On Incomplete Translatability Of Ancient Chinese Poetry

Ancient Chinese poetry is the classical literature form featured with a typical and aesthetical outlook, which witnessed and recorded the 5000-year glory and civilization in China. For centuries, many literature wits have made constant efforts trying to make this beautiful artistic flower blossom in foreign land. Since the translation theory of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" put forward by Yan Fu, Fu Lei advocated, "Try to hold on the similarity in spirits, not in the form only", later, Qian Zhongshu recommended the acme of "perfectionness in all sides". Professor Xu Yuanchong, master of translation in recent China, also put forward his own theories "Three Beautifications" and "Three Changenesses", that is, "beautification in sense, beautification in sound, and beautification in form", and "understatement, equal statement, and overstatement" respectively. Undoubtedly, all of above theories are the embodiment of minds and wisdoms by those wise forerunners. They desire to share with the whole world the cultural treasure of ancient Chinese poetry. However, this paper argues that in the process of ancient Chinese poetry translation, complete translatability is only an ideal commitment, just like the fairy-land imagined by great Chinese poet Tao Yuanming. In translation, "incomplete translatability" is indeed the all-time phenomenon and theme. Therefore, this study focuses on its discussion of incomplete translatability. Firstly in literature review part, the researches done by the pioneers both at home and abroad have been sorted and reviewed. Then, the paper shifts to the methodology part. In the west, Husserl's phenomenology studied the constructive functions of egos in different strata and the transcendental ego, the relationships between various subjects, and the "life world" of ego, etc., through the transcendental reductive analysis about the intentional structure. As to the translation, Husserl brought forward the idea of "reading with intentionality". Any reading of the text is difficult to achieve pure consciousness (gain the Meta and true meaning of the original). Reading with intentionality in fact is highly of subjectivity, that is, of personality. At the same time, intentionality possesses common features as well between subjects; otherwise translation can not be conducted. However, it is impossible for them to achieve the versions that are completely faithful either to the content or to the style. What translators should do is to have a precise and overall understanding about the original content and the writer's intention, and then try to break through the restrictions of the linguistic structure, and finally find the most suitable expressive way in target language to convey the original message in source language. On the other hand, as one of the major concept in Husserl's phenomenology, "inter-subjectivity" stresses the inter-communication and mutual understanding between subjects. When the receptionists appreciate an artistic works, the first thing they should do is to build up a psychological communicative relationship with the characters in the works, experiencing their feelings and sentiments in person. Reading literary works, we are usually attracted by characters'fate and fortune, and will have emotional echoes with them. All the psychological connections between readers and characters are a universal fact in artistic reception. After Husserl, Heidegger, Dufrenne, and Merleau Ponty inherited and developed his ideas, while Schleiermacher's hermeneutics pays attention to the general text. He was convinced that the original meaning of the text and the writer's designed intention is unique. The mission of hermeneutics is to expose the writer's "designed intention". However, all kinds of understanding are non-understanding. This means any understanding possesses a kind of distortion to some extent. In modern philosophical hermeneutics, it puts its emphasis on the translators'subjective initiative, with three ideas, that is, historicity of understanding, fusion of horizons, and the effect of history, as its main theoretical principles. In Derrida's deconstructive literary theory, the essence of free spirit is also advocated. In the expositions of his literary theory, he also stressed the absolute freedom for both the authors'minds of writing and the readers'mentality in reading. Especially the latter's freedom, that is, the free discussions about the meaning of the text illustrated by the readers, gives better reflections on the people's pursuit for the absolute freedom of their own consciousness. Through the invention of the concept "differance", Derrida demonstrated that the meaning of symbols is actually a series of endless differences between symbols. Therefore, deconstructionists thought that any text did not have a final certain meaning. The original text depends on the translated version. The original text can not survive without the translated version. The vitality of the original text does not depend on the characteristic of the original text itself, but it depends on the peculiarity of the translated version. The definition of the text itself is decided by the translated version instead of the original text. Quine's thoughts in philosophy of language have made a great and extended influence upon the linguistic philosophical field and the linguistic area. He has provided us a clue and a method from the philosophical prospect to study the essence of translation. The indeterminacy of translation consists of two aspects:the indeterminacy of meaning and connotation, and the indeterminacy of denotation. While in China,"interaction of Dao and Xiang"in the Taoism philosophical thoughts by Laozi, this poetic thinking paradigm was emphasized on both translatable and untranslatable traits, when Laozi admitted understanding Taoism partially through heart communication instead of word expression the exposition of Deconstruction of Name(破名),which testifies the trace of untranslatability of language. But on the other hand, Laozi also gave emphasis on"Relativity of Taoism(可道)"and "Eternal Taoism(常道)", all these ideas showed Laozi's ultimate poetic goal:seeking "Eternal Taoism(常道)"and "Establishment of Name(立名)"in the metaphysical stratum. By further developing the idea of "Dao cannot express partially in word", Zhuangzi also put forward the theory of "Meanings cannot be fully expressed through words." Till contemporary and modern times, Professor Liu Xiaogan's theory of two kinds of orientations also provides a new perspective for translation study. In translation, not only the textual language itself should be taken into consideration, but also the implied ideological and spiritual connotation based on the text should be given attention to. As the literary classics spread for thousands of years, such as ancient poetry, its ideological meaning is certainly profound and widespread. Even more it possesses the feature of historical transcendence. Based on Habermas'theory of communicative action, Professor Lv Jun brings forward the constructivism ideas of translatology. And "consensus theory of truth" advocated by "constructivism" theory of translation itself implied the cognitive dimension of "the incompleteness of translation". After discussion of the methodology, this paper goes on with its own discussion about the incomplete translatability. It points out that to admit the existence of this incomplete translatability means accepting the existence of the subjectivity in translation, also means admitting the existence of diversities between different cultures, and as well as admitting the presence of lingual personalities on the level of phonology and other sides. Then, the author gives some examples, such as the poem"静夜思"and so on, in order to illustrate a concrete and detailed explanation of this incomplete translatability both in cognitive and in practicing outlooks.on Chinese ancient poetry. The conclusion has come to in this paper focus our eye-sights on the translatable parts, so to seek more and more improving versions. In translation of Chinese ancient poetry into English, the author tries to suggest an immature viewpoint---- a sort of the creative faithful view in translation:seek the true of the original as a basis and pursue beauty in concreteness.