The Significance of Creative Treason in Literary Translation--Comment on Two Translations of Jane Eyre
The Significance of Creative Treason in Literary Translation
------Comment on Two Translations of Jane Eyre
忻州师院外语系本九班 靳利波 No.200202111008
Abstract: The practices of literary translation have proved the aim that what people bestow on literary translation is often not identical with the result of practical literary translation. Because on one hand there are many complicated factors, for example, artistic demand and language demand itself etc.; on the other hand it is decided by the characteristics of literature itself. In fact, people want translations to be the same work of art as the original. In this case, it is obvious that literary translation is no longer a simple language change, but a kind of creative work. This research paper explains the application of “Creative treason” in literary translation through comparing and discussing two translations of Jane Eyre on four aspects: making a choice among the meanings of a word, the variety of sentence pattern, the choice of cultural meaning and the choice of literary form. By doing this, a conclusion is drawn that in terms of “Creative treason” in literary translation, ZT is better than LT.
Key words: creative treason; literary translation; LT (Li’s translation); ZT (Zhu’s translation)
ⅠAn Introduction to “Creative treason”
The essence of any translation is to transform the information of one language to the other. But there is fundamental distinction between literary translation and any other translation. The language of literary translation is not the language in common use. That is to say, not just to achieve the aim to communicate and exchange information. The language of literary translation is a special language just as Mao Dun says: Literary translation uses the other language which expresses the artistic mood of the original work and allows readers to gain the same inspiration, the same thoughts and feelings and the same appeal of beauty just as reading the original work”. Obviously, this is a kind of artistic language which has the function of aesthetics. This kind of language should be able to reproduce the artistic world which is created by the original author through his/her means of images. Also it can reproduce the artistic image that the original author portrays.
Literary works in one language can be adapted to another new language by literary translation. In order to let receivers experience the artistic effect the same way as from the original, translators must find out the effective language medium which can arouse receivers to produce the same or similar imagination as from the original. In fact, it means translations should be works of art similarly as the original work. In this case, literary translation obtains the same meaning as literary creation. And it is not a simple language exchange any more, but becomes a kind of creative work. Also Mao Dun says: This kind of translation, of course, is not just pure change of language form, moreover, it requires translators have understood the original author’s creation process and already have grasped the spirits of the original work. In this way, translators try to find the best confirmation from his/her own thought, emotion or experience of life. Then they use the most suitable words to reproduce the content and form of the original correctly and faithfully. In the process of translating, translators and authors should combine into one. It seems that the original author writes his/her own work in another language. It requires translators not only to give free rein to their creativity in their work, but also requires them to give a faithful account of the original’s intention…----this is a difficult task.
Because the main task of literary translation is to reproduce the spirits and features of the original, it is completely necessary for this kind of artistic creative translation.
Writers’ creativity is taken for granted when he/she is fulfilling a piece of literary works. The creativity of literary translation is also obvious. It gives a literary work new life in the new language, nation, society and historical environment. But, the creativeness of translation differs from the creativeness of the original. It is the second time creation, namely re-creation. It’s hard to say which is good and which is bad between creation and recreation. They all have their own specialty and unchangeable independent value .The practice of translation reveals that both good translation and bad translation exist. Even some translations are better than the original, for example, Alan Poe’s poems translated by Nevarl in French etc.. In terms of the essence of translation, this argument should not be tenable. Because translation should be faithful to the original, of course the bad translation is not worth mentioning, but the translation that is better than the original is also inconsistent with translation principles. English translation research worker George Stainer says: Ideal translation should be neither worse nor better than the original, but we all know it is “ideal translation”, which is actually impossible ever to be achieved.
In literary translation, either the translation is better than the original or worse than the original is depending on the creativity and rebellion of literary translation. Supposing the creativity of literary translation indicates a kind of subjective efforts that translators try to copy or reproduce the original by their own artistic creative talent; then the rebellion of literary translation reflects a kind of objective deviation of the translation from the original when translators want to achieve a certain goal in the process of translation. This is only theory, whereas in the practices of literary translation, it is hard to separate creativity from rebellion, because they are one unified organism. So French literary sociologist Robert Escarpit proposes a new terminology-“Creative treason”, and says “translation is a kind of creative treason all the time”.
