View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CSCanada.net: E-Journals (Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture,... ISSN 1923-1555[Print] Studies in Literature and Language ISSN 1923-1563[Online] Vol. 18, No. 3, 2019, pp. 38-42 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/11148 www.cscanada.org Idiom Translation of Love in a Fallen City From the Perspective of Hermeneutics LI Lijun[a]; ZHAO Qiao[b],* [a]Associate Professor of English, School of Foreign Languages, North was translated by American scholar, Karen S. Kingsbury, China Electric Power University, Beijing, China. and was published in 2007. After its publication, Chinese [b]Postgraduate of English, School of Foreign Languages, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China. scholars have studied its English version from many *Corresponding author. aspects. Their main research content includes translator’s subjectivity, translation style, culture-loaded terms and Supported by Construction of High-quality Lesson “Pragmatic so on. The main theories involved are eco-translatology, Translation”, Project No. XM1703201, and “Special Fund for Beijing Common Construction Project”. inter-subjectivity, reception aesthetics, etc. Based on the above researches, this paper will try to study the Received 13 February 2019; accepted 29 May 2019 idiom translation of this novel from the perspective Published online 26 June 2019 of hermeneutics. It applies hermeneutics into idiom translation, hoping to provide reference for hermeneutic Abstract theory application and idiom translation. Love in a Fallen City is Eileen Chang’s classic novel, which contains many idioms. Guided by the theory of 1. THEORETICAL BASIS hermeneutics, this paper explores the idiom translation in Hermeneutic theory originated from the philosophical field this novel from the following four steps: trust, aggression, at first. Its main representatives include Schleiermacher, incorporation and compensation. By this study, it can be Dilthey, Heidegger, Gadamer and so on. Some concepts found that the translator, Karen S. Kingsbury, has used in hermeneutic theory lays a good foundation for the various translation methods, such as literal translation, proposal of George Steiner’s fourfold motion theory. free translation, omission, interpretation, borrowing the Heidegger proposed the concept of “pre- western expressions, etc. By studying their translation understanding”, which is similar to the cognitive structure methods, this study hopes to provide reference for the discussed in cognitive linguistics (Liu Junping, 2009: 215). idiom translation in other novels in future and promote the Heidegger explained the differences of understanding cross culture communication between China and the west. are due to the different “pre-understandings” possessed Key words: Idiom translation; Pre-understanding; by interpreters. Different interpreters will have various Fourfold hermeneutic motion knowledge structures, educational levels and life experiences. All of these factors can influence the Li, L. J., & Zhao, Q. (2019). Idiom Translation of Love in a Fallen interpreter’s pre-understandings. During translation, as the City From the Perspective of Hermeneutics. Studies in Literature and interpreters, translators with different pre-understandings Language, 18(3), 38-42. Available from: http://www.cscanada.net/index. php/sll/article/view/11148 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/11148 will produce different translations. Besides, Chinese and target language readers may also have different pre- understandings, so the translator should pay attention to their differences. INTRODUCTION What’s more, the concept of “fusion of horizons” also makes an effect on Steiner’s fourfold motion theory. Love in a Fallen City is a famous short story in 1940s, Understanding is to achieve “fusion of horizons” between which described the love story between the hero, Fan the source text and the interpreter. Influenced by this Liuyuan and the heroine, Bai Liusu. Its English version concept, Steiner proposed “understanding as translation” Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 38 LI Lijun; ZHAO Qiao (2019). Studies in Literature and Language, 18(3), 38-42 (George Steiner, 2001:1). Therefore, Steiner believed many of them have been adapted into stage plays, movies that translation is also to achieve the “fusion of horizons” and television works. between the translator and the source text. The source text is Eileen Chang’s representative Influenced by hermeneutic theory, George Steiner work, which has been read by a large number of Chinese published the book After Babel: Aspects of Language and readers. It is a very influential work and enjoys a high Translation in 1975, and claimed his translation theory in reputation in China. this book. Steiner expounded the translation process from Based on the above two points, it can be concluded the following four steps. that Eileen Chang’s attainments in literary field and the According to Steiner, the translator should invest great influence of this source text are important