: A Case Study of Li Linde's English Version of Peony Pavilion

Speech corpus–based study on the speakability in translation of Chinese classical operas

Abstract Speakability in drama involves the level of ease with which an individual can coordinate the pronunciation, singing, and emotion of a text. In translations of classical Chinese operas, reproducing the speakability of the original can determine the success of the stage performance of the opera. However, speakability in such translations has not been explored in the literature. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the similarity of the speakability in translations of An Enchanting Dream 惊梦 from The Peony Pavilion 牡丹亭 to that of the original Chinese through a corpus-driven investigation of versions of the opera annotated by Xu Yuanchong and translated by Xu Yuanchong and Xu Ming, Wang Rongpei, and Cyril Birch. We developed a prosodic phonological evaluation system in which duration and pitch were used to compare the source text and target texts by using InterPhonic 5.0 and Praat software. The results indicated that for duration when the context and characterization in the drama are considered, Wang’s translation did not adequately convey emotions. For pitch, the tone ranges of Xu and Xu’s translation fluctuated more drastically, which more effectively conveyed the emotional changes of the original text. Furthermore, the waviness of the pitches in Xu and Xu’s translation was similar to that of the original text. In this study, relative corpora were developed to determine the translated speakability of a Chinese classical opera. Our results may be valuable to translation studies and for the dissemination of traditional Chinese culture.

As a Cultural and Spiritual Homeland: Pai Hsien-yung and His Kunqu Peony Pavilion: The Young Lovers’ Version

As a Cultural and Spiritual Homeland: Pai Hsien-yung and His Kunqu Peony Pavilion: The Young Lovers’ Version

An Examination of Wang Rongpei’s Translation of The Peony Pavilion from the Viewpoint of Reframing Narrative Theory

This paper examines Chinese translator Wang Rongpei’s English translation of The Peony Pavilion from the perspective of narrative theory. As a classical romantic tragicomedy written in 1598, The Peony Pavilion revolves around the extraordinary love story between Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, set against the social background of the Southern Song (1127-1279) dynasty. Among the numerous English translations of this work, Wang Rongpei’s version stands out as one of particular brilliance, as evidenced by its inclusion in the Library of Chinese Classics. According to the narrative theory put forward by Mona Baker, translators can consciously participate in the construction of the source text’s “story” by strengthening or undermining certain aspects of the narrative they mediate. This paper examines how the translator, who is not merely a passive receiver of a source text, actively mobilizes various strategies to reframe the story of The Peony Pavilion. In doing so, four aspects of the translated invite specific critical attention: its temporal and spatial framing, selective appropriation of textual material, framing by labelling, and the repositioning of participants. This paper argues that in the process of reframing the source text, the translator intentionally reinforces ontological narratives and attenuates public narratives with the aim of delivering a text more accommodating of the tastes of contemporary English-language readers. Finally, the purpose of this paper is to deepen understanding of Wang’s translation practices and outcomes, and to offer for traditional oriental drama translators a key point of reference.

Research on Awakening of Feminine Consciousness and Personal Identity in Reproducing The Peony Pavilion from Perspective of Feminist Theory

Research on Awakening of Feminine Consciousness and Personal Identity in Reproducing The Peony Pavilion from Perspective of Feminist Theory

The Peony Pavilion as a picture of sexual individuation

The Peony Pavilion is a story central to Chinese gender identity. It vividly portrays a story of the path of sexual individuation of a Chinese woman. In comparison to female images in Western stories, Chinese women are the active ones in their intimate relationships with men. They have been oppressed for many years because they are recognised as the subject of desire and as having reflexive aggression. However, with enough love, a girl dares to separate from her natal family, to fight against the patriarchal system, and to be herself. Identifying with the father’s aggression can facilitate her in this process.

A Couple of Soles: A Comic Play from Seventeenth-Century China

A Couple of Soles: A Comic Play from Seventeenth-Century China

On the Allusion Translation in Traditional Chinese Drama: A Case Study of the English Version of The Peony Pavilion

The allusions applied in traditional Chinese drama contain prolific cultural connotations, which aren’t familiar to English readers. Therefore, translators should take the interpretation of cultural meaning into consideration thoroughly in the process of translating allusions of traditional Chinese drama, so as to make the translation readable. This paper takes the English version of The Peony Pavilion translated by Xu Yuanchong as the research object, and analyzes its translation methods for the allusion of story and the allusion of language from the perspective of cultural translation, aiming to provide a reference for the translation of allusions in Chinese classical drama.

Contributors

Contributors

Application of Multi-dimensional Space-time Framework in Artistic Creation——Taking the Opera Peony Pavilion as an Example

On the physical level, multidimensional space-time refers to a space composed of four or more dimensions. In the physical definition, "dimension" is a measure, that is to say, in the traditional three-dimensional space coordinates, plus time, space-time is related to each other, which is four-dimensional space-time. In literary and artistic creation, many writers and artists use the form of creating multi-dimensional time and space to create magnificent imagination, novel narrative structure and powerful imagination rendered by interweaving time and space. In dramatic works, dramatists connect events, render emotions, set off themes and enhance expressive force by creating multi-dimensional time and space. Among them, "Peony Pavilion" is a traditional opera in which the author applies multi-dimensional space-time structure in his creation. This article takes "Peony Pavilion" as an example.