Degrees of Affinity: Studies in Comparative Literature and Translation

190 Pages·2015·3.35 MB·English

by  Zuoliang Wang (auth.)

China Academic Library
Zuoliang Wang
Degrees of
Affinity
Studies in Comparative Literature and
Translation
China Academic Library
Academic Advisory Board:
Researcher Geng, Yunzhi, Institute of Modern History, Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, China
Professor Han, Zhen, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China
Researcher Hao, Shiyuan, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology,
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China
Professor Li, Xueqin, Department of History, Tsinghua University, China
Professor Li, Yining, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, China
Researcher Lu, Xueyi, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,
China
Professor Wong, Young-tsu, Department of History, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University, USA
Professor Yu, Keping, Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, China
Professor Yue, Daiyun, Department of Chinese Language and Literature,
Peking University, China
Zhu, Yinghuang, China Daily Press, China
Series Coordinators:
Zitong Wu, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, China
Yan Li, Springer
More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/11562
Zuoliang W ang
Degrees of Affi nity
Studies in Comparative Literature
and Translation
Zuoliang Wang (1916–1995)
Beijing Foreign Studies University
Beijing , China
Sponsored by Chinese Fund for the Humanities and Social Sciences ((cid:7516)(cid:1174)(cid:14823)(cid:1117)(cid:2430)(cid:12142)(cid:1354)(cid:12289)(cid:4502)
(cid:3626)(cid:18433)(cid:17268)(cid:2265))
ISSN 2195-1853 ISSN 2195-1861 (electronic)
China Academic Library
ISBN 978-3-662-45474-9 ISBN 978-3-662-45475-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-45475-6
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© Foreign Language Teaching and Research Publishing Co., Ltd
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Contents
1 Literary History: Chinese Beginnings .................................................. 1
1.1 I ...................................................................................................... 1
1.2 II ..................................................................................................... 5
1.3 III .................................................................................................... 8
2 The Shakespearean Moment in China .................................................. 11
3 Trends in Chinese Literature Today ...................................................... 17
3.1 I ...................................................................................................... 17
3.2 II ..................................................................................................... 18
3.3 III .................................................................................................... 28
3.4 IV.................................................................................................... 29
Table of Transliteration ............................................................................. 3 0
4 English Poetry and the Chinese Reader ................................................ 33
5 On Affi nity Between Literatures ............................................................ 39
6 Across Literatures: The Translation Boom in China ........................... 45
7 Two Early Translators ............................................................................ 49
7.1 I ...................................................................................................... 49
7.2 II ..................................................................................................... 53
8 Lu Xun ..................................................................................................... 61
9 Lu Xun and Western Literature ............................................................ 69
10 Chinese Modernists and Their Metamorphoses ................................... 79
11 Modernist Poetry in China ..................................................................... 85
11.1 1 ...................................................................................................... 85
11.2 2 ...................................................................................................... 95
v
vi Contents
12 A Chinese Poet ......................................................................................... 105
13 The Poet as Translator ............................................................................ 113
13.1 1 ...................................................................................................... 114
13.2 2 ...................................................................................................... 118
13.3 3 ...................................................................................................... 122
13.4 4 ...................................................................................................... 130
14 Some Observations on Verse Translation .............................................. 131
14.1 I ...................................................................................................... 131
14.2 II ..................................................................................................... 134
14.3 III .................................................................................................... 141
15 On Translating Joyce, Burns and Others.............................................. 145
16 Sean O’Casey in China ........................................................................... 151
17 Translation Standard in China: A Survey ............................................ 155
18 Refl ections on a Dictionary .................................................................... 161
18.1 I ...................................................................................................... 161
18.2 II ..................................................................................................... 163
18.3 III .................................................................................................... 165
18.4 IV.................................................................................................... 166
18.5 V ..................................................................................................... 170
Select Bibliography ......................................................................................... 1 71
I. Bibliographies ........................................................................................ 171
II. Periodicals ............................................................................................ 172
III. Encyclopedias, Dictionaries ................................................................ 173
IV. Anthologies.......................................................................................... 173
a. Comprehensive ............................................................................ 173
b. Fiction ......................................................................................... 173
c. Poetry .......................................................................................... 175
d. Drama .......................................................................................... 176
e. Essays .......................................................................................... 176
f. Miscellaneous .............................................................................. 176
V. General Studies ..................................................................................... 177
VI. Recent Translations of Individual Works ............................................ 180
VII. Shakespeare Studies .......................................................................... 186
i. (cid:2612)(cid:2199)(cid:8984)(cid:18426)(cid:7516) (Editions) ................................................................ 186
ii. (cid:16897)(cid:7516) (Translations) ..................................................................... 186
iii. (cid:11087)(cid:5283) (Life) ................................................................................. 189
iv. (cid:16884)(cid:1275) (Criticism) ......................................................................... 189
v. (Bibliography) (cid:1174)(cid:11550) .................................................................... 193
Chapter 1
Literary History: Chinese Beginnings
Presumably there is more than one tradition of literary historiography in the world.
