Translating Chinese Poetry from the Second World War
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The Sound of Bombs— Translating Chinese Poetry from the Second World War by Emily Jean Goedde A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Comparative Literature) in the University of Michigan 2016 Doctoral Committee: Professor Xiaobing Tang, Chair Professor Frieda Ekotto Associate Professor Christi A. Merrill Professor John A. Whittier-Ferguson © Emily J. Goedde 2016 Dedicated to Brian, my parents (in Michigan, Virginia and Washington) and Theo and Lena with a heart full of love and gratitude ii Acknowledgements I am grateful to the Department of Comparative Literature, whose collaborative, collegial environment has been ideal for intellectual growth. I am also thankful for its financial assistance in the form of fellowships and teaching positions. With the Department’s support, I was generously funded in 2015 by the Rackham Graduate School through a Rackham Humanities Research Fellowship and a One Term Dissertation Fellowship. In addition I would like to thank the Sweetland Center for Writing for a teaching position through the Junior Fellows program in 2014, and the Department of Comparative Literature for a research assistant position with the MCubed project Engaging Translation during that same year. I am also grateful to the Department of Comparative Literature for the ability to study and do research in Taiwan during the academic year 2012-2013 with the support of a Comparative Literature Study Abroad Fellowship. Finally, I am extremely thankful to have been supported by the Kenneth G. Lieberthal and Richard H. Rogel Center for Chinese Studies during my years at Michigan. iii I am indebted, in so many ways, for the support, advice and enthusiasm of my committee. From our first meeting, my dissertation chair, Professor Xiaobing Tang, has generously offered his experience and expertise. His crystal clear insights have allowed me to engage with literature and the field of modern China in new ways, and his respect for my life as a parent and partner outside of school have allowed me to keep working happily, even with two young children at home. I am grateful for his rigor, his sound advice and the freedom he availed me as I have developed my approach and voice. Each time we would meet to discuss a next step, or a new chapter, I would come away filled with joy, and a keener sense of how to keep working, and growing, as a thinker and scholar. This is a gift I hold dear. It is also with the greatest esteem that I thank Professor Frieda Ekotto, for her guidance and care. With her talent and zeal for creating projects and putting plans in motion, I have been able to travel to conferences around the globe, and expand my work in Chinese literature to a global perspective about the movement of ideas around Asia and Africa. In working with Frieda, I have come to understand, in a way I never had before, how to approach life and work philosophically—with thought, respect and love. I deeply admire how her work demonstrates that love and empathy can challenge assumptions, as well as the importance she gives to writing as an act of communicating these values. Professor John Whittier-Ferguson is a model teacher and scholar. His humor, enthusiasm and knowledge, as well as his keen eye, and his talent of asking difficult questions in a way that makes you want to go figure them out (rather than crawl in a hole) have allowed me to make my work what it is. Finally, Professor Christi Merrill, who, for many years, has iv been a mentor and inspiration, helped me to hear translation with new ears. As I finished my dissertation, her close readings and insightful ideas helped bring the project new focus. She has also has greatly aided in the formation of translation programming for the Rackham Interdisciplinary Workshop in Literary Translation, and in developing forums, both around campus and further afield, for translation as a scholarly and creative practice. I would also like to acknowledge Professors Yopie Prins and Silke-Maria Weineck, who, with grace, common sense and real zeal, have led Comp Lit as chairs during my time at Michigan. I am grateful to them for the translation work they encouraged me to pursue with the MCubed Engaging Translation grant, as well as the confidence and encouragement they gave for Absinthe. I am also grateful to Professor David Porter for always keeping me in mind when China-related, translation projects emerged, and for giving me the opportunity to work with him on his app Clavicus Sinica. In addition, I would like to thank Paula Frank, Nancy Harris and Judy Gray for their hard work and good care. They keep Comp Lit running smoothly and also make it feel like home. Befriending all the graduate students in Comp Lit has been a joy. I have been inspired and sustained by them and my cohort: Etienne Charrière, Sara Hakeem Grewal, Olga Greco, Hilary Levinson and Cassie Miura-Erickson. I am also grateful for the opportunity to work closely with Meg Berkobien, whose smiles, intelligence, and charm—not to mention her talent as a translator—make her a wonderful collaborator and friend. I’m v excited for more to come! And Mei-Chen Pan, my co-parent and dear, dear friend, whose grace, determination, fun and strength, I so admire and appreciate. From her, I have learned about friendship, generosity and courage. I am so grateful that she, her daughter Kira, husband Li, and mother Ahma, have become a part of my family. I am also so grateful for my teacher, friend and neighbor, Lisa Skelton, and her care, good sense, love and laughter. I thank my lucky stars for the community she created at Secret Garden Nursery, and am so glad to have been a part of that family, as well as hers (Hi, May and Logan!). Ever since I was young, even when they weren’t really sure why I wanted to read so much, my mom and dad, Jean and Craig Weirich, have encouraged me to do what I love. They have supported me every step of the way. If it took me half way around the globe, so be it. They would come for a visit. My dad always claims he doesn’t understand poetry, but I don’t agree. He possesses a felicity with language and a sensitivity to those around him that are conveyed by his talent for finding just the right word. This is a quality I always have admired and often sought to emulate. It is a blessing to know I can always find a safe harbor in his calm and good-humored care. My mom is a knowledge seeker; her drive to understand is truly inspiring. On top of that, she somehow can ask questions about what I’m doing even while she conveys a deep trust in my choices. That is a true gift, for it has helped me to grow, even as my roots have never felt threatened. She is an intuitive listener, who knows when to give a hug or send a card, bringing happiness and relief to a tired soul. Without her energy and help, vi or to put it in concrete terms, if she (and/or my dad) hadn’t come down to help out once a week plus whenever we needed it, this project would not have been finished. I am ever grateful for this, and her questions, hugs and listening ear. Finally, to add to all this, in the last stage of this manuscript, her keen eye found many an inelegant typo. Thank you, Mom! In addition, I would like to thank my brothers, Jake and Lee, who, each in his own way, have sustained me with love and friendship. Their common sense, thoughtful care and humor are always deeply restorative. I am so grateful for the bond of siblinghood. Warm thanks are in order, too, to my two wonderful sets of in-laws, who have offered their support in every possible way: Russ and Susan Goedde, who are always keen to read my work and eager to hear news of its developments. (I’m finally ready to send you a copy!) And to Karen and Ray Richardson for their enthusiastic love and care. Without Gramma Karen’s help over the crucial last months, this project would never have been completed. I also would like to recall my grandparents, Frank and Peggy Weirich and Jack and Mary Luttrell, all of whom passed before I finished. My grandfather, Frank Weirich, however, knew that the defense was to be scheduled, and even on the last day of his life asked for news about my progress. Each of my grandparents taught me how to listen, care, excel and be a part of a happy family. These are lessons I hold close to my heart. vii I am, of course, indescribably grateful for my children, Theo and Lena. Theo, who toddled with Brian and I into this new world of PhD school, and came out on the other side a young boy, filled with curiosity, sensitivity, intelligence, a love for Taiwanese food and a desire to never speak Chinese again. (Maybe that last one will change?) And Lena, who was born right in the middle of it, bringing with her fearlessness, verve, perception and a lot of belly laughter. I have been grateful for each distraction, every cuddle, each “I-love-you-Mommy,” and all the patience and care they gave me, even when I’d have to go off to work again. And to Brian, who always knows what I need (probably food), even when I’m not sure yet; who always bravely marches forward, while I’m still thinking things over; and who has a talent for turning the sourest of lemons into a sweet lemonade.