Title Page 1 May 31, 14
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles The History of Russian-to-Japanese Translators from the Edo Period Onwards A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the Requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics by Yoshiko Fukuyasu 2014 © Copyright by Yoshiko Fukuyasu 2014 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The History of Russian-to-Japanese Translators from the Edo Period Onwards by Yoshiko Fukuyasu Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics University of California, Los Angeles, 2014 Professor Shoichi Iwasaki, Co-chair Professor Olga Kagan, Co-chair This dissertation presents the history of Russian-to-Japanese translation, from the end of the Edo period to the present through descriptions of translators’ lives and activities. It’s specific concern focuses on the methods of translation used by the translators. It has been argued that recently a free style of easy-to-read translation has become more common, while the importance of word-for-word translation has been decreasing. These two dominant methods – “word-for-word, literal” and “free” translations – are defined after examinations of firstly, the historical distinctions of the two opposing notions, and then, the translators’ preferred methods, with a goal of clarifying the processes involved in the development of “free” style translation. This examination covers literature and song, both of ii which have influenced Japanese culture. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the early history of Russian education in Japan, and describes the roles of the Russian Orthodox Church and Narodniks in establishing the foundation of Russian language and literature education. Chapter 3 deals with Futabatei Shimei’s methods of translation and his work for the Genbun-itchi movement which modernized written Japanese. The chapter also reviews the activities of Futabatei’s contemporaries and later generations of translators. Chapter 4 covers the leading translators who worked actively after World War II, including former POWs in Siberia. A dispute on the two translation methods is also analyzed. In Chapter 5, as a result of examinations of present-day translators’ activities through interviews, I demonstrate two processes that lead to a “free” type of translation: the ‘audio source’ process, which directly leads to contents-based “free” translation, and the ‘written source’ process which incorporates the “word-for-word, literal” translation process as well as the “process of assimilation to contemporary Japanese.” In conclusion, the new, easy to understand “free” type of present-day translation usually begins with the process of “word-for-word, literal” translation, but the end result appears to be “free” style due to the tendency of present-day translators to emphasize their originality in the pursuit of assimilating the text to natural, contemporary Japanese, as style which is demanded by readers and publishers. iii The dissertation of Yoshiko Fukuyasu is approved. Seiji Mizuta Lippit Shoichi Iwasaki, Committee Co-chair Olga Kagan, Committee Co-chair University of California, Los Angeles 2014 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ ii COMMITTEE PAGE ............................................................................................................ iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... ix CURRICULUM VITAE .................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER 1 Introduction .....................................................................................................1 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................1 2. Overview of Translation Studies ...............................................................................3 2.1. The Role of Translators ..............................................................................3 2.2. “Word-for-word” and “Free” Translations .................................................6 2.2.1. The Origin of the “Word-for-word” and “Free” Translation Methods ....................................................................6 2.2.2. “Metaphrase,” “Paraphrase,” and “Imitation” ..............................8 2.3. Three Methods of Translation in Japan: “Word-for-word,” “Literal” and “Free” .....................................................................................9 2.3.1. Sugita Genpaku ............................................................................9 2.3.2. Futabatei Shimei .........................................................................10 2.3.3 Takahashi Goro’s Approach .......................................................11 2.3.4. Ikuta Choukou’s Approach .........................................................12 2.3.5. Our Definition ............................................................................13 3. Translation Activity from the Edo Period ................................................................13 3.1. Russian-to-Japanese Translation ...............................................................13 3.1.1. Dutch-to-Japanese Translators and Baba Sajūro ........................13 3.1.2. Daikokuya Koudayu and Laksman ............................................14 3.1.3. Murakami Teisuke and Golovnin ...............................................15 3.1.4. Perry’s Success in Opening Japan to the West ..........................16 3.1.5. After Japan’s Opening to the West ............................................17 3.2. The Role of Translators in Japan ..............................................................18 CHAPTER 2 Establishment of the Russian-Language Education System .........................21 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................21 2. The Russian Orthodox Church ................................................................................22 2.1. The First Russian Language Textbooks, and the Russian School ............24 2.2. Effect of the Establishment of the Tokyo Foreign Language School .......27 v 2.3. The Divinity School for Girls and Publications at the School ..................28 2.4. Hardships Experienced by the Church ......................................................29 3. Tokyo Foreign Language School .............................................................................30 3.1. The Establishment of the Tokyo Foreign Language School .....................30 3.2. Ichikawa Bunkichi (1847-1927) ...............................................................31 3.3. Kojima Kurataro (1860-1895) ..................................................................33 3.4. Lev Ilich Mechnikov (1838-1888) ............................................................35 3.4.1. Mechnikov’s Reminiscences about the Tokyo Foreign Language School ..........................................................35 3. 4. 2. Characteristics of the Russian Department (Based on Mechnikov’s recollections) ...................................37 3.5. The School Curriculum in the Russian Department .................................40 3.5.1. The Syllabus of the Russian Department (1881-1882) ..............40 3.5.2. Analysis ......................................................................................41 3.6. Futabatei Shimei and the Changes in His Thinking ..................................43 3.6.1. Summary of Futabatei Shimei’s “Confession of Half My Life” ..................................................43 3.6.2. Analysis ......................................................................................44 3.7. Newly Established Tokyo Foreign Language School ...............................46 4. Other Institutions .....................................................................................................47 4.1. Tokyo Senmon Gakkou (Waseda University) ..........................................47 4.2. Osaka Foreign Language School ..............................................................48 4.3. The School of the Japan-Russia Association (the Harbin Institute) .........49 5. Conclusion ...............................................................................................................50 CHAPTER 3 Overview of Translation History up to World War II ..................................52 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................52 2. The Transition Period to Modern Japanese Literature .............................................53 3. The Appearance of the Genbun-itchi Style ..............................................................56 3.1. What is the Genbun-itchi Style? ...............................................................56 3.2. Futabatei Shimei (real name: Hasegawa, Tatsunosuke) ...........................58 3.3. Contents of the Genbun-itchi Style ...........................................................61 3.3.1. The First Translation Written in the Genbun-itchi Style ............61 3.3.2. Three Ending-styles of the Genbun-itchi Sentences ..................63 3.4. The Second Half of Futabatei’s Life .........................................................66 3.5. Futabatei’s