On Xu Yuanchongs Translation of Li Bais Poems from the Perspective of Singability in Pentathlon Principle 从五项全能原则中的歌唱性看许渊冲英译李白诗歌开题报告

 2023-04-13 09:30:22

1. 研究目的与意义（文献综述包含参考文献）

1.Introduction1.1 Background of the studyPoetry translation is a challenging issue in translation studies. It involves many balances in different aspects such as choice of words, syntax, metre and form, and allusion. Among Chinese poetry, especially classical poetry, Tang poetry stands at the top of the mountain, and among hundreds famous Tang poets, Li Bai(also called Li Tai bai, A.D.70162) is the most marvelous poet with his unique style combined both beautiful langue and heroic spirit. His poems present typical Chinese images and the breath of mind in Tang Dynasty, which is similar to todays open and prosperous China. The age in which these poets lived has ever since been regarded as the most golden of all the golden ages in the 3,000 years of Chinese poetry; a poetry which has a continuity of tradition unknown in any other of the worlds literatures. (Li Po and Tu Fu Poems, 1973, p. 51).Therefore, the issue of conveying essential Chinese culture to the world is problem worth thinking. Poetry, arguably, has a greater range of conceptual meaning than perhaps any other term in English. At the most basic level everyone can recognize itit is a kind of literature that uses special linguistic devices of organization and expression for aesthetic effect. However, far grander claims have been made for poetry than thissuch as Shelley's that the poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world, and that poetry is a higher truth. While Chinese poetry, as Sir John Francis Davis (17951890), a pioneer translator of Tang poetry pointed out in his book The Poetry of the Chinese: A notion seems to have existed, that the whole merit of Chinese poetry lay in some curious and fanciful selection of the characters, with a reference to their component parts. As a medium for the communication of ideas, the written language certainly differs from alphabetic systems: but, after all, the characters are the means only, and not the end. The melody of the soundthe harmony of the structuresand the justness of the sentiment, or beauty of the imageryconstitute, as they do everywhere else, the merits of poetical composition. (Davis, 1870, p. 5). Chinese classical poetry origins as lyrics for ancient songs, like Shi Jing (The Book of Poetry). Chinese classical poetry has a strict restriction on level and oblique tones, rhythm and the number of sentences, just as dancing with handcuffs and shackles. (Wu, 2015). Previous studies pay attention to beauty in image, form or linguistic analysis. This thesis applies lyric translation theory into Li Bais poetry translation, since many of Li Bais poetry named after songs, such as 子夜吴歌(Ballads of Four Seasons). Back in Tang Dynasty, these poems were sung by children, women, poets even philistines, like todays pop songs. In this aspect, it is necessary to apply lyric translation theory into the English version analysis in order to improve singability of translation on Li Bais poetry.1.2 Significance of the studyMusic, as Friedrich Nietzsche (1872) says in The Birth of Tragedy, Its tremendously wide dissemination amongst all peoples, intensified in constantly new manifestations, tells us of the strength of natures dual artistic impulse, which leaves its trace in the folk song just as the orgiastic movements of a people are immortalized in its music. Indeed, it must also be historically demonstrable that any period richly productive of folk songs has also been most intensely stimulated by Dionysiac currents, which we must always see as the substratum and precondition for the folk song. The relationship between music and poetry, as Friedrich Nietzsche says in The Birth of Tragedy is that: But first of all we must see the folk song as a musical mirror to the world, the original melody, which now seeks a parallel manifestation in dream and expresses it in poetry. Therefore, an important reason why poetry and music are often compared is that poetry, as an art, is inward-looking. To get rid of the objectivity and rigidity brought about by language, it must draw lessons from the spiritual spirit of music. As a result, the musical spirit enhances the ability of the poem to express itself inwardly, and also increases the singability of the poem. There are two different styles of music spirit in art: extroverted and introverted. The corresponding expression in poetry is that Western romantic poetry is characterized by unrestrained language and rich emotions, expressing one's heart directly, seeking to express the emotions of peoples hearts and emotions, which is an extroverted musical spirit. With the help of Peter Lows pentathlon principle, we can analyze Li Bais poetry from five aspects: Singability, Sense, Naturalness, Rhythm and Rhyme. Peter Low uses this theory in German Lieder, such as Schuberts Der Neugierige, and French pop songs, and many Chinese scholars use this theory to analyze translations of Chinese songs, such as Chinas Patriots Sing（《中国抗战歌曲集》）. This thesis emphasizes on singability of Li Bais poetry, which is an extension of Peter Lows pentathlon principle and previous studies. This thesis takes two poems as examples, one is A Tranquil Night, the other is a long poem Farewell to Uncle Yun, the Imperial Liberation, at Xie Tiaos Pavilion in Xuanzhou. Farewell to Uncle Yun, the Imperial Liberation, at Xie Tiaos Pavilion in Xuanzhou is adapted to a popular songs in 1992 named 《新鸳鸯蝴蝶梦》(New Lovers, Butterfly Dreams), which shows the singability of Li Bais poetry. Inspired by this popular song, this thesis aims to analyzes the singability of Prof. Xus translation of Li Bais poetry to make it singable to western people, thus improving the influence of classical Chinese culture in the English world. 