ON THE HISTORICAL FUSION OF FORESTRUCTURE IN TRANSLATING AROUUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

Department of Foreign Languages,Minjiang University,Fuzhou,China Email:281021622@qq.com

[Abstract]Hermeneutics assumes that understanding features historicity due to the fact everything historically exists.Openness of language triggers the freedom of interpretation and provides the scope for the translators to bring their forestructure to full play when one translates interpreting the text and the underlying historical context.Translators are capable of incorporating the forestructure concerning the translated text,source text,translators and source language into his interpretation.This paper deliberates the historical fusion in translating Around the World in 80 Days based on the language and foresturcture in the light of hermeneutics.

[Keywords]Around the World in 80 Days;Forestructure;Fusion of horizon;historicity of understanding

INTRODUCTION

Around the World in 80 Dayswas co-translated by Xue Shaohui,a female translator of the Qing Dynasty,and her husband Chen Shoupeng.This book not only receives high praise but also hails Xue Shaohui as a highly esteemed female translator.The book mainly introduces how Philea Foggs relied on extensive geographical knowledge and traveled around the world.Although he had experienced hardships on the way,Jean Passepartout,Aouda and he struggled to overcome the difficulties and eventually surpassed various difficulties to complete the mission around the world.Xue expounded the reason for the translation in the preface,“The book unleashes the fantastic world with the shocking remarks and provides an insight into the principle of knowing everything through truth.”(Shi,1991,p.5)The book explores the principles of nature,involves western scientific and technological knowledge and showcases different customs,moral concepts and habits to Chinese folk,such as“carved black teeth and vertebral tattoo”(Shi,1991,p.5).Her translation deliberately uses Chinese classical style to introduce new concepts,depicting the mountains and rivers around the world and introducing the customs outside China in real details,“In Gobi desert can be found traces of cattle and sheep and Lop Nor flying geese”(Shi,1991,p.5).In the translation,Xue Shaohui and Chen Shoupeng created and interpreted the text based on their preunderstanding,which boosted the readability and popularity of translation.

Gadamer’s hermeneutics holds that everything exists in a specific history,so understanding is an historicallyeffected event,cannot exempt itself from its historical limitations.Any translation or understanding is the product of the interpreter’s horizon.(Gadamer,2004,p.112)Therefore,he is subject to history and traditions,which include the translator’s historical environment,language structure,translation methods and means,etc.Due to the fact that translator completes his works in a specific historical time and space,understanding is ridden with historical bias and limitations.This paper intends to explore the impact of translators’fore-structure on the translation,probing into the language features in Xue’sAround the World in 80 Days,translation method,Xue’s fore-structure and the way in which Chen Shoupeng and Xue’s historical of translation comes into fusion.

USE OF CLASSICAL CHINESE AND FLEXIBLE TRANSLATION

“Virtuality of language opens to us the infinity of continuing to speak and talk to each other,and unleashes the freedom to speak and listen to others”(Deng,2003),Gadamer’s theory illustrates the linguisticity of understanding in which language not only does not restrict our thoughts,but also summons our thoughts to engage in dialogue with the text.The complexity and diversity of language shows that the translation is not simply to transfer the original text where the translator can always carve out the most appropriate meaning to interpret the text due to language as the carriers of history and tradition,and historicity of understanding in lieu of language.

The linguistic features of literary texts are a contributing factor to the creativity and rebelliousness of literary translation.This is particularly evident in the translation of literary texts.In the translation of novels from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republican period,choosing to use classical Chinese or vernacular has also become a translator’s creative expression,because it involves the cognitive horizons of the target reader’s cognitive ability,social status,and acceptance of the target language culture.Classical Chinese used in translatingAround the World in 80 Daysis a“literary language featuring characteristics of classical Chinese and vernacular”(Zhu,2012,p.168).Most translators,who prefer classical Chinese translation,think that classical Chinese entitle them to a high social status due to its unparalleled advantages in vernacular,such as refined and beautiful classical Chinese,compact structure,obscure meaning,and polysemy.Xue and Chen were also susceptible to their fore-structures such as education and traditional thoughts,and they become attached to classical Chinese as the language of translation“because of this learning attitude and ability to integrate and communicate”(Chen,et al.,2002,p.65).Xue always quote scriptures to convey new things in the classical Chinese structure,like“change the magic of six books and understand harmony”(Shi,1991,p.86).

