Stan Lai is a well-known director and playwright in China and abroad, and his self-translation play Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land has been toured all over the world many times. However, few scholars have studied Lai’s translation thoughts through this play. What’s more, subtext is an eminent feature in drama and it is difficult to translate, especially in Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, which includes abundant subtexts. As a result, the thesis takes the translator’s voice as theoretical bases and studies Lai’s translation thoughts of performability through the subtext translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. The thesis adopts O’Sullivan’s framework and analyzes Stan Lai’s voice from the translation and the paratexts to see whether they are consistent. During the analysis, comparative studies, interviews, and literature research will be adopted. There are two main findings: In the target text, Stan Lai shows his voice by adopting the translation strategies of changing narration, amplifying narration, and reductive narration to achieve performability, especially the speakability, individuality, actability, and acceptability of the lines. In the paratexts, the author also finds that Lai’s identity, translation motives, and translation strategies also reflect his voice on performability, which is consistent with the one in the target text.
Published in | International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 11, Issue 4) |
DOI | 10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13 |
Page(s) | 176-185 |
Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Performability, Translator’s Voice, Stan Lai, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, Subtext
[1] | Brustein, R. (2021). “Foreword,” in Selected Plays of Stan Lai, Vol 1, ed. R. T. Lissa (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press), ix. |
[2] | Dostal, E. (2018). “Theatre in Historic Places: NIGHTWALK IN THE CHINESE GARDEN at The Huntington,” Broadway World, 12 September. Available at: https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Theatre-in-Historic-Places-NIGHTWALK-IN-THE-CHINESE-GARDEN-at-The Huntington-20180912 (Accessed March 1, 2023). |
[3] | Genette, G. (1997) Paratexts: Thresholds of Interpretation, Translated from the French by A. Jane. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. |
[4] | Grice, H. P. (1975). “Logic and Conversation,” in Syntax and Semantics III: Speech Acts, eds. P. Cole and J. L. Morgan (New York: Academic Press), 41–58. |
[5] | Hermans, T. (1996). The Translator’s Voice in Translated Narrative. Target: International Journal of Translation Studies. 8, 23–48. doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/target.8.1.03her. |
[6] | Hu, M. H. (2022). Translation Strategies and Method of Lai Shengchuan’s Self-Translated Drama: the English Version of Lai Shengchuan’s Drama Selections as Examples. Forum for Chinese Literature of the World. 33, 93–102. doi: 10.16228/j.issn1008-0163.2022.03.008. |
[7] | Jia, R. (2021). A Study of the Treatment of Conversational Implicatures in the Chinese Translations of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. [master’s thesis]. [Beijing: Beijing Foreign Studies University]. |
[8] | Kent, R. (2015). “‘Secret Love’ playwright Stan Lai appears in Ashland,” Mail Tribune, 20 April. Available at: https://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2015/04/20/secret-love-playwright-stan-lai-appears-in-ashland/ (Accessed March 15, 2023). |
[9] | Lai, S. (2019) An Lian Tao Hua Yuan. Beijing: CITIC Press Group. |
[10] | Lai, S. (2021a). Selected Plays of Stan Lai: Volume 1: Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land and Other Plays. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. |
[11] | Lai, S. (2021b). “How I Translate My Own Play,” in Selected Plays of Stan Lai, Vol 1, ed. R. T. Lissa (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press), 7–10. |
[12] | Lai, S. [@赖声川] (2021c). Director’s Daily Notes [Weibo]. Available at: https://www.weibo.com/laishengchuan (Accessed March 1, 2023). |
[13] | Levinson, C. S. (1983). Pragmatics. New York: Cambridge University Press. |
[14] | Li, S., and Zhu, J. P. (2018). The Translator’s Voice in William Lyell’s Translation of Lu Xun’s Novellas. Journal of Hunan University (Social Sciences). 32, 105–111. doi: 10.16339/j.cnki.hdxbskb.2018.03.016. |
[15] | Liu, Y. M. (2017). Analysis of the English Translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land from the Perspective of Foregrounding Theory. Sichuan Drama. 30, 154–157. |
[16] | Long, J. F. (2013). The Translation of Metaphors in Context and Drama: Take the Two Versions of Teahouse as an Example. Drama Literature. 36, 91–94. doi: 10.14043/j.cnki.xjwx.2013.04.008. |
[17] | Luo, Z. F. (1986). Hanyu Da Cidian (Vol. 1). Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House. |
[18] | O’Sullivan, E. (2003). Narratology meets translation studies, or the voice of the translator in children’s literature. Meta. 48, 197–207. doi: 10.7202/006967ar. |
[19] | O’Sullivan, E. (2005). Comparative children’s literature, Translated from the German by A. Bell. London and New York: Routledge. |
[20] | Xia, M. (2018). A Study on the Acceptance of Chinese Elements in Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. Drama Literature. 41, 51–59. doi: 10.14043/j.cnki.xjwx.2018.01.008. |
[21] | Ying, R. C. (1999). Measure for Measure. (Trans.) Beijing: China Translation & Publishing Corporation. |
[22] | Zhang, L. (2020). The Representation of the Melancholy Complex in Wang Rongpei’s Translation of The Peony Pavilion: From the Perspective of “Translator’s Voice”. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching. 42, 101–112+150. doi: 10.13458/j.cnki.flatt.004702. |