1.3 Structure of the thesisThis thesis has four chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the background and significance of the study. In the background part, this thesis mainly focuses on the style of Li Bais poetry and the similarity between Tang dynasty and todays China. In the significance part, this thesis discusses the status and function of music. Whats more, this part emphasizes on singability of Li Bais poetry, and previous studies on the relationship between music and poetry. Chapter 2 presents singability theories domestic and abroad, including lyric translation theory and Tang poetry translation theory. In lyric translation theory, this thesis adopts Peter Lows Pentathlon Principle, which has five aspects: Singability, Sense, Naturalness, Rhythm and Rhyme. This thesis focuses on singability, and uses this aspect on Li Bais poetry. In Tang poetry translation theory, this introduces Xu Yuanchongs Three Beauty Theory, especially in the beauty of sound. This thesis relates the beauty of sound to singability, connecting singability theory domestic and abroad. Chapter 3 is on Xu Yuanchongs translation of Li Bais Poems from the perspective of singability in Pentathlon Principle. In this chapter, Li Bais life and his poetry style are also included and taken into consideration. Chapter 4 consists of conclusion, major findings, implications and suggestion. 2. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework2.1 Previous studies on Translation of Li Bais PoemsAfter World War II, the British and American world set off an upsurge of English translation of Chinese poetry, and the scope of translation, introduction and acceptance of Li Bais poetry also expanded. In his 1950 monograph, The Poetry and Career of Li Po, Arthur Waley said: One of the effects of World War II, which devastated the world, was that every People everywhere feel the thirst for knowledge. We need a deep understanding and appreciation of other peoples and cultures, especially their moral and spiritual achievements (Waley, 1950, p. 121).From the 1950s to the 1980s, the classic status of Li Bais poetry in Britain and the United States was established. The first is the emergence of famous translators of Li Bais poems in English. The second is the emergence of the iconic phenomenon of the canonization of Li Bais poetry. Signs of canonization of literary works include entry into authoritative literary anthologies and reference books, entry into college classrooms, and often-cited classics, etc.(Zhu, 2007)While continuing to translate Li Bais Poetry into English, the translators in this period have intensified their research on the content of the poem, the poets life and the background of the times, trying to enable British and American readers to have a more objective and comprehensive understanding of Li Bai and his poetry.In addition, the research on Li Bais poetry made by the British and American Sinologists in this period can also be regarded as a standard of canonization. Stephen Owen said in his book The Great Age of Chinese Poetry: The High Tang: But the influence of Li Po came from admiration for a man apart; it was not the calm transmission of a style through shared poetic exchange. Though his greatness is unquestionable and though his popularity in later ages was immense, Li Po remained, in a profound way, a so1itary and unique figure. (Owen, 1981, p. 143).Most of the translations of ancient Chinese poems were made before Ezra Pounds Cathay, (1915), and Arthur Waleys 170 Chinese Poems(1918). These two revolutionized the business and produced translations that were not only poems in their own right, but found their way (against long-existing attitudes of English-speaking peoples towards translation) into general anthologies of English poetry. Pounds translations, as he had no direct knowledge of the language but worked from the notes of the late Ernest Fenollosa, were, as verse, guided only by his own excellent ear; and in their interpretations were sometimes very free or even haphazard.This thesis analyses Xu Yuanchongs translation of Li Bais poetry, especially in singability, different from previous studies on beauty in sound. With respect to the beauty in sound, namely the beauty of pronunciation, Prof. Xu holds that translated version could borrow the delighting rhythm that the target readers enjoy, choose similar pronunciation rhyme and seek the help of such methods as alliteration, musical sound and repetition, etc. When practicing translation himself, Xu always pays attention to rhythm and the number of sentences(Wu, 2015). Beauty in sound still concentrates on poetry and literature level, while singability spreads from poetry to music, which is closer to Tang poetrys original function and genre. Its a new view on Tang poetry analysis. 