Ⅱ Different Translations of Jane Eyre and the Concrete Usage of “Creative treason” by Different Translators
As a famous literary work, nowadays Jane Eyre still attracts Chinese readers strongly. This not only accounts for her moving stories, but also depends on her beautiful and stirring language. So in china, there are a lot of translations of Jane Eyre. Among them, Li Jiye’s translation (LT) is the earliest Chinese translation, which was finished in 1936, and published by Cultural Life Press. Since then, it has been revised and republished many times. Zhu Qingying’s translation (ZT)of Jane Eyre was first published in 1980 by Shanghai Translation Press. Later it was revised and republished again and again. This research paper intends to make comparisons between these two translations in the view of “Creative treason”, to prove that “Creative treason” is the most important feature of literary translation.
In terms of “Creative treason”, in order to copy or reproduce the content and meaning of the original, translators are bound to give play to their subjective efforts to fulfill the recreation about the original. At the same time, because affected by specific era, society, literary environment and ideology, translators would give their specialties to translations. That is to say, translators want to achieve certain goals through their translations. In this case, it causes the objective deviation of translation from the original. By comparing LT with ZT, we know that ZT is better than LT in terms of “Creative treason”.
2.1 Making a Choice among the Meanings of a Word
In the process of translating, translators use some kinds of reference books, like English-Chinese Dictionary etc. In these books, there may be different interpretations for the same word. So the problem for translators is how to make a choice and which interpretation to choose. For the sake of being faithful to the original, translators must learn to use dictionaries flexibly and choose the interpretation of a word exactly. Namely according to the text or logical connection of words, translators must carefully choose the most suitable meaning of a word among a group of meanings of it. In addition, translators should give free rein to their creativity, to reproduce the meaning of the original truthfully. But, sometimes owing to lack of deep understanding of the text, it is hard for them to avoid errors, thus making their translations hard to understand for readers.
[e.g.1]: …desiring me to hold a stein of thread: while she was winding it, she talked to me from time to time,…
LT: 司密斯女士想要我拿着一绺子线，在绕着线的时候，她时时向我谈话。
ZT: 她要我给她绷一束线，她一边绕线，一边不时地和我聊几句。
According to common meaning, Li has translated hold into “拿着” and it does not express the meaning of original completely. Zhu takes the context wind thread into account, then translates hold into “绷”. The word “绷” conveys the concrete way of “hold”-- unfurl. In this way, she makes her translation more vivid and more suitable. Zhu gives play to her creativity, so that to make her translation faithful to the original’s content. Comparatively, LT is inferior.
[e.g.2]: Four hands were immediately laid upon me and I was borne upstairs.
LT: 四只手即刻放在我身上，就把我弄到楼上去。
ZT: 立刻就有四只手抓住我，把我硬拖上楼去。
The literal meaning of lay in Chinese is “放”，not”抓住”,but Zhu integrates the context and translates laid upon me into “抓住我”, not”放在我身上”. Zhu’s “抓住” describes the situation that Jane Eyre was borne upstairs distinctly. ZT reproduces the intention of the original, and its creative treason is quite clear.
[e.g.3]: My impulse was to rise from it like a spring; their two pairs of hands arrested me instantly.
LT: 我满心要像弹簧一般从凳子上起来，她们两双手即刻把我按住了。
ZT: 我一心要像个弹簧似的蹦起来。她们的两双手立刻把我按住。
Li translates rise into“起来”，which completely accords with its literal meaning “起立” in Chinese，but it does not contain the full meaning of rise in the sentence. While Zhu translates it into “蹦起来”which expresses the authentic meaning of rise. The word“蹦” here was just right for the purpose and quite vivid.
[e.g.4]: the child clung round my neck in terror, and almost strangled me.
LT: 孩子恐怖地把在我颈上，几乎把我闷死。
ZT: 那个孩子吓得紧紧地抱住我的脖子，差点把我掐死。
In LT, clung round my neck is translated into“把在我头上” which does not express the full meaning of round . Zhu adds “紧紧” to this sentence and it becomes “紧紧抱住我的脖子”, which make the translation more faithful to the original. Especially the word “抱住”, which conveys the meaning of round clearly. At the same time, it explains the reason of “差点把我掐死”——紧紧地抱住我的脖子vividly.