The scholar-bureaucrats,Xue’s expected readers,boast of knowledge,ideology,and acceptance level which is considered to be the fore-structure.The knowledge structure and psychology enabled these old literati to understand traditional literary concepts and accept the translated novel.(Zhang,2011,p.88)Keeping their targeted readers’forestructure in mind,the couple resorted to arranging style of traditional Chinese novels with captions for each chapter to edit their translation with concise and neatly-worded chapter such as the second chapterWhich Passepartout Is Convinced that He Has at Last Found His Ideal(“契注心欲倾肝胆见仆约整理寝房”),Which once more demonstrates the uselessness of passports as aids to detectives”(“英领事验照放行小包疑团误实据”).The original text starts with interrogative sentences,intended to allow readers to read in depth to explore the journey.Xue Shaohui uses traditional chapter-style narrative methods to persuade readers to understand the content of the chapter at a glance.The traditional caption-styled translation is apparently in line with reading habit in the late Qing Dynasty,which accounts for popularity of translation.Simple Chinese classical translation of science fiction conforms to the need of then social development,but also appeals to the cognitive habits of different readerships by providing with new technical vocabulary owing to historical infusion of the translator’s forestructure.

InAround the World in 80 Days,translators pay homage to the traditions and rules of translation,which,though,restrict Xue’s translation horizon and also constitutes part of the unique horizon of Xue’s translation such as Xue’s literal translation of foreign place,people’s name and time,contrary to widespread translation practice the late Qing Dynasty like mistranslation and manipulation.

For example:

Original text:Mr Phileas Fogg lives,in 1872,at No.7,Saville Row,Burlingtong Gardens,the house in which Sheridan died in 1814.

Xue’s translation:一千八百七十二年（同治壬申），有非利士（名）福格（姓）者，居于摆林塘花园沙菲尔路（在伦敦城内）第七号门牌，是屋，乃一千百十四年（嘉庆甲戌），许儿母利登（福格先代祖父之名）所遗。(Shi,1991,p.79)

This text also involves the translation of place,names,and time.Xue Shaohui’s translation was accomplished in great detail.Xue Shaohui translated“1872”into“一千八百七十二年”with the annotation of the year number of the Qing emperor in the text.The method of annotation is to translate some unfamiliar things which can not only facilitate understanding,but also be faithful to the original text.The translation of“Saville Row,Burlingtong Gardens”is a transliteration and annotation method,so that readers at the time will not misunderstand the new location,and the readers can understand the geographical names and countries at a glance through the annotations.Due to the differences in social development between China and the West,Xue and Chen Shoupeng could only use transliteration and annotation to tempt readers to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural information behind the proper nouns and improve the translation readability and acceptance.

The characteristics of language also transcend the limitations of its own culture through the conversion of narrative methods,adjustment of language structure,and word collocation,creating freedom and space for translators.Translators integrate texts and original culture through fore-structure and openness of target cultural perspectives.Xue wisely utilizes language characteristics to compensate and complement ways of thinking and difference between Chinese and Western languages and cleverly embeds his personal thoughts into the translation.Her translation like writing in Chinese creates the illusion of faithfulness in that she removes the barrier and makes room for translation.Only through Xue’s understanding is the translation endowed with vitality and expressiveness,which comes out as Xue’s historical agreement with the text and the author through language,and constitutes the historical experience of Xue’s understanding.

XUE’S CREATIION OF HISTORICAL HORIZON

Philosophical hermeneutics believes that translators always interpret text differently according to their cultural orientation,historical environment,personal experience,knowledge structure,value orientation,and personal style.(Gadamer,1997,p.95)The historical nature of translation is the historical tradition of any translators.The translation in each era is the inheritance and continuation of this translation tradition.

Xue lived in the turbulent period of the late Qing Dynasty and witnessed the decline of the national fate in the face of the complicated situation and the rise of new things brought by Western civilization with her writing showing the shock and the deep anxiety and displaying her sense of history,family grief,and political insights from time to time.Translating the scene of Aouda’s martyrdom,Xue did not follow the rules directly,

Original text:As her thoughts strayed back to the scene of the sacrifice,and recalled the dangers which still menaced her,she shuddered with terror.

Xue’s translation:盖铭感于中，复思葬祀时景，倘被追回，险阻犹然可谓，尚若不胜栗折。今欲逃遁，而苍茫天壤，又不知何处得称乐土，故娇涕纵横，大有无言之苦。(Shi,1991,p.76)

It is obviously Xue’s intention to put her personal feelings to grieve about turbulence of the current situation and suffering of the people.Through the adversity of Aouda,Xue conveys the real worries about the destiny of the country and the people’s melancholic livelihood in the intersection of Chinese and Western cultures by amplifying her own ideas in the translation to improve her visibility and to reshape and influence readers’acceptance habits.Her creation is limited to grievance about her surrounding but also her thoughtfulness toward her readers.The considerateness derives from her fore-structure and reciprocates with her surroundings.