[23] | Zheng, H. M., and Wang, Z. B. (2017). Subtext Translation of Drama from the Perspective of Skopos Theory ---Chinese Versions of Eugene O’Neill’s Plays. Sichuan Drama. 30, 44–47. |
[24] | Zhou, R. (2015). “Story of love, longing and loss transcends boundaries,” China Daily, 4 May. Available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2015-05/04/content_20610465.htm (Accessed March 15, 2023). |
[25] | Zhou, X. M. (2019). The Translator’s Voice and His Cultural Identity: Comparing the Poetry of Du Fu Translated by Rewi Alley and by Stephen Owen. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching. 41, 80–89+147–148. doi: 10.13458/j.cnki.flatt.004636. |
APA Style
Wu Bian, Ketong Liu. (2023). Stan Lai’s Translation Thoughts of Performability from the Perspective of Translators Voice: A Case Study of Subtext Translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 11(4), 176-185. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13
ACS Style
Wu Bian; Ketong Liu. Stan Lai’s Translation Thoughts of Performability from the Perspective of Translators Voice: A Case Study of Subtext Translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2023, 11(4), 176-185. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13
AMA Style
Wu Bian, Ketong Liu. Stan Lai’s Translation Thoughts of Performability from the Perspective of Translators Voice: A Case Study of Subtext Translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. Int J Lit Arts. 2023;11(4):176-185. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13
@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13, author = {Wu Bian and Ketong Liu}, title = {Stan Lai’s Translation Thoughts of Performability from the Perspective of Translators Voice: A Case Study of Subtext Translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land}, journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, pages = {176-185}, doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13}, url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13}, eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20231104.13}, abstract = {Stan Lai is a well-known director and playwright in China and abroad, and his self-translation play Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land has been toured all over the world many times. However, few scholars have studied Lai’s translation thoughts through this play. What’s more, subtext is an eminent feature in drama and it is difficult to translate, especially in Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, which includes abundant subtexts. As a result, the thesis takes the translator’s voice as theoretical bases and studies Lai’s translation thoughts of performability through the subtext translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. The thesis adopts O’Sullivan’s framework and analyzes Stan Lai’s voice from the translation and the paratexts to see whether they are consistent. During the analysis, comparative studies, interviews, and literature research will be adopted. There are two main findings: In the target text, Stan Lai shows his voice by adopting the translation strategies of changing narration, amplifying narration, and reductive narration to achieve performability, especially the speakability, individuality, actability, and acceptability of the lines. In the paratexts, the author also finds that Lai’s identity, translation motives, and translation strategies also reflect his voice on performability, which is consistent with the one in the target text.}, year = {2023} }
TY - JOUR T1 - Stan Lai’s Translation Thoughts of Performability from the Perspective of Translators Voice: A Case Study of Subtext Translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land AU - Wu Bian AU - Ketong Liu Y1 - 2023/07/24 PY - 2023 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13 DO - 10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13 T2 - International Journal of Literature and Arts JF - International Journal of Literature and Arts JO - International Journal of Literature and Arts SP - 176 EP - 185 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2331-057X UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231104.13 AB - Stan Lai is a well-known director and playwright in China and abroad, and his self-translation play Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land has been toured all over the world many times. However, few scholars have studied Lai’s translation thoughts through this play. What’s more, subtext is an eminent feature in drama and it is difficult to translate, especially in Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, which includes abundant subtexts. As a result, the thesis takes the translator’s voice as theoretical bases and studies Lai’s translation thoughts of performability through the subtext translation of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. The thesis adopts O’Sullivan’s framework and analyzes Stan Lai’s voice from the translation and the paratexts to see whether they are consistent. During the analysis, comparative studies, interviews, and literature research will be adopted. There are two main findings: In the target text, Stan Lai shows his voice by adopting the translation strategies of changing narration, amplifying narration, and reductive narration to achieve performability, especially the speakability, individuality, actability, and acceptability of the lines. In the paratexts, the author also finds that Lai’s identity, translation motives, and translation strategies also reflect his voice on performability, which is consistent with the one in the target text. VL - 11 IS - 4 ER -