[e.g.5]: Externals have a great effect on the young I thought that fairer era of life was beginning for me.
LT: 外表对于年轻的人很有影响：我想一个更美好的生活时代为我开始了。
ZT: 外表对于青年人是有强烈的影响的。我想对于我来说，生活中一个比较美好的时期正在开始。
Li interprets the young into “年轻的人”which could be easily associated with someone who is lack of experience and maturity. So the best word is “青年人”which was associated with someone who is full of vigor, vitality and energy. In this way the translation is more original .a faire era in LT becomes “一个更美好的生活时代.”. The meaning of“时代”is too wide in range for a single person.“时期” in ZT seems more suitable. For me was translated into “对于我来说” in ZT seems more better than “为我” in LT, because ZT has accorded with the expression of Chinese, it sounds natural , smooth and easy.
2.2 The Variety of Sentence Pattern
LT was produced in 1930s, so the language has the characteristic of that era –Europeanized Chinese. This should be a kind of language style of LT. It is shown as: Li adopts the way of literal translate. Li always places the time adverbial modifier at the end of sentences (e.g.6 and e.g.7) and frequently use the link-verb(e.g.8 and e.g.9) and adjective postfix“的”(e.g.8 ). The sentence attribute is relatively long (e.g.8 and e.g.9) and the sentence structure is complicated (e.g.10 and e.g.11). In addition, the organization of sentences centered on verbs just likes western language shape (e.g.11).
In LT, in order to transmit the content and form of the original work faithfully, the translator mainly takes the literal translation method. But it is the translator that attempts to do literal translation everywhere. As a result, some sentences of his translation are not clear and coherent. With the author’s view, faithful should include being clear and coherent inside. If original texts are clear and coherent, the faithful translations must be the same. ZT was produced in the 1980s. The language of her translation is smooth and natural. In ZT, the translator doesn’t use Europeanize Chinese any longer. On the contrary, she uses many short sentences and the language turns to become brief and clear consequently.
In terms of “Creative treason”, influenced by the times, the effect of “Creative treason” in LT is not as obvious at that in ZT. In LT, the translator doesn’t take the characteristics of target language into account while he is emphasizing the loyalty to the original text. Some sentences in LT are hard for readers to understand.
[e.g.6] a run fire of raillery and jests was proceeding when Sam returned.
LT: 诙谐玩笑的火光流动着，当沙姆回来的时候。
ZT: 开玩笑和打趣像火一样蔓延开来，这时候山姆回来了。
[e.g.7]with the exception of some of two or three rooms fitted up for the accommodation of the squire when he went there in the season to shoot.
LT: 只有两三间屋子收拾好了给老先生应用，在他到那里去打野味的时候。
ZT: 只布置了两三个房间，供老爷在打猎季节上那儿去住。
In the 6th and 7th examples, in LT the translator adopts the way of literal translation, which doesn’t take the characteristics of target language into account. The translation without changing the order of the original sentence, and places the time adverbial modifier on the end of the sentence, which makes the translation a little funny.
In ZT, the translator disperses the time adverbial modifier that at the end of sentence in the original. There are many clauses in ZT, in this way the translation is not only faithful to the original, but also natural and smooth.
[e.g.8] she said in a voice as decided as her glance, as harsh as her feature.
LT: 她用和她的眼色一般果断，和她的面貌一般严厉的声音说。
ZT: 她说，那声音和她的眼神一样果断，和她的面貌一样粗鲁。
In LT，there is a series of adjectives before the word”声音”. In ZT, the sentence keeps in agreement with Chinese Subject-Predicate structure. In order to avoid the tediously long attribute, the translator Zhu uses two clauses. Another example:
[e.g.9] …,a woman after Mr. Braklehurst own heart, made up of equal parts of whalebone and iron.
LT: （哈登太太）是一个顺从布鲁克尔哈斯忒先生心意，同样严厉无情的女人。
ZT：她完全合布洛克尔赫斯特先生的心意，是用同样的鲸鱼骨和铁制成的。
Because of using Europeanized Chinese, Li makes the sentences structure complicated and hard to understand. At the same time, LT only focus on the form but not take the expression in Chinese into consideration. As a result, Li can’t translate the original vividly and incisively. For example:
[e.g.10] I turned in the direction of the sound,…
LT: 我对着声音所从来的方向转过身，
ZT: 我转向声音传来的方向，
In LT, there is an attribute in adverbial which is before predicate. The structure of the sentence is complicated and it can’t be read smoothly.
