戏剧翻译

1. 戏剧翻译 Drama Translation

2. What is Drama? • Drama is a composition in prose or verse, adapted to be acted upon a stage, in which a story is related by means of dialogue and action, and is represented with accompanying gesture, costume, and scenery, as in real life; a play. • ---Oxford English Dictionary(2nd Edition,1989)

3. 戏剧是由演员扮演角色，在舞台上当众表演故事情节的一种艺术，是一种综合的舞台艺术，她借助文学、音乐、舞蹈、美术等艺术手段塑造舞台艺术形象，揭示社会矛盾，反映现实生活。狭义专指以古希腊悲剧和喜剧为开端，首先在欧洲各国发展起来继而在世界广泛流行的舞台演出形式 ，英文为drama ，中国称之为话剧。广义还包括东方一些国家、民族的传统舞台演出形式，如中国的戏曲、日本的歌舞伎、印度的古典戏剧、朝鲜的唱剧。 • ——《中国大百科全书》

4. 戏剧的种类及基本特点 • 种类: • (1)从艺术表现形式: 话剧、歌剧、舞剧、戏曲等 • (2)按篇幅长短: 独幕剧、多幕剧 • (3)从内容、性质及美学范畴: 悲剧、喜剧、正剧等 • (4)从题材的时代性来:有历史剧和现代剧 • 基本特点： （1）空间和时间要高度集中 • （2）矛盾冲突要尖锐集中 • （3）语言要表现人物性格

5. What is Drama Translation? • Drama translation is the translation of the dramatic text from one language and culture into another and as the transposition of the original, translated or adapted text onto the stage. • ---Ortrun Zubert-Skerrit • Towards a Typology of Literary Translation: • Drama Translation Science

6. Gostand gives a more detailed definition in Verbal and Non-verbal Communication: Drama as translation believes the aspects and processes of the broad term “drama translation” are: • ◆one language to another (difficulties of idiom, slang, tone, style, irony, word-play or puns) • ◆one culture to another (customs, assumptions, attitudes) • ◆one age/period to another (as above) • ◆one dramatic style to another (e.g. realistic or naturalistic to expressionistic or surrealistic)

7. ◆one genre to another (tragedy or comedy or farce) • ◆one medium to another (stage play to radio, TV or film) • ◆ straight play-script to musical/rock, opera/dance drama • ◆printed page to stage • ◆emotion/concept to happening • ◆verbal to non-verbal presentation • ◆ one action group to another • ◆ one audience to another (drama for schools or the deaf)

8. Characteristics of Drama Translation • 1. For audience rather than for readers • Drama comprises chiefly of dialogues between characters and its final purpose is stage presentation (with closet drama as the only exception), so, it is mostly written for audience rather • than readers. • .

9. 2. No annotations allowed • The audio-visual quality of a drama determines that the audience at a performance has no access to footnotes or explanations. That is why the translated drama should also contain no annotations as it has to be understood directly and immediately

10. 3. Common language • Usually language in dramas is derived from daily life, so it is very common. In the process of drama translation, translators should make the lines easier for the actors to perform on the stage, also, they should stand in the position of audience and make the language easier to understand.

11. Language Features of Drama and its Implications for Drama Translation 1. Colloquialism Compared with other literary forms, drama makes more use of colloquial rhythm, vocabulary and sentence structures. Also, sayings and proverbs are often seen in a drama because they are popular among the public. All literature is made up of words, but dramas are made up of spoken words. (所有的文学都由文字组成，但戏剧是由口语化的文字组成) --- Boulton （戏剧研究学家）

12. To Achieve Colloquialism • ①incomplete sentences • Incomplete and simple sentences help to establish the playwright’s colloquial style. If the translator wants to keep this style, he must make the characters speak simple language in his translation. • Example: • 吴祥子: 逃兵，是吧?有些现大洋,想在北京藏起来，是吧?有钱就藏 起来,没钱就当土匪，是吧？ • —老舍《茶馆》

13. Wu Xiangzi: Deserters, right? Trying to hide in Beijing, with a few silver dollars in your pocket, right? When the money runs out, become bandits, right? • —英若城 • Wu Xiangziz: You’re deserters. Right? You’ve scrapped a few silver dollars, and you want to hole up in Beijing. Right？ If you’ve got money, you hole up; if you haven’t, you turn to banditry. Right? • ---Howard-Gibbon