The Western tradition is, of course, familiar to scholars. Is there also a Chinese tra-
dition? On the face of it, hardly, for the fi rst History of Chinese Literature , so-called,
was published only in 1904.1 And what has happened since then seems mainly a tale
of succession of foreign infl uences—Japanese, English, French, American and,
fi nally, Soviet—that Chinese literary historians have been subjected to, so that to
this day there is no history of Chinese literature published in China, or elsewhere in
the world, for that matter, that is found generally acceptable to most Chinese schol-
ars. Their main objection to many of these “histories” is that there is little that is
distinctly Chinese in them.
T his is a curious situation, for the Chinese have never lacked of a historical
sense. On the contrary, their historical writings have been among the most distin-
guished in the world. Neither have they lacked a critical sense. If anything, they
have often been hypercritical, reaching a high stage of subtlety and sophistication in
the sixth century, if not earlier. There have also been available other factors condu-
cive to literary history, including para-compilations and precursors. It is the purpose
of this paper to discuss some of these factors and explore a little the question why
such favourable conditions did not yet reach their consummation in a Chinese liter-
ary history.
1.1 I
The survey of literary works of a past period has been an old established practice
among Chinese historians, which can be traced back to Ban Gu ((cid:10781)(cid:3370)), the fi rst-
century Imperial Historiographer. He initiated the C hronicle of Arts and Letters
1 (cid:7623)(cid:1360)(cid:11106),《 (cid:1117)(cid:3373)(cid:7095)(cid:4502)(cid:2594)》, 1904(cid:452)((cid:5295)(cid:5134)(cid:4488)(cid:10749)(cid:19505), (cid:11106)(cid:4597)(cid:5284)(cid:1212)(cid:7480)(cid:18429)(cid:7761)(cid:2464)(cid:15996))
© Foreign Language Teaching and Research Publishing Co., Ltd 1
and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Z. Wang, Degrees of Affi nity, China Academic Library,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-45475-6_1
2 1 Literary History: Chinese Beginnings
《( (cid:14506)(cid:7095)(cid:5639)》), a superb annotated bibliographical record, which subsequently became
a regular feature of many dynastic histories. This was supplemented, or substanti-
ated, by the “lives” of writers among the notables, also in the offi cial histories.
These “lives”, resembling entries in the D NB , are still incorporated as appendix in
nearly every standard edition of a classical author’s works published in China today.
Several developments occurred at the beginning of the sixth century which were
conducive to literary historiography. There was a treatise written by Zhong Rong
((cid:19151)(cid:5000)) entitled Poetic Ranks 《( (cid:16903)(cid:2801)》) which ranked poets according to merit. Two
anthologies were also compiled. One, the massive S elected Writings edited by the
Prince Zhao Ming 《( (cid:7261)(cid:7230)(cid:7095)(cid:17977)》), was to remain the standard comprehensive anthol-
ogy for a millennium and more, giving rise to numerous glosses and commentaries
in the interval. The other, N ew Poems from the Jade Pavilion 《( (cid:10681)(cid:2592)(cid:7136)(cid:2751)》) by Xu
Lin ((cid:5568)(cid:19621)), a large miscellany of mostly love poems by princes, courtiers and court
ladies, also set a fashion, being the fi rst of many specialist anthologies to come.