[e.g.11]… I thought I’d just set off and get a look at you before you were quite out of my reach.
LT：我想我就起身前来，在完全不能见到你之前看一看你。
ZT: 我想你走了以后，我就没法去看你了，我还是马上出发，趁你没走，来看看你。
Li writes the sentence centered around the verb“看”.before “看”there is a time adverbial modifier“在完全不能见到你之前”，which has nothing to do with the verb“看”.Under this circumstance, the sentence structure becomes compact. In ZT, the translator adopts many verbs to form parallel structures. In this situation, the sentence structure is loose and flexible, also the rhythm is relaxed.
From the above-mentioned examples, we realize that different languages have different sentence structures and express the same meaning in different ways. In the process of literary translation, on one hand in order to give readers in a new language system a full understanding of the original text, the translation should give full play to its creativity and rebellion. Only in this way, can the translation express the meaning of the original faithfully and make the text reborn; on the other hand, if translators don’t take the target language’s characteristic into consideration and tend to learn foreign language structure blindly, the translation would be neither fish nor fowl.
2.3 The Choice of Cultural Meaning
As mentioned above, for the sake of be faithful to the original, translators must give free rein to their creativity, and do all they can to make the translation as vivid as the original both in form and content. Then there will be the feature of CREATIVE TREASON in the translation. This requires the translators to pay attention to contemplating the meaning of vocabulary and sentence during the process of translating. Meanwhile translators should also consider both eastern cultural background and western cultural background. Only by doing this can a translation be successful.
In the process of translation, the knowledge about different cultural background has quite important functions. Different languages have reflected different cultural traditions. In the course of English-Chinese translation, if without considering the differences of the Chinese and western cultural background, the translation is difficult to accept by Chinese readers. In LT, a lot of examples have proved the translator has neglected this key element. So though the translation considers the original text, it doesn’t accord with the traditional culture habit of China. As a result, Chinese readers feel confused with it.
Liu Miqing points out in his book Contemporary Translation Theories：The spoken and written languages are the socialized result of nationality, while it is the carrier of the social cultural information. In this sense, the spoken and written languages are information symbol systems of a certain kind of culture. National socialization is reflected in this symbol system all without exception. So, the conversion between the languages can’t ignore such cultural information that the language symbol bears the weight of -----the function of transmission. The conversion of the meaning must include the cultural information of languages which contain the content and the characteristic as intact as possible. Otherwise, it must be incomplete. So translators must arouse their own creativity to reproduce the cultural information contained in the language of the original text to the maximum extent. At the same time, they must take the cultural tradition of the target language into account.
[e.g.12] I was just leaving the stile, yet as the path was narrow; I sat still to let it go by.
LT: 我刚要离开界阶，但是道路狭窄，我就坐下了不动，让它过去。
ZT: 我刚要离开阶梯，但是小径很窄，我就坐着不动，让它过去。
In the process of translating, translators should think it over when there isn’t a homologous object in the target language. For example: stile in example 15 is an object that can help people surmount the fence easily but stop animals to jump it over（picture on right side）.
Zhu translates it into “阶梯”;while LT is“界阶”. The former causes misunderstandings, while the latter fails to express it clearly. Maybe it should be translated into “越栏梯” and be further explained in a footnote. Another example:
[e.g.13] His figure was enveloped in a riding cloak, fur collared, and steel clasped.
LT: 他的身体裹在有皮领和包钢纽扣的骑马外衣里面。
ZT: 他身上披着皮领钢扣的骑马披风。
A cloak is a type of loose garment which is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat-it protects wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform (http://en.wikillib.com/wiki/cloak). Thus it can be seen that “cloak” resembles “披风”, which has existed in China since ancient times. Zhu gives free rein to her own creativity, and use the cultural object in target language to express the cultural information in the original text vividly. In this way, Zhu makes readers of translation get roughly the same image as readers of the original do. “外衣” in LT is too general to convey the exact meaning of the original, and fails to accomplish the task of literary translation-----cultural exchange.
