Xu Yuanchong, a famous translator, died in 192 1, a native of Nanchang, Jiangxi. 1938 was admitted to the Foreign Languages Department of National Southwest Associated University, and studied under Qian Zhongshu, Wen Yiduo, Feng Youlan, Liu Wuji and Wu Mi. 65438-0944 was admitted to Tsinghua University Institute of Foreign Literature, and then went to Paris University to study.
Famous translator Xu Yuanchong passed away 1 The reporter learned from Xu Yuanchong's family that Xu Yuanchong, a famous translator in China and a professor of journalism and communication in Peking University, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 100.
Xu Yuanchong, 192 1, a native of Nanchang, Jiangxi. 1938 was admitted to the Foreign Languages Department of National Southwest Associated University, and studied under Qian Zhongshu, Wen Yiduo, Feng Youlan, Liu Wuji and Wu Mi. 65438-0944 was admitted to Tsinghua University Institute of Foreign Literature, and then went to Paris University to study.
He is the only expert who can translate classical poems into English and French rhymes in China. He is known as "the only person who can translate poetry into English and French" and has published the translation of 120 Yu Ben. 20 10 after Ji Xianlin and Yang, Xu Yuanchong won the Lifetime Achievement Award of Chinese Translation Culture, and 20 14 won the "Northern Lights" Excellent Literature Translation Award, the highest award in the international translation field. He is the first Asian translator to win this honor.
Riding a bike is a great pleasure in Xu Yuanchong's life.
2065438+In March 2007, the reporter went to Xu Yuanchong's home for an exclusive interview, and his lovely and persistent side showed-
Xu Yuanchong: Defending Beauty in Translation with Life.
Xu Yuanchong, a 96-year-old translator, wore a suit and fell asleep in the most fashionable beige leather rocking chair at home. In the past hour and a half, he has been "shouting" in a high voice, and he is really tired.
After the first issue of CCTV's Reader was broadcast, Xu Yuanchong quickly became popular. His overseas friends sent congratulatory emails, and publishers flocked to publish books for him. These two days, he hurried back to his hometown Nanchang to repair his genealogy and give a speech, and he was very busy. Previously, Xu Yuanchong and his wife declined all media interviews, and only recently did they finally agree to be interviewed.
nuts
"He is a surgeon and I am a physician."
Xu Yuanchong, a professor in Peking University, lives in an old house with only 70 square meters of cement floor. Old bookshelves and dining tables look old. The overall home furnishings were a little shabby, but as soon as the majestic old man sat down, the whole room lit up instantly and suddenly became beaming. He grinned when he heard that he had become an internet celebrity. "I don't have time to care about this, but others have told me."
Xu Yuanchong's achievements in his life are all around him. His Chinese-English translation, Chinese-French translation and his Chinese-English translation, Chinese-French translation have 65,438+020 Yu Ben, which stand neatly on two rows of simple bookshelves near the wall, including Red and Black, Madame Bovary and john christopher, as well as his English and French translations. Above the desk hangs an old friend's calligraphy: "Translate ancient and modern poems, turn over world famous works, create a theory of three beauties, and drink morning dew."
Xu Yuanchong's bookshelf at home
Unlike those quiet and introverted old scholars, Xu Yuanchong's personality is flamboyant and wild. The nickname "Xu Cannon" he got in college has never faded. "I am the only one who translated poetry into English and French. I was the only one in the 1960 s and I am the only one now. " Finally, he added a powerful sentence, "Like me, there is no second one in two thousand years."