14. ② Simple sentence structure • Example: • 常四爷:是呀，您的眼力不错!戊戌年我就在这说了句“大清国 要完”，叫您二位给抓了走，坐了一年多的牢! • 宋恩子:您的记性可也不错!混得还好吧? • —老舍《茶馆》

15. Chang: Yes, you have a good memory. In 1898 I made the remark here, “the • Great Qing Empire is about done for!” For that I was arrested by you two, and imprisoned for more than a year! • Song Enzi: Your memory’s not bad either. Doing all right these days? • —英若城 • Fourth Elder Chang：It is. Your eyesight’s fine. I was arrested by you gentlemen here in 1898, and spent more than a year for saying that “the Great Qing Empire is about done for”. • Song Enzi: You have a remarkable memory. Life treating you well these days? • ---Howard-Gibbon

16. 2. Conciseness • Compared with novels, the development of plots are much faster and the language is much more concise in dramatic texts. This is mainly because drama performance is under great pressure of time. • 戏剧艺术受演出时间和空间的限制，它要求在有限的时间内，在人物有限的语言里，完美地展现广阔的斗争画面，深刻地表现丰富的思想内容，生动地刻画人物性格，因此戏剧语言比起其他文学语言，更要讲究精炼，最忌讳沉闷、啰嗦。 • ——马威 《戏剧语言》

17. To Achieve Conciseness • ① Omission • To make the audience understand better and easier, a frequently used measure is omission of complicated meanings which are considered unimportant and less important for immediate audience understanding.

18. Example: • Linda: There’s a little attachment on the end of it. I knew right away. And sure enough, on the bottom of the water heater there’s a new little nipple on the gas pipe. • ---Death of A Salesman • 林达： 管子的一头安着个接头儿。我一看就明白了。他打算用煤气自杀。 • ——英若城 • 林达： 在橡皮管的一头有个小附件。我马上就明白了。果然，在烧水的煤气灶底肚上有个新的小喷头接在煤气管上。 • —— 陈良延

19. ② Addition • Sometimes, when translating omitted sentences, we provides additional useful information to facilitate understanding of the audience. • Example: • Biff: I’ll see Oliver tomorrow. Hap, if we could work that out… • Linda: Maybe things are beginning to--- • ---Death of A Salesman • 比夫：我明天去见奥利弗。哈皮，咱们要是能计划周全了一 • 林达：也许咱们真该转运了— • ——英若城

20. 3. Personalization • For the characters in a drama, words are the signs of their personalities. The only way for the playwright to create people with distinctive characteristics is to write personalized lines for them. • 剧作者须在人物头一次开口，便显出他的性格来。这很不容易。剧作者必须知道他的人物的全部生活，才能三言两语便使人物站立起来，闻其声，知其人。 • —老舍

21. To Achieve Personalization • People with different identities in different classes will use dissimilar languages. Drama dialogues agree with the identities of the characters. The dialogues of characters are closely associated with other factors, such as age, social status, and education. In drama translation, translator should fully consider these factors.

22. Example: • 小唐铁嘴: 哎哟，他妈的是你，小刘麻子!来，叫爷爷看看!(看前看后)你小子行，洋服穿的像那么一回事，由后面看哪，你比洋人还更像洋人! • —老舍《茶馆》 • Tang the Oracle Jr: Oh, shit! It’s you, Pock-mark Jr! Come, let me give you the once-over! (Looking him over, front and back) You little bastard! In that western gear, from behind you look more foreign than a foreigner. • ---英若城

23. 4. Playability • Playability of dramatic language means gesture orientation. The nature is of significance to stage performance. It is gesture-contained dramatic language that makes the words on pages alive, make the performance stereoscopic, make thoughts leap, , make the movements profound. • 动作化的语言即指从个性化的语言中，“看”出其相应的特定动作、行为意图、心理意图、心理状态和情感流动，并与人物语言的个性化因素协调统一，形成有机的暗示信息—艺术景象的基调，以便创造出生动突出的舞台艺术景象。

24. To Achieve Playability • the charm of theatre mainly comes from actions, and this kind of language can push forward the development of the plot as well as reveal the inner activity of the characters. Since playability in drama language is indispensable to the totality of meaning, they should never be ignored in drama translation.