2.4 The Choice of Literary Form
In translation process, translators not only need being loyal to the content of the original, but also need reproducing the style of it. In Liu Miqing’s book Literary Form and Translation, he has pointed out that the theories of style of translation mainly study about how to pledge to make translations adapt to originals. In translation practices, different translators’ translation has quite different” Adaptation” about the original. Just owing to this, different translators may translate the same original well or badly. In this sense, the fields of translation recreation are extremely vast. This kind of reappearance of style demands translators to make a sketch of the original from broader facet. Moreover, translators should also consider the details. That is to say, translators should choose words or sentences carefully. Only in this way, translators can reproduce the style of the original perfectly, and translators’ creativity can be brought about consequently. The key point of style translation is translators must adapt their translations to the characteristic of literary form of the original, and the wording of translation also must conform to the style of the original.
In Jane Eyre, there are lots of statements and dialogues, which is spoken language that is concise. So translations of them must reproduce the charisma of these spoken languages faithfully.
[e.g.14] Bigamy is an ugly word! -- I meant, however, to be a bigamist: but fate has out-maneuvered me; or Providence has checked me, -- perhaps the last.
LT: 重婚是丑恶的字眼！——不过我要做一个重婚的人；但是命运的策略胜过我了，不然就是神约束我——许是后者吧。
ZT: 重婚是个丑恶的字眼！——然而，我决意要成为一个重婚者；命运用策略胜过了我，或者说，天命阻止了我——也许是后面一个。
This sentence is from a passage that is a statement of Mr.Rochester in Chapter26. The peculiarity of this statement is righteous, serious and impassioned. So translators should stress the importance of transmitting the great force of imposing posture of the original. In addition, translators also should pay more attention to the style of this passage --- spoken language. So that their translations must be readable, and not using the refined written language. In terms of the style of literary form, Zhu translates the word but into“然而” is less suitable than Li’s “不过”, which is more suitable to the spoken language style of the original. Li translates the word or into “不然就是”, which also is better than Zhu’s “或者说”. Between the two translations of the sentence perhaps the last, LT is better than ZT too, because ZT is more elegant and a little bit wordy. There is another example in this paragraph:
[e.g.15] as my pastor there would tell me, deserve no doubt the sternest judgments of God, -- even to the quenchless fine and deathless worm.
LT: 而且如同我的牧师要告诉我的一样，毫无疑问应当受上帝最严厉的制裁，甚至受不灭的火，不死的蛆惩戒。
ZT: 而且，正像那儿的牧师要对我说的，毫无疑问，应该受到上帝最严酷的审判，——甚至受到不灭的火和不死的蛆的折磨。
The word “judgment “, in two translations, both Zhu and Li have translated very well, though using different words. Just the next sentence, LT and ZT can be described as each has his merits. “惩戒” in LT is not like spoken language, while “折磨”in ZT is more better. In the sentence as my pastor there would tell me, the word as is translated into “如同” in LT, which is less suitable than “正像” in ZT. Comparing with LT, ZT is better in wording. But the sentence form of ZT is too intermittent, which is not the characteristic of spoken language. The sentence form of LT is done without any let-up, and has no expression of long pants.
III. Conclusion
This research paper has compared and analyzed the two translations of Jane Eyre (LT and ZT) in terms of Creative treason in literary translation. Through comparing and discussing LT and ZT on four aspects: making a choice among the meanings of a word, the variety of sentence pattern, the choice of cultural meaning and the choice of literary form, there is a conclusion that Creative treason of literary translation has been incarnated better in ZT than which in LT, and ZT has reproduced the content and the intention of original work relatively well. From above, it is proved that Creative treason is of enormous significance to literary translation, which just as Escarpit has said: We say translation as a kind of rebellion, because it brings the original work into a unpredictable contrastive system (referring to language). We hold that translation is a kind of creativity, because it gives the original work a new appearance, to make the original work be known by more extensive readers. Translations not only lengthen the lifetime of the original, but also bestow a second life on the original text. It is true at all times and in all countries that just because the “Creative treason” of literary translation, so many literary masterpieces can be propagated and accepted across time and space.
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The Significance of Creative Treason in Literary Translation--Comment on Two Translations of Jane Eyre.doc