Regarding translation, Xu Yuanchong emphasized the principle of "three beauties": beauty in content, beauty in sound and beauty in form. Anyone who shakes his principles will fight others to the end like a soldier. Once, he talked about "three beauties" in class, and a student objected to him, saying that there were "five beauties". He said angrily, "He just wants to get ahead of me. He studies to pursue the truth, not to show off. Peking University students feel great. "
Even in the face of authority, he insisted on the principle of beauty in translation and never gave in. He recalled that the translator Wang Zuoliang was the first person who opposed him, saying that his translation was "Mandarin Duck and Butterfly School". The earliest disagreement between them stems from whether Valery's poem Fengling was translated literally or freely. There is a poem to the effect that "inspiration comes without a trace and goes without a trace, just like the moment when a beautiful woman changes her underwear and reveals her chest." Wang Zuoliang translated it as "Without a trace, you can change your underwear and expose your chest in just two seconds". Xu's translation is "without trace, I can vaguely see my chest at the moment of changing clothes." Xu Yuanchong thinks that the word "chest" used by Wang Zuoliang has no aesthetic feeling, because it can refer to both men and women. The "crisp breasts" he used were hazy and beautiful. Many years later, Xu Yuanchong thought that Wang Zuoliang's translation was a "surgical school", just like a soldier wounded by an arrow. The surgeon just broke the arrow and took it out, but the poison was still in it. And he is a "medical college", not only pulling out the arrow, but also taking out the poison inside.
He had a "war" with writer and translator Feng. The last sentence of Red and Black says that the mayor's wife is dead. According to the original text, she is dead, but the translation of Xu's version is "the soul is far from hating the sky". At that time, Feng criticized Xu Yuan for adding those colorful things. At an academic conference, he pointed out that "Soul Leaving Hate Heaven" was stolen from "Dream of Red Mansions". Today, Xu Yuanchong still insists on his own views. He thinks that translating "she died" means a natural death, but the mayor's wife died not of natural causes, but with hatred. There is nothing more suitable than his translation. Besides, this kind of "hating heaven" is not unique to A Dream of Red Mansions, but comes from The West Chamber. Did The West Chamber steal a Dream of Red Mansions? "Translator Luo said that if he thought of it, he would translate it like me." Like a child, Xu Yuanchong finally found a warm backer.
"Pride makes people progress, inferiority makes people go backwards"-Xu Yuanchong hangs such a banner at home. "My experience is that modesty alone cannot make people progress. Without pride, people will be finished in this life. " As he and his friends said many years ago, we China people should be confident and have a little crazy spirit.
determined
Translate Shakespeare at the age of 90, translating thousands of words every day.
Xu Yuanchong has just finished translating Shakespeare's play General Caesar. He began to write the translator's postscript at three o'clock in the morning when he was interviewed by this reporter. His manuscript is full of pen power and vitality.
Summarizing his just-concluded translation, Xu Yuanchong gave the listener a translation aesthetics lesson.
Caesar said three most famous words: "Winnie, Vidy, Vici." This is Latin, translated into Chinese as "I came, I saw, I won", translated into French as "Vines, Vois, Vinc" and English as "I came, I saw, I won". Xu Yuanchong said that only French can translate beauty, and it is difficult for him to translate it into Chinese and English. "Thus, translation is not only true, but also beautiful. It is not surprising to translate the truth, but it is difficult to achieve beauty. "Xu Yuanchong waved high and said that he has been doing it all his life, but he can't do it every time. "You can't do what you can, so you need encouragement from others."
Xu Yuanchong accepted the invitation of Dolphin Publishing House the year before last and launched a fierce attack on the translation of Shakespeare's plays. So far, it has translated 1 1 and published King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice and so on 10. "Hard work? I am so happy! " Xu Yuanchong eagerly shared his secret: when someone comes during the day, he will take the time to deal with it, but no one will disturb him at night and no one can stop him when he is full of energy. It was his exclusive happy time. He set himself a daily translation volume of 1000 words. If this quantity is not completed, it will be replenished later. "It is good to have regulations, but it is tired to have no regulations."
