Qiu Xiaolong Interview: The current situation and future of Chinese poetry translation

Zhang Zhizhong: You in "Academic Season Journal of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences" in 1989, "The Emotional Exchange of Chinese Ancient Poems and Modernist Poetry in Translation", which put forward the "Principles of Translation of Primary Poems", of which Keywords are "emotional". However, in the dissertation, you do not seem to have explained "perceptual". Can you explain in detail the concept and definition of "emotional" of Chinese poetry?

Qiu Xiaolong: Thank you for finding out the articles so many years ago. You give me a chance and let me review the translation of these years. Regarding the "Sensibilities" mentioned in the text, simply speaking, it is a unique feeling and expression of language, which involves the deep structure of language, which also affects and even determines the cognitive process of this language user's cognitive process And the formation of worldview. Poetry is a kind of art that discovers and exerts the possibility of language to the extreme, and can best highlight the deep cultural sensation unique to this language. If I have changed in my thoughts in these years, it may be said that it has developed on the basis of "highlighting the sensuality of the original poem" and developed to "the different language perceptual in the original poem and the translation poem highlights the combination "". In other words, this is also an attempt to combine poetry and bilingual writing. The translation not only highlights the original emotional level, but also likes creation. It must also give full excavation in the target language, so as to present a mix of mixing Texts of different languages. In recent years, domestic translation and research have made great progress. I think my own interpreter/bilingual writing attempts, and how to translate Chinese literature and culture, and promote cross -cultural understanding, may have a certain significance.

Zhang Zhizhong: The article "The Ethical Exchange of Chinese Ancient Poems and Modernist Poems in Translation" first talked about the translation of Chinese poems and English, and then the translation of English poetry and Han. What do you think is the difference and connection between the translation of English poetry and Chinese poems? What are the different requirements for translators?

Qiu Xiaolong: I think in general translation, if the target language is the mother tongue of the translator, it may be relatively easy. But whether it is English translation and Han translation, it is actually complementary. You must try to make some attempts in both aspects. You will have more direct feelings and understanding of the different sensitivity of the two languages. As for the specific requirements of the translators of different target languages, this reminds me of the first graduate assignment that Mr. Bian Zhilin gave me: writing poems. In his opinion, to translate poetry and comment, it is best to write poetry by yourself, so that you can really know the bitterness of the two poetry language sensual transitions, which can be freely. It is not just a poetry.

Zhang Zhizhong: In the article "The Ethical Exchange of Chinese Ancient Poems and Modernist Poems in Translation", it is said that contemporary literary exchanges are multi -level, and you do not advocate that all works use the principle of "translation of the original poetry perceptual translation" to go to go to go to go to translate. Since literary exchanges or literary translation are multi -level, does it mean that the same Han poem can have different methods of translation and reproduction? Do you think there are some different translation genres in Chinese poems? Is their existence reasonable?

Qiu Xiaolong: Indeed, I still don't think there is anything to apply to the translation principles of all texts; as far as poetry is concerned, there should be different styles and genre attempts. The same Chinese classical poetry has different understanding, aesthetics, and treatment. This itself illustrates that poetry is not good, and it is also the "difficult charm" of poetry translation. It can be compared with each other further. In fact, it is very meaningful. For example, the translation poem of the rhythm, if the translator can handle the rhythm of English poetry, does not go to move the meaning or image of the poem, or just to make the rhyme, write the sentences upside down, and can't bear to read it. The rhythm translation poem is not allowed to try it. Many years ago, I also used a rhythmic body to turn a poem for Lu Xun. I can still think of it now. Only two sentences seem to be slightly more neat. "How can I be as passionate as of you? /Let Flower Blow or Fall, I Care No more." What is still using of you? Of course, it does not mean that other people do not work in this regard. But if I have a standard for self -setting, in fact, it is simple. The translated poems should be read in the target language, and it is a poem that is "not separated" in contemporary English readers.

Zhang Zhizhong: Between your English novel creation, English poetry creation and Chinese poems, what do you think of the relationship between these three? How do you interact and influence between your creation and your translation? Is the state of writing poems the same as the state of translation? What are the contacts or differences?

Qiu Xiaolong: In the past 20 years, I have a lot of energy on the writing of English novels. The relationship between the creation of English poetry and the translation of Chinese poetry and English is intricate, and it is also wrong. I originally wanted to write an English novel about Chinese society in reform and opening up. The protagonist is an intellectual, who likes to think and like poetry. However, the novel was accidentally written as a detective novel, and the protagonist became a "thought of the Detective", although he still likes to chant poems. However, the English poem he cited during the handling of the case deleted my American editor, because she said that the "copyright fee was too high" to pay. As a result, in these empty paragraphs, I switched to Chinese classical poems I translated — the copyright period has long been passed without paying. When doing this, I also further realized that the English translation of Chinese classical poetry in English novels must not affect the fluency of general readers, just like they usually read contemporary English poems; At the same time, they must make them feel the unique sensitivity and poetry of Chinese classical poetry. Writing and translating poems in the novel, which also makes me more or less consciously inherit a tradition of Chinese classical novels, that is, there is poetry in the novel, making the narrative more lyrical intensity and changes in rhythm. In addition, some of the novels are not translations, but poems written by myself in the name of Discussion, which can also bring an unexpected benefit: it seems that I put on the mask of Dou Chen and entered his entry into his. "Self", I wrote a poem I would not write. Zhang Zhizhong: For decades, have you changed the translation concepts and principles of translation in Chinese poetry and English? What is the specific situation?