25. Example: • 康六：刘大爷，把女儿给太监作老婆，我怎么对得起人呢？ • —老舍《茶馆》 • Kang Liu: but Master Liu, please, how could I ever face my daughter again if I sold her to be the wife of a eunuch? • ---英若城 • Sixth-born Kang: how could I face my daughter if I sold her to be a eunuch’s wife? • ---Howard-Gibbon

26. 5. Musicality • In drama, acoustic elements account much. Drama is a kind of comprehensive art that is endowed with aesthetic function, and the aesthetic values of drama partially lie in the musical effects of its language. • 话剧中的对话是要拿到舞台上，通过演员的口，送到听众的二中去的。由口到耳，必涉及语言的音乐性。……我们应将文字的意、形、音三者联合运用，一齐考虑……把文字的潜力都挖掘出来。这样，文字才能既有意思，又有响声，还有光彩。 • ——老舍

27. TO Achieve Musicality • In drama translation, the reproduction of acoustic beauty is a big challenge to the translator, who is expected to create the beauty of sound so as to be appropriate for pronunciation and pleasant to the ear. The language of drama is characterized by rhyme, rhythm, stress, intonation, pitch, loudness, speed of delivery, all element that can create acoustic beauty.

28. Example: • 大傻杨 • (我)大傻杨，打竹板儿，一来来到大茶馆儿。 • 大茶馆，老裕泰，生意兴隆真不赖。 • 茶座多，真热闹，也有老来也有少; • 有的说，有的唱，穿着打扮一人一个样;…… • —老舍《茶馆》 • Silly Yang • I’m Silly Yang, and from shop to shop, • I make my rounds till here I stop. • This great teahouse, Yutai by name, • A booing business, fortune and fame. • Trade is brisk, lots of tea sold, • Everyone welcome, young and old. • Some sing or hum, others sit and chat. • Each in his gown, each in his hat. • … • ---英若城

29. Culture-loaded Words in Drama Translation • 1. Words concerning religion • Religion is an indispensable constituent of human society and human civilization. It is accepted that the Buddhism and Taoism have a profound influence on Chinese culture. In contrast, in the English-speaking countries, Christianity is the dominant religion, its impact upon the English culture has found its way into the language.

30. Example 1: • 秦仲义：不能这么说，我那点威风在您面前可就施展不出来了！哈哈哈！ • 庞太监：说得好，咱们就八仙过海，各显其能吧！哈哈哈！ • —老舍《茶馆》 • Qin Zhongyi: Well, I wouldn’t say that. What little influence I may wield won’t go far in your presence. Ha! Ha! Ha! • Eunuch Pang: Well said! Let’s both try our best. And see what happens. Ha! Ha! Ha! • ---英若城 • QIN ZHONGYI: Not so, not so. What little prestige I have pales in your presence. (laughs heartily) • EUNUCH PANG：Nicely said. Like the eight immortals crossing the sea, we each have our own strength, eh? (laughs heartily) • --- Howard-Gibbon

31. Example 2: • 王淑芬:三爷，你说的对!可是呀，这兵荒马乱的年月能有个事儿做也就得念佛!咱们都得忍着点 • —老舍《茶馆》 • Wang Shufen: You’re quite right, Master Li, but these days you can thank your lucky stars if you have a job at all. We all have to be a bit patient. • ---英若城 • WANG SHUFEN: I agree, Third Elder, but in these hectic times we should be thankful to have a job at all. We’ve all got to practice a little forbearance. • --- Howard-Gibbon

32. 2. Idioms • Both English and Chinese are very rich in idiomatic expressions closely related to their own culture and convey different cultural features and message. When translating idioms, the translator is entitled to make certain cultural adaptations to make the monolingual reader understand the translated message with ease.

33. Example: • 康六:我，唉!我得跟姑娘商量一下! • 刘麻子:告诉你，过了这个村可没有这个店，耽误了事别怨我!快去快来! • ---老舍《茶馆》 • Kang Liu: I, well, I’ll have to take it over with my daughter. • Pock-Mark Liu: I’m telling you, you won’t find another chance like this. If you lose it, don’t blame me! You’d better get a move on. • ---英若城 • SIXTH-BORN KANG: I…ah!... I’ve got to take it over with my daughter. • POCKFACE LIU: I’m telling you, this is your only chance. If you miss it, don’t blame me. Hurry up. • ---Howard-Gibbon

34. 3. Words about material life • Food, as one subcategory of material culture, is essential to the survival of human beings. Chinese people and western people live quite a different life, words related to food may have quite different connotations. So correct understanding of the original meaning is of vital importance. The translator must completely comprehend the original in terms of the designative meaning as well as the associative meaning.

