Translation of Images 李 彤 2012211037 王文洁 2012211041
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Outline Category of images Translation strategies Examples in the West and China
总体概况 意象的分类 意象的翻译策略 Outline 中西方诗歌示例 过度页2 4
Category of images Visual images 视觉意象 Auditory images 听觉意象 总体概况 Visual images 视觉意象 Category of images Auditory images 听觉意象 Tactile images 触觉意象 过度页2 Gustatory images 味觉意象 5
Category of images 大漠孤烟直,长河落日圆。 (王维:使至塞上) 调研方法 大漠孤烟直,长河落日圆。 (王维:使至塞上) _____ _____ _____ _____ Straight is the lonely line of smoke above the vast desert, And round,the sun that sets upon the long river. Category of images ______ ______________ ________ _________________ In these lines, there are four visual images: “smoke”, “vast dessert”, “sun” and “long river”. All these four images bring the scene a thousand year ago right before the readers’ eyes.
Category of images 大弦嘈嘈如急雨, Loud as drumming rain, 调研方法 大弦嘈嘈如急雨, Loud as drumming rain, 小弦切切如私语。 soft as whispered secrets, 嘈嘈切切错杂弹, Pearls of varied sizes, 大珠小珠落玉盘. cascaded on a tray of jade. —白居易:瑟琶行 —Bai Juyi:Song of the Pipa ____ ______________ ____ ________________ ______ _________________ ___________________________ Category of images The auditory images here are used to describe the sound played on Pipa, a traditional Chinese musical instrument. The sound sometimes is as loud as drumming rain, sometimes as soft as whispering. The auditory image “Pearls cascaded on a tray of jade” is quite vivid, i.e. big pearls make loud sound and small ones make soft sound.
调研方法 The tactile image is “the chill moonlight. Images as “hot fire”, “cold rain”, “freezing wind” etc. are called tactile images because they make the readers feel what the poets feel therefore same response between the poet and the reader is achieved. 晓镜但愁云鬓改, 夜吟应觉月光寒。 —李商隐:无题 Category of images Before the mirror, you will fret to find those changing cloud-like tresses , Making rhyme at night, you will find the chill moonlight. ——Li Shangyin: Untitled ____ _______________
Category of images 住近湓江地低湿, 黄栌苦竹绕宅生。 —白居易:瑟琶行 调研方法 住近湓江地低湿, 黄栌苦竹绕宅生。 —白居易:瑟琶行 ____ I live by the River Pen, in a low damp place, surrounded by yellow reeds and bitter bamboo. ——Bai Juyi: Song of the Pipa Category of images The image relating to the sense of taste is “bitter bamboo”. Actually bamboo can’t taste, it is the poet and the reader who can have a bitter taste. _____ ________
1. Preserve the image 意象的保留 2. Addition of the image 意象的增加 3. Omission of the image 意象的省略 4. Substitution of the image 意象的替换 过度页3 10
The bright moon is shining through the pines, 明月松间照, 清泉石上流。 竹喧归洗女, 莲动下鱼舟。 ——王维:山居秋暝 ____ __ ____ __ __ _____ __ _____ Images like “bright moon”, “the pines”, “clear stream”, “the stones”, “bamboo”, “washing maids”, “lotuses” and “fishing boat” are all preserved in the translation work which help to keep the original flavor of the poem and constitute a vivid picture of the peaceful atmosphere. The bright moon is shining through the pines, The clear stream flowing over the stones. Bamboo rustle, as washing maids return, Lotuses stir, a fishing boat descends. —Wang Wei: An Autumn Evening in My Mountain Abode _________ ____________ ____________ _________ ________ _______________ ________ ____________
A Widow Bird (by Percy Bysshe Shelley) 建议总结 Proposals A Widow Bird (by Percy Bysshe Shelley) A widow bird sate mourning for her love Upon a wintry bough; The frozen wind crept on above, The freezing stream below. _____________ ________________ _____________ _________ 孤鸟 孤鸟栖寒枝, 悲鸣为其曹。 河水初结冰, 冷风何萧萧。 (苏曼殊译) Su Manshu’s version not only reflects the rhyming scheme of the original but also preserves the images very well. lmages as “a widow bird”, “wintry bough”, “frozen wind” are translated into“孤鸟”, “寒枝”, “冷风”respectively, so the bleak circumstances and the pathetic state of mind are presented fully. _____ ____ 过度页4 _____ _____ 12
Addition 增加 E→C How Do I Love Thee? Elizabeth Barrett Browning 调研方法 问我多么爱你? 伊丽莎白·巴莱特·勃朗宁 问我多么爱你? 听我细说端详。 此情高出蓝天, 此意深过海洋。 情意无边无际。 (吕志鲁译) How Do I Love Thee? Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height. Addition 增加 E→C 分析:In this poem the poet extols her passionate love. “Depth” “Breadth” and “Height” show the extent of her affection. When dealing with this series of conceptualized words, Professor Lv chooses to add two images,“蓝天”“海洋”to concretize the abstraction. They are more forceful and impressive than the literal rendering of“很深”“很宽”“很高”.