Qiu Xiaolong: I mentioned some changes in the translation concepts and principles in the translation of Chinese poetry. Therefore, some explorations have been done in these aspects; while also engaged in other literary creation, they are integrated into the translation of Chinese classical poetry as much as possible. In recent years, I have been affected by the theory of relative linguistics in Europe and the United States. According to European and American linguists, such as Benjamin Lee WHORF, Wilhelm Von Humboldt and others, people's world views are formed from language. The internal structure influence of different languages, and even determining people's thinking , Cognitive Method. The unique sensitivity of a language culture is the deep component that is difficult to truly understand in another language culture. Therefore, in the translation of poetry How to integrate this kind of heterogeneous and even further try in the language, how to constitute a text containing different languages. In the recent time, I have the opportunity to come to Guangxi University for academic visit. I think I will discuss it in depth.

Zhang Zhizhong: The current translation of Chinese poems in Chinese poems seems to be in the country. Whether it is translator or theoretical researcher, there are a large number of people. What do you think of the rhyme of Chinese poems? Is this already outdated in the English world? Still still market? Chinese translator's Chinese poems and English translations, in the English world, such as the United States, is there a reader? How's it going?

Qiu Xiaolong: I write poems myself, Chinese English. As far as the current status of British and American poetry creation is concerned, the body is definitely not the mainstream. My friend Mona Van Dunn, the first female poet in the United States, and the leading figure of the new formalist genre, once told me that few people have written in the British and American poetry world. It is even harder for non -mother tongue poets to be difficult to do. As far as Chinese classical poetry translation is concerned, the situation is more difficult and more severe. Because of writing a rhythmic body, the author may come to deal with a rhyme for a certain rhyme, and even write a poem because of this rhyme, but the translator is not so freedom. The significance and image of the original text cannot be changed arrogantly. It is impossible to forgive the rhyme to add words and reduce words. I am afraid that it is not just a problem of painting tigers. La Ge's flags make the tiger skin of poor translation poems, but they are actually even more subordinates. At least in the American bookstores, people can not see the translation of "poetry" translations of these Chinese classical poetry at all, so it is inevitable that some commentators have said that they have become a game of "self -entertainment and self -entertainment". Introduce the goal of Chinese classical literature to the world. The other side of the question is naturally, so can Chinese classical poetry translated in the form of modern English free body poetry can vividly reproduce the original artistic conception? I personally think that it is possible, especially on the basis of highlighting the emotional of the original poetry.

Zhang Zhizhong: Talking about the translation of Chinese poems, whether it is translator or theoretical researcher, often refers to the English translation of Chinese classical Chinese poetry. The English translation of new Chinese poems seems to be relatively unpopular. What do you think is the reason?

Qiu Xiaolong: I turned over some modern Chinese poetry. For example, I wrote a comment on the contemporary Chinese poet Wang Xiaolong in the Los Angeles Times, and also translated his poems. In addition, in the novel, I also quoted fragments of Xu Zhimo, Bian Zhilin, Wu Xinghua and others. However, in general, I do not do much translation of modern Chinese poetry. There are copyright concerns here because they have been too busy over the years. The phenomenon of unpopular translation of Chinese poems you are talking about is more unpopular. However, you have done a lot of work in the two aspects of ancient poems and English translations, which is actually not easy.

Zhang Zhizhong: You have said that new translations should be available every two or three decades. What is your language concept in terms of Chinese poems? What do you think of the language of the original poem and the language of translation? For example, Li Bai's language is obviously different from Li Shangyin's language. If the same translator is translated, is it feasible? How do translators adjust their language? Do I need to adjust my language? What kind of language strategy should he take? Qiu Xiaolong: This is an interesting problem. There should be new translations about the classics after 20 or 30 years. In fact, the main reason is that the language itself has been updated and evolved. How many new English translations have been coming out in the later era of ancient English poetry Beowulf, it is already. Explain the problem. Regarding the following, in the ideal translation, translators should naturally pursue the style of approaching the original author as much as possible, but in terms of translation of Chinese classical poetry, it is really easy to do it. For example, Song Ci is divided into graceful and unrestrained, but a poet may present these different characteristics in their different poems, and the translator can only implement the translation of each specific poem. From another perspective, if in the target language, a translation poem is not even like a poem, not a poem, how can you talk about the language style of different poets in the translation poem?

Zhang Zhizhong: Some people advocate that the best translation model of Chinese translations is the combination of Chinese and Western. It is best to marry the Chinese and foreigners. Two people cooperate in translation, just like Yang Xianyi and Dai Naidin, Ge Haowen and Lin Lijun. So, as a separate Chinese translator, do they hope to succeed in Chinese translations? Are they prospects? In addition, what do you think Chinese translators should learn from Western translators? Where is the advantages and deficiencies of Western translators?

Qiu Xiaolong: Of course, this is a model worth trying, such as Yang Xianyi and Dai Naido. In fact, such examples are not in the translation of Chinese poems. Pound is also translated and created on the basis of other Chinese translations, and has achieved success. There may be a prerequisite for the cooperation model: repeated exchanges and discussions between collaborators, and achieve true unity between the understanding of the original text and the processing of the target text. It may not be easy to do this. In this sense, the Chinese translator's work by the Chinese translator alone does not have its own advantages. Back to Pound's example, although he is a very good poet, he cannot really read Chinese, so his translation poem is not lacking in grasp of the original meaning of the original text. It is no wonder that some of the literary collection of the United States listed his translated Li Bai's "Changqian" as his own poem. From this point of view, our Chinese translator should be able to do better.

Source: Literary Newspaper

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