35. Example: • 丁宝:老掌柜，你硬朗啊? • 王利发:嗯!要有炸酱面的话，我还能吃三大碗呢，可惜没有! • ---老舍《茶馆》 • Ding Bao: Old manager, you look pretty fit! • Wang Lifa: Yes. If there were some noodles with fried bean sauce around, I could pack away three huge bowls. Only there aren’t any. • ---英若城 • DING BAO: Old proprietor, you’re in good health? • WANG LIFA: Mmmh. If I sat down with some noodles with meat sauce, I could still tuck away three big bowls or so. Too bad there aren’t any. • ---Howard-Gibbon

36. 4. Words with special historical background • Language is always changing with the development of human society. So there exist numerous unique expressions about the things or phenomena solely appearing in special historical • period. Western audience who have no idea about Chinese history may be completely confused by these words. Therefore, when translating these words, “acceptance” on the part of the western receptors should be put into primary position.

37. Example: • 松二爷:这号生意又不小吧? • 刘麻子:也甜不到哪去，弄好了，赚个元宝! • ---老舍《茶馆》 • Song: Another big deal? • Pock-Mark Liu: Not so big. If all goes well, I may get about twenty taels of silver. • ---英若城 • SECOND ELDER SONG: I expect you’re making a bit on this deal! • POCKFACE LIU: Not all that much. But if it goes through I’ll make a silver ingot. • ---Howard-Gibbon

38. 从目的论看戏剧翻译 • ◆目的论（skopos theory）共有三个法则：目的法则（skopos rule）、连贯法则(coherence rule )和忠实法则(fidelity rule)。 • ◆目的法则是指翻译应能在译语情境和文化中,按译语接受者期待的方式发生作用。 • ◆连贯法则是指译文具有可读性和可接受性,与译语接受者的交际情景连贯一致,让译语接受者理解。 • ◆忠实法则指译文和原文之间实现语际间的连贯性,与其它翻译理论的忠实原则一致。

39. 依据目的论,戏剧翻译也应该考虑到剧本的使用目标群。苏珊·巴斯(Susan Bassnett)在《依旧身陷迷宫:对戏剧与翻译的进一步思考》(Still Trapped in the Labyrinth:Further Reflections on Translation and Theatre)一文中,将剧本的阅读方式分为七类: • 1.将剧本纯粹作为文学作品来阅读,此种方式多用于教学。 • 2.观众对剧本的阅读,此举完全出于个人的爱好与兴趣。 • 3.导演对剧本的阅读,其目的在于决定剧本是否适合上演。 • 4.演员对剧本的阅读,主要为了加深对特定角色的理解。 • 5.舞美对剧本的阅读,旨在从剧本的指示中设计出舞台 • 的可视空间和布景

40. 。 • 6.其他任何参与演出的人员对剧本的阅读。 • 7.用于排练的剧本阅读,其中采用了很多辅助语言学的符号,例如:语气(tone)、曲折(inflexion)、音调(pitch)、音域(register)等, 对演出进行准备。 • 译者可能与上述七种阅读方式都发生联系.这七种阅读方式实际上不仅反映了剧本的两大功能:文学作品和演出蓝本;同时,也表明了剧本翻译的两大途径:单纯作为文学作品的剧本翻译和以舞台的演出为目的的剧本翻译.

41. 从观众中心原则看戏剧翻译 • ◆美国翻译家奈达在《翻译科学探索》中提出了功能对等论，主张功能信息高于一切。认为翻译须以受众为服务中心，侧重信息内容忽视原文形式。 • ◆英国理论家纽马克将功能翻译理论运用到戏剧翻译理论研究，认为戏剧翻译的主要目的应是为舞台演出服务。翻译剧本不仅要做到语言自然简洁，台词口语化，还要充分考虑观众的接受心理和文化习惯。

42. ◆苏珊·巴斯(Susan Bassnett)提出戏剧翻译的“动态表演性”原则（the principle of performability）。认为翻译戏剧要考虑到剧本潜在的“动态表演性”。这要求语言翻译须像原剧本一样容易上口，演员读来顺畅，观众听来不觉吃力。 • ◆由此，功能翻译理论中的受众中心原则，运用到戏剧翻译中就是观众中心原则。