premises his or her trust at the beginning of translation, which is for Karen S. Kingsbury to invest trust and regard it as her regarded as the first step. It is an adventurous attempt for translation object. the translator to invest trust. Once the translator invests 2.1.2 Trust of the Translator-Karen S. Kingsbury the trust, the translation activity starts. “Karen S. Kingsbury is a famous sinologist and an expert After investing trust, the translator begins to attack in studying Eileen Chang in America. She has intense the source text based on his or her pre-understanding. interest in Chinese literature and culture” (Liu Hong, Yu The process of aggression is to understand the source text Xuan, Zhang Kaicun, 2013: 132), so she has a sufficient and extract its meaning. However, this step is inevitably understanding about Chinese culture and Eileen Chang’s invasive. Owing to some reasons, the translator will novels. Apart from Love in a Fallen City, she also translated invade the source text more or less. and published the book of Half a Lifelong Romance written After obtaining the meaning from the source text, by Eileen Chang. In addition, Karen S. Kingsbury’s native translators will adopt different translation methods to language is English, so her translation will be more suitable express the semantic or cultural connotations of the for the pre-understandings of English readers. source text for target readers during this step, i.e. the What’s more, both Eileen Chang and Karen S. incorporation stage. Kingsbury are females, so the translator may be easy Experiencing the above three steps, the translation may to have an emotional resonance with the author. The cause some sematic and cultural factors lost. Considering translator can grasp the emotional characteristics of the that, Steiner thought the last step should be compensation, source text and transfer it to English readers accurately. which means that the translation should make up the To sum up, whether from the perspective of source text. Therefore, the translator will adopt different knowledge, linguistic competence or emotion, the compensation methods to compensate the source text. translator is qualified to complete this translation task. The above four steps proposed by Steiner clarified Therefore, the English version translated by Karen S. the whole translation process clearly, which has guiding Kingsbury deserves trust. significance for translation process study and translation 2.1.3 Trust of the Idioms in Love in a Fallen City practice study. “Generally speaking, Chinese idioms involve set phrases, colloquialisms, two-part allegorical sayings, proverbs, 2. THE APPLICATION OF allusions, etc.” (Wang Shirong, 2015: 71). In the source HERMENEUTICS IN IDIOMS text, Eileen Chang used many idioms. These idioms play an important role in characterization and plot TRANSLATION IN THE SOURCE TEXT development, and their using makes the source text closer In the source text, Eileen Chang used many idioms, which to life. is a difficult point during translation. The idiom translation Chinese idioms contain a lot of cultural connotations is directly related to the understanding and reception of and they reflect the intelligence of Chinese, so the target language readers, so importance should be attached translator trusts and affirms their value in the source text. to it. This part will analyze the idiom translation process During the translation process, the translator’s accurate from the four stages of trust, aggression, incorporation translation of idioms is conducive to transfer the content and compensation. of the source text. 2.1 Trust 2.2 Aggression 2.1.1 Trust of Eileen Chang and Her Work Aggression is to invade the source text based on the Eileen Chang is an influential writer in the last century in translator’s own understanding. During idiom translation, China, whose works mainly involve novel, prose, script the translator has invaded the cultural images and numbers and so on. Apart from these works, she also translated in the idioms of Love in a Fallen City. some works, such as The Old Man and the Sea. Eileen 2.2.1 Aggression to the Cultural Images in Idioms Chang has created many excellent works during her whole SL: 鬼使神差 life. Her works are deeply loved by Chinese readers and TL: The gods must be behind this. 39 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture Idiom Translation of Love in a Fallen City From the Perspective of Hermeneutics “The concepts of the ghost and deity can date back 2.3 Incorporation to the ancient China, which have become one of the After bringing back the meaning of the Chinese idioms, ideological elements in Chinese spiritual life” (Lu Lin, the translator will try to transfer their meaning to target 2011: 97). However, there are differences about the language readers. Then it comes into the third step of concepts of the ghost and deity between China and the hermeneutic motion—incorporation. In this stage, the west. translator has adopted different translation methods to In China, the concepts of the ghost and deity mainly translate the Chinese idioms of Love in a Fallen City.