On The Influence Of Fu Lei's Art Experience Over His Translation

Fu Lei was a well-known translator of French literature in China. He was a remarkable figure in the field of translation in China for his noble character, voluminous translations, elegant translation style and brilliant views on translation. Besides, he was an art critic of great attainment with original opinions on music and fine arts. Art and translation are two themes of equal importance in Fu Lei's life. A combination of translation and art makes his translation principles and practice unique.Fu Lei's art experience has a far-reaching influence over his translation. In 1928, he studied in France, majoring in the theory of literature and art. In order to improve his French, he tried translating several French novels, which marked the beginning of his life's career of translation. It is art that leads him into the palace of translation. After four years of diligent study, Fu Lei gained a comprehensive understanding of the history and present condition of the modern European culture and art. More importantly, he was affected by the noble characters and sincere attitudes to art of many art masters during his frequent aesthetic experiences. Cezanne's sincerity, Rubens' calmness, Michelangelo's persistence and Beethoven's tenacity later became the basic elements of his attitude to translation. His understanding of Beethoven, Miller, Rodin and Balzac during this period directly influenced his selection of the original work for translation. After his return to China, he encountered Huang Binhong, a master of Chinese painting, and became his bosom friend, which had a great impact on his views on translation.Generally speaking, the influence of Fu Lei's art experience on his translation may be summarized from two aspects:First, Fu Lei's art experience has a deep influence over his views on translation. This influence is reflected in three ways: 1. Some of his principles of translation have rich art connotations. The principle of "spiritual resemblance" originates from traditional Chinese painting. The essence of "spiritual resemblance" is the same with that of traditional Chinese painting, that is, "spiritual resemblance" is a dialectical unity of "spirit" and "form" on the basis of "formal resemblance". The principle of "smooth expression, rich language and vivid colors" is set by Fu Lei for his translation style. It has rich art connotations, too. He uses "floating clouds and flowing water" to describe an ideal state of art, "rich execution of lines" for a striking characteristic of Chinese painting, and the extended meaning of "color" for various aspects of character of the people in a novel. In Fu Lei's opinion, an ideal translation should be as smooth and natural as floating clouds and flowing water. A translator should use rich language to avoid any stiff and monotonous expression, and should try his best to faithfully convey the different colors or character traits of the people in a novel. 2. Fu Lei's art views have great influence on his attitude to translation. He thinks that "a mastery of art is the basis of translation". A qualified translator should possess "a sensitive mind, warm sympathy, adequate appreciating ability, rich social experience and enough common sense." Influenced by this opinion, he holds that the understanding of the original is a process of art appreciation, and adequate appreciating ability and common sense are necessary for an appropriate selection of the original. In comparison with other qualifications of a translator, he values more his character. He says: "Be an honest person before becoming an artist." He places the character of an artist above everything, and the character of a translator is a prerequisite to successful translation. 3. Fu Lei's views on translation are influenced by many outstanding artists. Christophe's endless pursuit of truth impels him to judge his translations with a criterion of truth. Beethoven's unremitting resistance against fate encourages him continuously conquer the countless hardships on the way to the heights of translation. Huang Binhong's percept that "only when one has pored over ten thousand volumes and traveled over ten thousand miles, can he paint a picture" enables him to keep sober-minded and become a willing pupil. What's more, Huang's injunction that "spiritual resemblance is crucial in painting" inspires his "spiritual resemblance" in translation.Next, Fu Lei's art experience directly influences his translation practice. Rich art knowledge is a powerful tool for his translation. He is proficient in music, painting, sculpture and so on, which gives him aid in the translation of relevant subjects and makes his translations more accurate and professional. Art is also regarded by Fu Lei as a criterion of the quality of translations. Whether the expression is smooth and the style agrees with that of the original depends on the translator's artistic eye. Though a perfect translation can hardly be achieved, it is still possible to get a relatively perfect translation for a certain period. Fu Lei's version of Jean Christophe is such a relatively perfect translation of good artistic quality. The novel is arranged according to the structure of a symphony. Fu Lei adopts different musical forms to reveal the change of the hero's emotions. In language, he uses many rhetoric devices, such as reduplication, parallelism and long sentences, to enhance the musical quality of the novel. His version is not only a novel but a Beethoven symphony.It may be inferred that Fu Lei's mastery of art is an indispensable factor for his great achievement in translation. It is a guide for him on the path of translation, a source of his translation principles, a cornerstone of his attitude to translation, a powerful tool for his translation, and a criterion for judging the quality of translations.