Humor Translation Of Jingju From The Perspective Of Reception Aesthetics-A Case Study Of The Phoenix Returns To Its Nest

Jingju is a synthesis of "visual,oral,and musical elements" into a"highly stylized and codified" performance language,which combines singing,speaking,dance-acting and combat.It is now gradually expanding its influence throughout the world,and being appreciated and admired by an ever-expanding international audience.Jingju translations can help readers cross the language barrier so that they can fully appreciate this comprehensive art form representative of Chinese history and culture.However,Jingju translation is such a long and tough journey.It is a challenge that requires patience and wisdom for the translator to retain the genuine flavor of Jingju while allowing audiences to fully appreciate its connotation and charm.The related research topics are the translation of the performability of Jingju,translation of culture-loaded words,translation of terminologies related to Jingju,subtitle translation,overseas dissemination,etc.Few papers take humor translation as a research object.However,a Jingju can flourish not only because of the wonderful storyline but also the witty,humorous and lively expressions.How to express the effect of humor well while preserving the cultural flavor of Jingju is one of the major challenges faced in the translation of Jingju.Elizabeth Wichmann has extensive knowledge of both drama theory and dramatic works,as well as a deep understanding of Eastern and particularly Chinese culture.This has enabled her translation and performance to preserve the rhythm and rhyme of the original opera in fluent natural English and gives foreign audiences the impression that her production has the genuine flavor of Jingju.From the perspective of reception aesthetics,the author makes a case study of Elizabeth Wichmann’s translation of The Phoenix Returns to Its Nest.This paper explores translation methods and strategies the translator used to successfully reproduce the humorous librettos and dialogues in the opera to the target audience.To reproduce the story and stylistic features to the greatest extent,Wichmann has chosen a translation strategy of domestication and has appropriately exercised creativity by using substitution and re-creation to deal with the tricky translation problems of puns and humor in JingjuWichmann chooses cooperative translation as a way to tackle certain issues facing the translation of Jingju.Before translating,she listens to a recording of the singing and recitation made by a Chinese artist,and then asks the Chinese translator to read aloud the script and explain the meaning of the script.Upon gaining a full understanding of the script,she translates it into English according to the structure,rhyme,melody as well as pronunciation and intonation of the Chinese script.This pre-translation procedure is also an essential step for the translator to have a conversation with the author of the source text and to achieve the "fusion of horizons".When faced with a challenging humor translation,she engages in multiple discussions with her collaborator to find the most suitable translation.After the translation is performed on stage,it is revised again and finalized based on the audience’s reaction.This approach indicates that in the translation process,Wichmann always pays close attention to the readers’reactions and acceptance.In this way,readers are included as indispensable participants in the creation of the translation,contributing to the reproduction of its meaning.