Windsor's Coquettish Women Chinese-English Full Translation

Author: Ying
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-06-01
Features: In the history of world literature, there are those who can overshadow an era, transcend the ages, and stand as the master of the word and the crown of poets—only Homer of Greece, Dante of Italy, Shakespeare of England, and Goethe of Germany, are these four, in different times and environments, they have sung immortal songs. However, the heroes in Homer’s epics are far removed from our reality; Dante’s (Heaven and Hell) is also in harmony with many whispers of modern thought; Goethe is closer to us, truly the outstanding representative of modern spirit. But in terms of transcending the limitations of the sky, Shakespeare’s achievements are far above the other three. For the characters in Shakespeare’s works, though mostly of the ancient aristocratic class, what he reveals is the universal human nature shared by people of all classes, rich or poor, ancient or modern, at home or abroad. Therefore, even after three hundred years, not only are his works avidly read by literary scholars worldwide, but his plays have also been performed on stages and screens in various countries without decline, for his works possess permanence and universality, allowing them to resonate deeply. Chinese readers have long been familiar with Shakespeare’s name, and renowned literary figures have translated many of his works. However, when reviewing all the translations available in the market, those that are careless and superficial are rare, while those that are rigid and stiff are numerous. The result of rigidly adhering to word-for-word translation not only loses the spirit of the original, but even makes it difficult to read, as if it were an indecipherable celestial book. This is the fault of the translators, not Shakespeare’s. I am deeply fond of Shakespearean plays and have read the complete works at least ten times from start to finish, and I feel I have grasped the spirit of the original. In the spring of 1944, 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, not less than two hundred volumes, were completely destroyed in the bombings. In a rush, I only took one copy of the Oxford edition and several manuscripts. Afterward, I wandered and struggled for a living, with no time to continue my unfinished work. By the spring of 1946, witnessing the accelerating changes in the world, I shut myself at home, shutting out external matters, and finally devoted myself with one heart and soul to the translation. Despite poverty and illness pressing upon me, I buried myself at my desk, never ceasing to hold the brush. Over the course of ten years, the entire manuscript was completed. Given the arduousness of translating Shakespeare, ten years is not long, but nearly my entire life has been devoted to this task. My purpose in translating this book is, within the greatest possible scope, to preserve the spirit of the original; if unavoidable, I must convey the meaning and flavor of the original in clear and lucid language; while 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 several times, even willing to completely alter the structure of the original to ensure the author’s intent is revealed clearly, not obscured by obscure wording. After translating each passage, I must first pretend to be the reader to check if there is any ambiguity. I must also pretend to be an actor on stage to consider whether the tone is natural and the rhythm is harmonious. The slightest dissatisfaction with a word often causes days of agonizing thought. Yet, limited by my abilities, I cannot fully meet my ideals; living in a remote rural area, I lack reference books and few scholars to consult for doubts. Mistakes are inevitable. I sincerely hope that scholars at home and abroad will kindly correct them, for which I am deeply grateful! The original complete works are not well-organized in terms of sequence, 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 structure will find it easy to grasp the full scope of Shakespeare’s works. Once, Carlyle said: "We would rather lose a hundred Indias than lose one Shakespeare." Shakespeare is indeed a poet of the world, not to be monopolized by any single country. If the publication of this collection allows the works of this great poet to reach Chinese readers, then the effort of the translator will not have been in vain. Whether I am praised or criticized depends solely on the readers.