Now any attempt at ranking the poets meant an act of criticism involving evalu-
ation and classifi cation. Zhong Rong’s treatise also showed a historical sense, for
the poets examined ranged from ancients down to the author’s own contemporaries.
It is clear that work along these lines was excellent preparation for literary history.
The connection with anthologies is also not far to seek. Many early literary histo-
ries, so-called, were really anthologies in disguise, the only difference being that the
quoted passages were arranged chronologically—hence there was some attempt at
periodization—and linked up with critical remarks of one sort or another.
B ut the work that more than anything else pointed forward to literary history was
Liu Xie’s W en Xin Diao Long ((cid:2120)(cid:2336)《: (cid:7095)(cid:5619)(cid:19717)(cid:21961)》), a title which has been translated
as T he Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons .2 It is a book of literary theory
which treats systematically—as few other books have done in classical China—of
nearly every aspect of literary creation. To this day Chinese and Japanese scholars,
meeting at numerous symposia, wonder at its scope and depth. Literary historians
will also fi nd it a rich quarry. There is, for instance, a chapter entitled “Time
Sequence” 《( (cid:7206)(cid:5311)》) which is an admirable mini-history of Chinese literature from
the earliest times to the fi fth century. In it the author reviews the main literary
achievements in this wide span of time, ending with the observation:
(cid:7095)(cid:2568)(cid:7683)(cid:1150)(cid:1094)(cid:5877), (cid:1956)(cid:5327)(cid:13099)(cid:1150)(cid:7206)(cid:5311)(cid:452)
(Literary changes are colored by the social situation,
and artistic growth or decline depends on the times.)
In other words, literature evolves with society. Trite enough today, no doubt, but
Liu lived at a time (c. 465-c. 520) when people’s minds were still clouded by mytho-
logical and other arcane interpretations of literary works and their origins. In that
context his was a surprisingly modern view. This is followed by a chapter entitled
“Talented Spirits” 《( (cid:6269)(cid:11157)》) which gives a rapid survey of 94 authors through 9
2 Vincent Yu-chung Shih, trans. The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons. First published in
1959. Bilingual ed. (Hong Kong: The Chinese UP, 1983.)
1.1 I 3
dynasties in an attempt to establish a relationship between tradition and individual
talent, again a modern concern.
T he bulk of the book, 20 chapters in all, is given over to a discussion of various
types of writings. Liu is able to enumerate and comment on 33 of them, beginning
with poems, folk songs f u , moving on to historical and philosophical writings, end-
ing with memorials, petitions, notes and letters. In between there are some curious
types, such as pledges, oaths, jests, queries, repartees and “sevens”, the last a kind
of prose poem which sets out to raise seven questions or make seven points. This
classifi cation may strike us as a little too elaborate, but it also testifi es to the enor-
mous wealth of material, both in verse and prose, available at the time.