Last year was the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, and several domestic publishing houses published the complete works of Shakespeare in Chinese. Facing different versions of the new translation on the market, Xu Yuanchong said confidently, "I'd better translate it better. Shakespeare turned reality into words. I don't just translate words into words. I want to translate reality in words, so I translate it better. "
In view of the poetic Shakespeare translation appearing in the market, Xu Yuanchong disapproves of the abuse of meta-style translation. Romeo and Juliet was translated as' Lang, Laurent'. It's awkward to read Sometimes this style works, sometimes it doesn't. Romeo and Juliet can't be called that. "
"Shakespeare wrote satisfactorily and I translated satisfactorily." Xu Yuanchong has said many times that one should strive to enjoy happiness in one's own life and make others happy, and he has also done this. The old man who loves translation even swore loudly, "I want to live to be 100 years old and turn over all Shakespeare's plays!" "
pure
Memory is a telescope, which can see far or near.
"Memory is a telescope, which can see both the distance and the recent. The recent happiness can reduce the bitterness of the past. Memories are still magnifying glasses, magnifying the little things of the year and discovering unexpected fun. " Xu Yuanchong loves memories, but in his surging passion, memories contain poetry and beauty.
In Reader, Xu Yuanchong recalled that when Lin's poem Don't Throw it away was translated into English and sent to the girl he liked in that year, he read a touching poem and cried, and the audience was moved to tears. The girl I liked at that time was Zhou, a female classmate of The National SouthWest Associated University. He sighed, "1939, Qian Zhongshu, Zhou and I, several of us met, which was very interesting."
Xu Yuanchong is in the program "The Scholar"
Xu Yuanchong's tone softened. Zhou is the beauty of the school. There are ten boys in the class. She is the only girl. Xu Yuanchong sat at the next table with her. He is very talented, and she is beautiful, just like a match made in heaven. Xu Yuanchong still remembers that in July 1939, he dropped two translated poems by Lin and Xu Zhimo and an English letter into the mailbox of the girls' dormitory. He added that Zhou's beauty is not only his exclusive feeling, but also the diary of his teacher Wu Mi. Professor Wu met Mr. Zhou one day and said that "makeup is as ripe as cherries", and another day, he met "another kind of elegance". But unfortunately, Zhou and are engaged. Facing the reality, Xu Yuanchong turned grief into strength and found a new world in the foreign language department where girls were clustered together.
Xu Yuanchong not only wrote letters and poems to college girls, but his wife, Jun, said, "Look how beautiful our wedding photos are. Lao Xu also wrote poems to me, but he copied them when he stole the house. " When their son was born, Xu Yuanchong's poetry creation was particularly vigorous, but according to Jun, he couldn't remember what he wrote, only vaguely remembered the sentence "Liu sends his true feelings".
As for his classmate, Yang Zhenning, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, is often mentioned by the old man. Xu Yuanchong recalled that in The National SouthWest Associated University Datong University's first-year English class, Professor Ye Gongchao talked about Buck's Desolate Spring. There is a past participle of a verb in the article that doesn't express passive meaning, and the whole class didn't find it. Only Yang Zhenning asked this question. After Yang Zhenning 1957 won the Nobel Prize, Xu Yuanchong realized that this was the result of his good discovery of abnormal phenomena. He still remembers the meeting of Yang Zhenning and 1998 in Tsinghua University 60 years later. From the very beginning, I recited the poem "Partridge Sky", "Dancing willow is low, singing the bottom wind of the peach blossom fan ..." This poem was translated by Xu Yuanchong, and his English translation was "Singing in the shadow of the peach blossom fan", which Yang Zhenning immediately pointed out. However, Xu Yuanchong argued loudly: "The shadow wind of the peach blossom fan looks much better, and the bottom wind of the fan is painting peach blossoms. I translated it into a fan shadow wind, which is a real peach blossom, and the shadow of the peach blossom falls on the fan. " Many years later, Xu Yuanchong is still talking with his old classmates from a distance. "In my opinion,' fan bottom wind' is the real writing, while fan shadow wind is imagination. This is the contradiction between truth and beauty, and we can also see the difference between science and art. "
1938 When I was admitted to the National The National SouthWest Associated University, a classmate once asked Xu Yuanchong what his dream was. At that time, his uncle Xiong Shiyi's translation of "Wang Baochuan and The West Chamber" was performed in the United States, which caused a sensation. He replied, "I want to be an interpreter like my uncle." Now, his dream has come true and he has done it.