2.2 Singability in Pentathlon PrincipleWith regards to singability, American musician-translator Henry Drinker puts forward six requisites in an adequate English text for a vocal work. He says this: I suggest six requisites in an adequate English text for a vocal work:(1) to preserve the notes, rhythm, and phrasing of the music;(2) to be readily singable with the particular music;(3) to be appropriate to the particular music; (4) to be idiomatic and natural English, and not merely translated German, Italian, etc.;(5) to contain rhymes wherever the music or the text calls for them; and(6) to reproduce the spirit and substantially the meaning of the original. (Drinker, 1952, p. 226).Alongside Drinkers is more recent and even more practical: Andrew Kellys Translating French Song as a Language Learning Activity. Kelly gives this advice to the translator:(1) Respect the rhythms;(2) Find and respect the meaning;(3) Respect the style;(4) Respect the rhymes;(5) Respect the sound;(6) Respect your choice of intended listeners; and(7) Respect the original. (Kelly, 19921993, p. 92).It is significant that the injunction is respect, not replicate closely. He says for example: there is no need for slavish observation of original rhythms... (Kelly, 19921993, p. 95).Peter Low is a senior adjunct fellow in the School of Languages at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and a council member of the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters. As a translator of vocal music, he has placed over 150 translations on the LiederNet Archive. Quoted above all think that multiple considerations apply when translating songs, his own formulation of these is the pentathlon principle, which lists five criteria very similar to Drinkers (merely combining his second and third). His metaphor is of a pentathlete trying to optimize his score over five dissimilar events: namely Singability, Sense, Naturalness, Rhythm and Rhyme (Low, 2003b, 2005a).A particular concern of singers is the choice of vowels on high notes. Good vowels for high notes are those found in cart, kite, cut and key, followed by court, cot, kit and soot. Similarly, some recommend particular vowels for low notes the vowels of coat, coot and cot. Another special case is the showy melisma, where a single vowel is held for ten or twenty notes: here the vowels of cart and kite are good options. There are issues with consonants too. Some single words like strict are hard to enunciate, and consonant-clustering in adjacent words can create tongue-twisters. A phrase like Gods grace is bad because it puts four consonants together -dzgr. In this regard Lees (1981, p. 22) advises: Do not, if it can possibly be avoided, begin a word with the same consonant that ended the preceding word. Another aspect of singability is matching the composers reading of the source text, for example, by placing the key words exactly where the music highlights them.ReferencesCooper, A. (1973). Li Po and Tu Fu Poems Selected and Translated with an Introduction and Notes: Penguin Random House group.Gorle, D. (2005), Song and Significance: Virtues and Vices of Vocal Translation. New York: Amsterdam. Low, P. (2003) Singable translations of songs, Perspectives: Studies in Translatology, 11(2), (pp.87-103). DOI:10.1080/0907676X.2003.9961466Low, P. (2008) Translating Songs that Rhyme. Perspectives: Studies in Translatology, 16(1-2), (pp.1-20). DOI: 10.1080/13670050802364437Low, P. (2013), When Songs Cross Language Borders. The Translator, 19(2), (pp.229-244). DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2013.10799543 Low, P. (2017), Translating Song: Lyrics and Texts. The Milton Park New York: Routledge. Munday, J. (Ed.).(2009) The Routledge Companion to Translation Studies, London New York: Routledge.Newmark, P. (1993), Paragraphs on Translation. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Nietzsche, F. (1872), The Birth of Tragedy. Dublin: Penguin Random House group.Owen, S. (1981). The Great Age of Chinese Poetry The high Tang. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.Waley, A. (1919), A hundred and seventy Chinese poems (2nd ed.).New York: A.A. Knopf.Wu, C.R. (2015), Recreating Beauty in Image in English Translation of Classical Chinese Poetry from the Perspective of Three Beauties Theory. World Journal of English Language, 5(4), pp.(26-32).丁静（2006），中国古典诗歌翻译中的美学翻译理论，硕士学位论文。

上海外国语大学。

侯延爽（2009），李白诗歌的音乐，《音乐创作》，4：106-109。

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2. 研究的基本内容、问题解决措施及方案

The present paper makes research on Xu Yuanchongs translation of Li Bais poems from the perspective of singability in Pentathlon Principle. The specific research question is: whether and how Xu Yuanchongs translation of Li Bais poems follow the singability in Pentathlon Principle? Based on the singability in Pentathlon Principle, this current study aims to better comprehend the property of Pentathlon Principle and its relationship to translation of Li Bais poems. In order to research Xu Yuanchongs translation of Li Bais poems, the present study makes use of Peter Lows Pentathlon Principle (Low, 2003b, 2005a). The formulation of the pentathlon principle lists five criteria: namely Singability, Sense, Naturalness, Rhythm and Rhyme. So far, the researcher has read related translation of poems, studied Peter Lows Pentathlon Principle, analyzed strategies in translation, etc. Collection and reading of more materials are going on.

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