The Translation of Ancient Chinese Artifacts:Taking the"Shang"as an Example
"Preface to the Lanting Collection"(Lanting Xu《兰亭序》)written by Wang Xizhi,the sage of calligraphy during the Eastern Jin dynasty,holds significant historical,literary and calligraphic value.Over a century and a half,Lanting Xu has been widely translated into other languages.Within the text,the idiom liu shang qu shui流觞曲水mirrors the refined lifestyle of ancient Chinese literati.This paper,drawing on relevant sources,examines the characteristics and functions of the artifact shang觞,and conducts a comparative analysis of its translations.It is argued that translating shang simply as"cup","goblet",or"beaker"through the method of cultural substitution may be somewhat misleading,while a more general translation like"wine vessel"could result in undertranslation.Therefore,the paper suggests that using a single translation method for ancient artifacts may lead to meaning loss.The paper advocates for the comprehensive utilization of co-texts,paratexts,and a variety of translation methods to achieve effective cultural compensation.
Preface to the Lanting Collectionancient artifactsshangtranslation
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