At the end of the interview, 96-year-old Xu Yuanchong picked up the teacup in his hand. The tea is mellow, and a snow chrysanthemum in the cup is tenaciously blooming and full of vitality, just like his life.
The famous translator Xu Yuanchong died. Xu Yuanchong works in front of the computer in the study. Photo courtesy of the interviewee's family Our reporter learned from Mr. Xu Yuanchong's friend that Mr. Xu Yuanchong, a famous translator in China and a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication of Peking University, passed away in Beijing on the morning of June 30th, at the age of 100. In 20 14, the International Federation of Translators awarded the 20 14 Outstanding Literary Translation Award for Northern Lights to 93-year-old China translator Xu Yuanchong. This international award is selected every three years, aiming at recognizing translators who have promoted the development of literary translation and made outstanding contributions to world cultural exchanges. Since the establishment of 1999, this is the first time that it has been awarded to Asian scholars.
More than 20 books/kloc-0 have been published in Chinese, English and French at home and abroad, and Xu Yuanchong is known as "the only person who translated poetry into English and French". However, it was not until 20 17 that Xu Yuan rushed onto the stage of CCTV programs "The Reader" and "The First Lesson of School" that he was known by ordinary people. He recited Lin's poem "Don't lose" to Xu Zhimo at the scene. His emotion, frankness and sincerity touched the audience in front of the screen.
In June last year, Xinhuanet published the article "A Century Translator Xu Yuanchong: Crossing the Times without Changing Sincerity". The article writes: Born in 192 1, he graduated from National Southwest United University in the 1940s. Xu Yuanchong experienced the vicissitudes of China for a hundred years, and the modern history of China was also his life. Looking back at Starlight Glimmer's The National SouthWest Associated University period, his teachers were Wen Yiduo, Qian Zhongshu and Fu Lei ... He spoke for himself, and Qian Zhongshu had the greatest influence on him in academic circles.
Qian Zhongshu praised his English translation of Mao Zedong's poems: "It's amazing that you dance with the shackles of rhythm and rhythm." . Ye Jiaying, a master of classical literature, also praised his translation of Chinese-English poems as "beautiful in sound and lasting in emotion".
Xu Yuanchong devoted his life to translating China's classical poems and devoted his life to them.
Introduction to Xinhua article: 1994, his Chinese-English translation of 300 Immortal Poems of China was published by Penguin Books, the first translation published by the company from China, and was rated as "excellent translation". 1999, his Chinese translation "Three Hundred Poems by China" was published in France, which was called "a sample of China's great traditional culture". He translated The West Chamber into English, which was praised by the British Goddess of Wisdom Publishing House as "comparable to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in artistry and attraction".
He said that it is the joy of the world to transform the beauty created by a country into the beauty of the world, which is also the original intention of his poetry translation.
In his translation career of more than 80 years, Xu Yuanchong insisted on the translation concept of "beauty in form, beauty in meaning and beauty in sound", that is, the translated poem should not only rhyme neatly like the original poem, but also have the artistic conception beauty of the original poem. In translation, "Only by adhering to the aesthetic feeling of China culture can China culture go global", and his enthusiasm and sincerity in spreading China culture are touching.
Therefore, his translated poems pay attention to meter, which is catchy, rhyming, full of phonological beauty and sense of rhythm. Classical poetry includes metaphor, metonymy, personification and antithesis, and his English translation also includes metaphor, metonymy, personification and antithesis. The realm in poetry is all out, and it is an out-and-out "free translation school".
