Hamlet

Author: [English] William Shakespeare
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-06-01
Features: Shakespeare is the most creative writer in the history of Western literature, and his influence still reaches far and wide, enduring and profound. His comedies are lively and boisterous, his tragedies are sincere and helpless, and the observations of life in his dialogues indeed grasp the clarity and weakness of human nature. Shakespeare was a successful playwright, captivating audiences of his time, and his works have become pearls, treasures of immortal literature. "To talk about Shakespeare, perhaps we can never be entirely correct." In the history of world literature, there are few who can overshadow an era, transcend the ages, and stand out as the master of the literary world and the crown of poets, except for Homer of Greece, Dante of Italy, Shakespeare of England, and Goethe of Germany. These four, in their different times and environments, have sung immortal songs. However, the heroes in Homer's epics are too far removed from our real lives; Dante's paradise and hell are also in harmony with many whispers of modern thought; Goethe is closer to us and is indeed an outstanding representative of modern spirit. But in terms of transcending spatial limitations, Shakespeare's achievements are far beyond the other three. For the characters in Shakespeare's works, though mostly from the ancient aristocracy, what he (excavates) is the universal human nature shared by people of all classes, rich and poor, in all times and places. Therefore, even after three hundred years, not only are his books read by literary scholars around the world, but his plays are also performed on stages and screens in various countries without decline. This is because his works possess timelessness and universality, allowing them to touch people's hearts deeply. Chinese readers have long been familiar with Shakespeare's name, and renowned literary figures have translated many of his works. However, when reviewing the various translations available in the market, those that are rough and hasty are few, but those that are rigid and unnatural are numerous. The result of being overly (attached) to words not only makes the original spirit vanish but also makes the works difficult to understand, as if they are celestial texts, rendering them unreadable. This is the fault of the translators, not Shakespeare's. I have a deep fondness for Shakespearean plays and have studied his complete works at least ten times from beginning to end, feeling that I have a deep understanding of the original spirit. In the spring of four years, encouraged by my senior colleague Mr. Zhan, I began the attempt to translate the complete works. The following year, war broke out, and the various editions of Shakespeare's works and books of annotations, translations, commentaries, and criticisms that I had painstakingly collected over the years, numbering no less than two hundred volumes, were all destroyed in the bombings. In a rush, I could only carry out one volume of the Oxford edition and several drafts. Afterward, I wandered and struggled for a living, with no time to continue my unfinished work. By the spring of thirty-one, witnessing the increasing turmoil in the world, I shut myself at home, rejecting external affairs, and finally devoted myself wholeheartedly to the translation. Despite poverty and illness pressing upon me, I buried myself in my work, holding the pen without stopping. Over the course of ten years, the entire manuscript was completed. Given the arduous nature of translating Shakespeare, ten years is not long, but nearly my entire life has been dedicated to this task. The purpose of my translation is to preserve as much as possible the original spirit of the work; if that is not possible, I must also convey the original meaning in clear and lucid language; and I do not approve of the rigid, word-for-word translation method. Whenever the original text does not conform to Chinese grammar, I often reread it and am not afraid to completely change the structure of the original to ensure the author's intention is revealed clearly, not obscured by obscure wording. After translating each passage, I always imagine myself as a reader to check if there are any ambiguous parts. I also imagine myself as an actor on stage to judge whether the tone is natural and the rhythm harmonious. A single unsatisfactory word often causes me days of torment. However, limited by my abilities, I have not fully achieved my ideal. Living in a remote village, I lack reference books and few teachers or friends to consult. I am aware that mistakes are inevitable. I sincerely hope that scholars at home will correct them, which would be a great blessing!
The original complete works are not well-organized, so I have divided them into four categories based on the nature of the plays: "Comedies," "Tragedies," "Romances," and "Histories," each forming its own system. Readers following this order will find it easy to grasp the full picture of Shakespeare's works. Once, Carlyle said, "We would rather lose a hundred Indias than lose one Shakespeare." Shakespeare is a poet of the world, not the exclusive possession of any one nation. If the publication of this collection allows the works of this great poet to reach Chinese readers, then the labor of the translator will not have been in vain. Whether I am praised or criticized depends on the readers.