Addition 增加 C→E 羌笛何须怨杨柳, 春风不度玉门关。 —唐·王之涣 《出塞》 调研方法 Why should the Mongol flute complain no willows grow? Beyond the Jade Gate Pass* vernal wind will never blow. * a military stronghold in northwest China with a large number of troops garrisoned there in Tang Dynasty, it is often associated with endless and melancholy yearning for home by the frontier soldiers. —Xu Yuanchong Addition 增加 C→E 分析:In this poem, the image of “玉门关” (the Jade Gate Pass) means little to target language readers. Xu adds the annotation to this image, which makes the following lines can easily draw forth the similar emotions in target language readers as in source language readers.
Omission 省略 E→C Till a’ the seas gang dry, my deal, A Red, Red Rose --Robert Burns Till a’ the seas gang dry, my deal, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun; O I will love thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall run. 一朵红红的玫瑰 --罗伯特.彭斯 直到四海枯竭,亲爱的, 直到太阳把岩石消熔; 我会永远爱你,亲爱的, 只要生命不绝。 分析:“the sands o’ life”: is not so original in the source language, and few people will be aware that ‘sands’ is used to keep time thus this image is omitted. 过度页3 Omission 省略 E→C 15
Omission 省略 C → E 浮云游子意,落日故人情。 —唐·李白 《送友人》 ⑴ Those floating clouds are like the wanderer’s heart, The sinking sun recalls departed days. — W.J.B. Fletcher ⑵ With floating cloud you’ll float away; Like parting day I’ll part from you. —Xu Yuanchong 分析:In the first translation, “游子” is translated into “wanderer”. In Chinese culture, this image is always associated with the people departing from home such as in “游子身上衣”, while in English culture, the image of wanderer (people without permanent home) has no such cultural meaning. “落日” is usually used to express some emotion of depression like in “夕阳无限好,只是近黄昏”,while in this poem, it does not indicate this kind of emotion. The poet wants to express that their friendship just likes the sinking sun which is warm and reluctant to set. By adopting the image of “落日” Thus the translation of “落日” should convey warm and positive implications without any trace of sadness. So “sinking sun” is not so proper here. In the second version of translation, Xu doesn’t translate these images literally. He just omits the images of “游子” and “落日”. The second version just gives full expression to the poet’s emotions. Omission 省略 C → E
Substitution 替换 E→C Hamlet--Scene III William Shakespeare Full thirty times hath Phoebus’ cart gone round Neptune’s salt wash, and Tellus’orbed ground, And thirty dozen moons with borrowed sheen About the world have times twelve thirties been, Unite comutual in most sacred bands. 哈姆雷特--第三幕 威廉·莎士比亚 “金乌”流转,一转眼三十周年, 临照过几番沧海几度桑田, 三十打“玉兔”借来一片清辉, 环绕过地球三百又六十回, 还记得当时真个是两情缱绻, 承“月老”作合,结下了金玉良缘 (卞之琳译) 建议总结 Proposals Phoebus(福波斯): the God of Sun(太阳神) ; Tellus(忒勒斯): the earth (in the poem)大地女神 Neptune: the God of Sea (in the Roman legend) → planet of Neptune (in this poem) 海神 海王星 The translator chooses to find some substitutional images in Chinese traditional culture for the foreign ones.“金乌”“玉兔”“月老”are unique images in Chinese national fairy tale. “金乌”is the ten sons of the Jade of Emperor. They symbolize ten suns. As a result,“金乌”is used to substitute for Phoebus, the God of sun. In the Chinese myth,“玉兔”is the companion of the Goddess of Moon, so it replaces “moons” in the third line. “月老”,the God of love, takes the place of the “the most sacred bands” of lovers. The substitutes help to retain the aesthetic beauty and antique style of the original poem, and cater to the acceptability of Chinese readers. 过度页4 Substitution 替换 E→C 17
Substitution 替换 C →E Oh, Do not lean 休去倚危栏,斜阳正在,烟柳断肠处。 —辛弃疾《摸鱼儿》 Oh, Do not lean On overhanging rails where the setting sun sees heart-broken willow trees! —XuYuanchong 分析:断肠---breaking one’s intestine, carries the meaning of extreme sadness as if hurting one’s inner organs. While in English they may use the expression as “heart-breaking” without involving the image as “intestines” which may make English readers feel disguested and repulsed rather than sad. Substitution 替换 C →E
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