Original text:The travelers crossed,beyond Milligaum,the fatal country so often stained with blood by the sectarian of the goddess Kali.

Xue’s translation:行旅既越马利左毋（一郡名），是处全郡任命，皆系女菩萨嘉利（此佛三眼四手，做两手一提刀，一握人首，右两手一仰一俯，浑身黑胖，祖无衣，腰围短裙，首花冠，耳明珰，项璎珞，复挂骷髅一串，长逾膝，手足皆有钏。足踏一尸，亦三眼两手。向上袒腹，受其足。然其像亦有雕刻微异者，离奇诡怪，默克究诘。殆即佛氏所谓罗孛欤(Shi,1991,p.56)

A simple word“Kali”,through a detailed description of the body shape,physical characteristics,and the magical tools held by Kali Bodhisattva,allows readers in targeted culture to reconstruct in their minds image of Kali Bodhisattva.Although in the translation,Xue Shaohui has always complies with the principle of faithful translation and seeks to keep herself objective,she still intentionally or unintentionally applied her foresight to interpret the translation.

THE HISTORICAL FUSION OF CHEN SHOUPENG AND XUE SHAOHUI’S HORIZON

Gadamer believes that understanding and interpretation is a world experience.The uniqueness of this experience cannot be copied,which also shapes and enriches the connotation and extension of textual understanding in its unique way.Therefore,understanding is a historically-effected event in which any understanding enjoys historical foresight and embodies the historically-effected consciousness.Translation and interpretation are the specific applications of the fusion of horizon in a specific historical context.

In the preface of the translated book,Chen Shoupeng and Xue Shaohui elaborated their role in the selection and translation of the book in which Chen Shoupeng helps Xue Shaohui select the original text,act as an interpreter also polishes and revises Xue Shaohui’s translation.The translation incorporates the historical comprehension of Xue Shaohui and Chen Shoupeng,including the cycle of understanding of Xue and Chen Shoupeng,so exploring the historical horizon of Chen Shoupeng has become a necessary condition for understanding the historical nature of this cooperative translation.

As an interpreter ofAround the World in 80 Days,Chen Shoupeng,fluent in English,French and Japanese,has extensive overseas travel experience.Chen Shoupeng graduated from Mawei Shipbuilding School and was sent to the UK for three years to study various laws and English literature in the UK.After returning from the second study tour,Chen Shoupeng always brought a lot of foreign books.In addition to mastering the classics of various countries,Chen acted as a man who accumulated a lot of translation experience:In 1900,he translated and published 22 volumes ofNew Translation of China’s Jianghai Danger Map,which is a benchmark for the diplomatic history and military history of the late Qing Dynasty.Not only that,Chen Shoupeng and his brother co-organized a newspaper to draw on Western ideas and introduce advanced Western knowledge through translation.Because of Chen Shoupeng’s pragmatic translation attitude and extensive translation practice,the translation ofAround the World in 80 Days,enables him to interpret the customs and transportation of different countries to facilitate readers’following up with the development of science and technology and cultural and religious customs in various countries.

As an interpreter and translation-polisher,many of Chen Shoupeng’s translation ideas are expressed through Xue Shaohui.The former also shapes and influences the latter’s fore-structure by introducing new things and advanced ideas.During his study in England and France,he always brought some rare treasures to stimulate Xue’s interest in new things in the West.In the Eight Treasure Makeup,Xue depicted exotic specialties Chen Shoupeng brought home and described the exotic customs,geography,history and culture in details.(Lin,2003,p.83)Chen Shoupeng used Western knowledge to inspire Xue’s interest in exploring political,geographical,and technological civilization.Therefore,these Western learning interests have also nourished her rich understanding and creativity,the faithfulness ofAround the World in 80 Daysnot only derives from Chen Shoupeng’s rich knowledge,travel experience and translation experience,but also the characteristics of Xue Shaohui’s proficiency in classical Chinese so the success of translation is the outcome of the dialogue and creation of the fore-structure of Chen Shoupeng and Xue Shaohui.

Gadamer’s hermeneutic theory shows that translation is the creation of the original text by the translator using his fore-structure.Xue Shaohui uses fore-structure to interpret and createAround the World in 80 Days,through classical Chinese,and structure of knowledge,interpreted and translated from the historical background of the late Qing Dynasty.Xue’s translation horizon is complemented by Chen Shoupeng’s rich translation experience and proficiency in Chinese and Western culture.The translation is indicative of the historical integration of the couple’s historical horizon.