More to our purpose is the historical approach used by the author. Each of these
20 chapters contains a brief survey of important past works of the type of writing
under discussion. Below is part of such a survey:
(cid:7384)(cid:5418)(cid:4537)(cid:1147)(cid:2125), (cid:1220)(cid:16432)(cid:14254)(cid:17466)(cid:452)(cid:7095)(cid:5197)(cid:451)(cid:19576)(cid:5709), (cid:13541)(cid:17860)(cid:20667)(cid:14514); (cid:10683)(cid:451)(cid:5568)(cid:451)(cid:5316)(cid:451)(cid:2120), (cid:7499)(cid:17439)(cid:13884)(cid:1209)(cid:20641); (cid:5286)(cid:5708)
(cid:20222)(cid:7480), (cid:10494)(cid:8848)(cid:14593), (cid:17952)(cid:5785)(cid:14739), (cid:2569)(cid:18323)(cid:4580), (cid:6055)(cid:6040)(cid:1301)(cid:1323)(cid:8772), (cid:12026)(cid:14957)(cid:1301)(cid:1455)(cid:6269); (cid:18000)(cid:5680)(cid:6455)(cid:1211), (cid:1085)(cid:8818)(cid:13524)(cid:4598)(cid:1147)(cid:5143); (cid:20641)
(cid:17870)(cid:17984)(cid:17084), (cid:2911)(cid:2566)(cid:7261)(cid:7328)(cid:1147)(cid:14125), (cid:8596)(cid:1958)(cid:6256)(cid:2620)(cid:1167)(cid:452)(cid:1139)(cid:8595)(cid:4091)(cid:7230)(cid:18051), (cid:16903)(cid:7538)(cid:1289)(cid:5619)(cid:452)(cid:1413)(cid:7295)(cid:1147)(cid:5570), (cid:10679)(cid:3914)(cid:9118)(cid:9077);
(cid:2911)(cid:4983)(cid:5639)(cid:9269)(cid:4907), (cid:19550)(cid:7192)(cid:18069)(cid:9249), (cid:7029)(cid:14125)(cid:7735)(cid:10041)(cid:452)(cid:14613)(cid:1139)(cid:5316)(cid:10969)《 (cid:11438)(cid:1072)》, (cid:10524)(cid:12539)(cid:1085)(cid:5911), (cid:17870)(cid:16994)(cid:1145)(cid:17230), (cid:1238)(cid:20863)(cid:1147)(cid:18055)
(cid:11556)(cid:1167)(cid:452)《( (cid:7230)(cid:16903)》)
(By the early years of the Jian An period, fi ve-character lines became popular. The Cao
brothers, emperor and prince, rode gallantly together. Wang, Xu, Ying and Liu raced along
in their wake. They all loved wind and moon, frequented ponds and parks, gloried in hon-
ors, made merry at parties, generous of spirit, open in displaying talent, caring not for
ingenious minuteness in description, striving only for clarity in expression. These were
their common characteristics. Coming down to the Zheng Shi period, under the infl uence of
Taoism, poetry became tinged with spiritual yearnings. Ho Yan and his ilk were mostly
shallow, only Ji and Ruan stood out, the former with his austere purity, the latter with his
great profundity. Ying Qu’s cautionary poems, too, showed an independent spirit by being
enigmatic in language but bold in thoughts, a legacy from the Wei era.)
Packed with names and epithets, the writing yet moves on at a great pace and has
a clear line of development, mainly by grouping the writers and bringing out the
contrasts between the two periods. David Nichol Smith once said, “When poets are
grouped by families and clans and when their descents are traced, History is
coming”.3 Certainly here we have a history of Chinese poetry in embryo.
T here are other things in Liu’s work which a literary historian might study with
profi t.
F irst, his use of terms. On the whole, Liu used terms sparingly, but of the handful
he did use a few were capable of expressing a whole theoretical position in one
short, telling phrase, such as f enggu ((cid:20222)(cid:20696)). He didn’t exactly coin the phrase. Other
critics had used the two words before, though generally in connection with painting
or calligraphy.4 Liu made the phrase a key term in his system, not only applied to
individual literary works but also used to denote the dominant character of the
3 David Nichol Smith, Warton ’ s History of English Poetry. British Academy Warton Lecture, 1929,
p. 14.
4 Thus Xie He ((cid:16978)(cid:17307)) spoke of fenggu as an outstanding quality of some artists in his Critical
Account of Early Paintings 《( (cid:2580)(cid:11115)(cid:2801)(cid:5509)》). Yuan Ang ((cid:16049)(cid:7218)) in his C ritique on Calligraphy 《( (cid:1174)
(cid:16884)》) used the two words separately to distinguish the achievements of individual calligraphers.