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Reconstructing Russian Humour in Chinese Translations Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 2 (2010 3) 268-276 ~ ~ ~ УДК 81.33 Reconstructing Russian Humour in Chinese Translations Zang Guodong* Siberian Federal University 82 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 Russia1 Received 9.04.2010, received in revised form 16.04.2010, accepted 23.04.2010 Humour is essentially a cultural phenomenon, the translation of which requires the reference to a common frame, within which the source language and the target language share the same way of understanding. However, since there are too many aspects concerning the difference between the two language systems, the rendering of the effect of humour from one language to another may not necessarily be successful to the full extent. For example, due to the difference of cultural traditions, Russian humour may not be fully appreciated by a Chinese, whose cultural taste falls into a very different category from that of a Russian. So, the translation of humourous texts goes beyond linguistic barriers. Keywords: Chinese; culture; cultural background; humour; language and translation; translatable; Russian. Good humour is one of the best articles or harm to others.» Aristotle was the first to of dress one can wear in society. introduce the concept of the effect of sudden William Makepeace Thackeray or triggered laughter. This idea was completely forgotten by his descendants, and became Point of view re-developed over two thousand years later By undoubted universals of human existence, in the works of Immanuel Kant and Arthur there is a manifestation of the subjective world of Schopenhauer. In contrast to Plato, Aristotle the individual, human emotions like humour. The allowed that humour, in limited quantities, word «humour» harks back to the ancient Greek could be beneficial. Thomas Hobbes developed theory and early Middle-age English, when health, the views of Plato and Aristotle that laughter has disease and human emotion were associated with bearing on one’s social status and superiority over wet qualities within the body. [3]. one’s peers. In «Leviathan», Thomas Hobbes The detailed analysis of different approaches writes that the human race is in a constant power towards the idea of humour is presented in the struggle, and that it should not be surprising that new book by Igor Krichtafovich. Aristotle in victory goes to the one who laughs. Thomas «Rhetoric» views jokes as a form of educated Hobbes expressed a fruitful idea that laughter is snobbery. He pointed out two main features of an expression of sudden triumph, caused by a no the comic: «The ridiculous may be defined as less sudden feeling of superiority over others or a mistake or deformity not productive of pain over one’s past. * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] 1 © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved – 268 – Zang Guodong. Reconstructing Russian Humour in Chinese Translations Immanuel Kant in «Critique of Pure from their overlap – the speaker wants to say Reason» asserted that «laughter is an emotion nothing more than he says (usually in humourous which is born from the sudden change of an discourse), to their complete opposites – the anxious expectation into nothing» (that is, with speaker means the opposite of what he says (in the statement of the key word, the ‘salt’ of the the case of irony, sarcasm, satire). The category anecdote, our predictions about the expected of humour repeatedly became the object of study conclusions are unfulfilled). as linguists and representatives of other scientific Sigmund Freud and his followers contributed areas. [18, 8] significantly to the analysis of humour. In his There are various forms of humour. For «Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious» the literary forms of expression are humourous (1905) Sigmund Freud, having studied most of anecdote, joke, monologue, dialogue, story, pun, the accessible to him works about laughter gave and aphorism. In textual form, humour can also a psychological evaluation of wit. He arrived at be represented in graphic form – a caricature, the following conclusion: «The pleasure of wit cartoon, picture, photo and etc. A special kind originated from an economy of expenditure in of humour is grave humour, presented in many inhibition, or the comic from an economy of linguistic cultures. One of the classifications expenditure in thought, and of humour from an of humour belongs to Sigmund Freud, who economy of expenditure in feeling.»[15] distinguished between the jokes and the comic as In the Chinese language lexical unit 幽 follows: «The joke is invented, comical happens». 默 (you mo) is a phonetic loanword, which was Victor Raskin also distinguished between introduced by the Chinese scholar Lin Yutang in intentional and unintentional humour, which is 1924, and has the meaning of humour.[26] The close to the definition of Sigmund Freud. [6] lexical unit 笑话 (xiao hua), usually translated As we all know that the rapid development as «funny story», means anecdote. This text of world civilization promotes the involvement is not identical to the text of an anecdote in the of an increasing number of people in the area of European sense. 笑话(xiao hua) literally means intercultural communication and relationship. «laugh talk» and has a certain connotation. This highlights the relevance of issues related Chinese «laugh talk» are funny stories that may to literary translation, as translated literature not seem very funny to people of other cultures. remains one of the main sources of knowledge It is known that in contrast to the proper about other cultures. In order to avoid translation of the extra linguistic situation misunderstandings between different cultures, comedy, humour adjusts the participants of it is necessary to establish how reliable the a communicative act of thoughtful, serious culturological information can be, and that the approach to the subject of laughter, to grasp its reader not familiar with the original version, can essence and main characteristics. Depending on find definition in the works of translation. the emotional tone of speech and cultural level The main reason for distortions, errors of the subject, humour can be good-natured, and inaccuracies in the translation of artistic cruel, friendly, rude, sad, sarcastic and touching. compositions is a cross-cultural asymmetry It is well known that the basis of comic is the apparent in the comparison of original and difference between the value of statement (the translated texts. One of the prerequisites for literal meaning) and value of expression (the reliable transmission of information contained in indirect meaning). This discrepancy may vary the original is the translator’s ability to penetrate – 269 – Zang Guodong. Reconstructing Russian Humour in Chinese Translations into the reality described in the original, to have language at all. [13, 120] Strategically, we must the right idea about things, denoted by linguistic uphold the belief that theory can be translated; but realities. Even more difficult for translators is tactics will have to accept that there are certain to transfer various expressive parameters of the translation limits [25] Mr. Fu Zhongxuan(1993) original text where humour exists. [1, 3] has taken the district of untranslatable into Humour, as an integral part of human life, absolute untranslatable and relative untranslatable. brings laughter to people. Humour, whether [5] English translation theorist John Catford written or spoken, is popular among all nations (1991) divided it into language untranslatable and holds an important place in their languages and cultural untranslatable. [2] Therefore, we can and cultures. [20] Translation facilitates exchanges assume that, untranslatable as a result of language of humour among different nations. Since it is self differences is absolute untranslatable, and as both a cross-language and cross-cultural process, a result of cultural differences is temporarily hard the translator has to overcome barriers between to translate, so it is relative untranslatable. the two cultures as well as those between the languages in order to get the humour across to Examples the target language readers. In other words, he Researching the translation of humourous translates not only the words but also the effects. material, according to the Chinese author of the Culture, the framework that provides people article «Culture and the translation of humour» with their identity, includes not only language Wang Junling, this material can be divided into and communications but also multifarious parts three groups: 1) humour, remains in a certain of everyday life: such as dress and appearance, context; 2) humour with cultural specificity; 3) food and eating habits, and how people perceive verbal humour based on meaning of words and and appreciate themselves in relation to the stylistic techniques, created by words, sounds, society in which they live. Culture also includes combinations of words and other tricks (pun, relationships, values and norms, beliefs and hyperbole, metaphor, etc.). Wide knowledge attitudes, work habits and practices, and the of both of these two countries, cultures and relationship between work and leisure and so languages is a prerequisite for understanding and on. Any of these aspects of culture, as well as translation of humour. [24, 41] entertainment and sex, can, of course, be related Humour, remaining in a certain context, in some way to humour. All this is very much is easy to understand and translate into any related to one’s
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