Comparative Study on Two English Versions of Hong Lou Meng from the Perspective of Cross—culture

姚青　向凤雅　侯方丽

【Abstract】Hong Lou Meng is not only one of the four most famous ancient books in China，but also a classic masterpiece in the history of world literature.It presents the background and living statues in China feudal society as well as the language and culture of China.Two most completely and widely popular versions are that，one is translated by Yang Hsien-Yi and his wife Gladys Yang who are the famous translator couple （the Yangs version） and the other is translated by Oxford Universitys Sinologists David Hawks and John Minford，which refers to Hawks version.In this paper，a comparative study on different translation methods in two versions are made to explore differences between China and western cultures，and thus discuss the influences on translation of different cultures，especially study how the factors of culture，thoughts，language habits and translation methods impact on translation from the perspective of cross-culture.

【Key words】Hong Lou Meng； Yang Hsien-Yi； David Hawks； Cross-culture； comparative study

Each country has its own culture，which is the fruit of peoples wisdom in a nation.It can be explained in various aspects，such as politics，economy，religion，law and language，etc.And a person will be accompanied by his culture all the time，especially in a process of communication or a translation.That is why Yang Hsien-Yi and Hawks translate the same sentence in different methods.So，by way of illustration Ill refer to the influences on translation of different cultures.

1.原文：誰知此石自经锻炼之后，灵性已通。

杨译：Strange to relate，this block of stone after tempering had acquired spiritual understanding.

霍译：Now this block of stone，having undergone the melting and moulding of a goddess，possessed magic powers.As we all know，regions in China and western countries varies enormously.A majority of western people believe in God and Jesus while Chinese prefer Buddhism and Taoism as main religions.Therefore，Hawks is more inclined to translate “灵性已通” as the “magic power”- the characteristic of Gods frequently appeared in western fable stories or any other literary works full of powerful religious overtones.However，in China，“灵性已通” refers to the realm of lofty thought，understanding the meaning of everything in the world.Then Yang Hsien-Yi translates it into “spiritual understanding”.

2.原文： 时逢三五便月圆 满把青光护玉栏。天上一轮才捧出 人间万姓仰头看。

杨译：On the fifteenth the moon is full，Bathing jade balustrades with her pure light； As her bright orb sails up the sky.All men on earth gaze upwards at the sight.

霍译：In thrice five nights her perfect O is made，Whose cold light bathes each marble balustrade.As her bright wheel starts on its starry ways，On earth ten thousand heads look up and gaze.

It is common to see poems in the whole book，and each of them abounds in Chinese traditional culture.However，such words are extremely difficult for foreigners to understand，let alone translate them into different languages.For instance，“三五” into “fifteenth” and “万姓” into “all men”.However，Hawks，as a foreigner who know little about Chinese culture，may run into great challenges to find a right alternative.So he takes the methods of word-for-word translation，thus misunderstanding seems to be happening.

3.Conclusion

As a proverb says，there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes.So does translation.Translators would like to bring their values，regions，thoughts，translation methods and language habits cultivated by their respective cultures into translation.However，in the process of cross-culture communication，different cultures and its products may be the barrier between two nations，which also underlines the significance of study on influences on translation of factors referred in across-culture communication.Therefore，the paper，takes the Yangs version and Hawks version of Hong Lou Meng as examples，mainly discusses the influences on translation activities of across-cultural factors by a comparison study on these two versions.Works Cited

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作者简介：

姚青，女，1990年6月，湖南邵阳人，硕士研究生在读，成都理工大学外国语学院，研究方向：英语笔译。

向凤雅，女，1988年6月出生，四川内江人，硕士研究生在读，研究方向：外国语言学及应用语言学。

侯芳丽，女，1989年9月出生，湖北荆州人，硕士研究生在读，研究方向：英语笔译。