In the Book of Songs, Picking Wei, "I was once absent, and the willow was the Yi Yi", which he translated as when I left there, the willow shed tears; ; "Qian Shan birds fly away, and there is not a footprint in a thousand paths", he translated that there are no birds flying from one mountain to another, and no one is watching from one path to another; ; Li Qingzhao's "seeking, cold and bright, sad." I look for what I missed. I don't know what it is. I feel so sad, so sad, so lonely and unhappy.
Although he is old, Xu Yuanchong still cares about current events and talks about the differences between world civilizations. He believes that China's traditional culture can provide a solution. He constantly mentioned the wisdom in Tao Te Ching, "truth can be known, but it is not necessarily a well-known truth", which is his subtle understanding and translation of "Tao can be Tao, but it is not the truth you know". He also wrote an article about Confucius' wisdom "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you". Don't just think about yourself, put yourself in the other person's shoes. If both sides can put themselves in each other's shoes, they can live in peace. Compared with now, he thinks these are also the principles that western civilization should learn.
On April 8th, 200211,Mr. Xu Yuanchong, a famous translator and professor at School of Journalism and Communication of Peking University, celebrated his centenary. To celebrate the birthday of Mr. Xu Yuanchong 100, Peking University held a seminar on Mr. Xu Yuanchong's translation thoughts and achievements. Hao Ping, secretary of the Party Committee of Peking University and president, Sun, assistant to the president, secretary-general and director of the Party school office, attended the seminar. The meeting was presided over by Vice President Wang Bo.
Other guests attending the seminar on Mr. Xu Yuanchong's translation thoughts and achievements were Yan Suilong, deputy director of Luoyang Campus of Information Engineering University of Strategic Support Force, Jia, deputy secretary and vice president of Party Committee of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Chen, member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and president of China Foreign Literature Society, and Huang Youyi, executive vice president of China Translators Association and vice president of China Translation Research Institute. Peking University 1980 alumnus, Yu, Chairman of New Oriental Education Science and Technology Group, Feng Qinghua, former vice president of Shanghai International Studies University, relatives and students of Mr. Xu Yuanchong, scholars and guests in the domestic translation field, and heads of foreign language disciplines in dozens of comprehensive universities in China. The guests and more than 200 teachers and students from School of Journalism and Communication and School of Foreign Languages of Peking University celebrated Mr. He's centenary birthday, and discussed Mr. He's translation thoughts and achievements.
Qiu Shuiping, Party Secretary of Peking University, delivered a warm speech. On behalf of Peking University, Qiu Shuiping congratulated Mr. Xu Yuanchong on his centenary birthday. He introduced the century-old life of Mr. Xu Yuanchong, who is the same age as the * * * production party, and spoke highly of Mr. Xu Yuanchong's translation achievements. "He has made outstanding contributions to the development of China's cultural undertakings by ferrying Chinese and foreign civilizations."
Hao Ping, president of Peking University, presented flowers and gifts to Mr. Xu Yuanchong on his birthday-a birthday couplet inscribed by Jeremiah Chu, director of China Calligraphers Association and teacher of School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, wishing to raise a mountain for one's life and always accompany a crane, in order to bless Mr. Xu and thank him for his outstanding contributions to Peking University for many years.
Introduction to Peking University: Mr. Xu Yuanchong 1983 was transferred to Peking University, and became attached to the School of Journalism and Communication at the beginning of 200/KLOC-0. May 28th this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the School of Journalism and Communication, and it is also the day when xu teacher became attached to the school for 20 years. Schools and colleges are very concerned about and take care of xu teacher. School leaders visited xu teacher's home many times. Chen Gang, secretary of the School of Journalism and Communication, Shaoyang and other teachers come to visit xu teacher every Spring Festival, Teachers' Day and xu teacher's birthday, and arrange special managers of the school to visit xu teacher's home regularly, pay attention to his life at any time, help him solve his difficulties in life, and try to give xu teacher meticulous care and not disturb him to immerse himself in literary translation.