CHIN6220 Translating Chinese Literature: Pointing to the Moon
| Offered By | Faculty of Asian Studies |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Graduate Coursework |
| Course Subject | Chinese |
| Offered in | First Semester, 2010 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description |
The 'Finger Pointing to the Moon' is used as an analogy for the Buddhist sutras pointing to the dharma, imperfect vehicles for the transmission of truth. In a smilar way, translation is an imperfect vehicle for the transmission of literature, pointing to the original text and a new reading ofit. There is a 300-year tradition of this imperfect transmission between Chinese and English. Through a series of case studies, this course will explore the process of recreating in english some of the masterpieces of Chiense poetry and prose, drama and fiction. These case studies will include the work of the following major translators: the early Jesuits, Robert Morrsion, James Legge, Herbert Giles, Arthur Waley, Ezra Pound, Kenneth Rexroth, Gary Snyder, Lin Yutang, David Hawkes. The basic sourcebook will be Chinese Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations, with Companion Chinese Volume, eds. Minford and Lau (Columbia, 2000). |
| Indicative Assessment | Tutorial attendance 10%; tutorial presentation 10%; End-of-term test 35%; essay 45% ; for grad students, an extra project (35%) would replace the test |
| Course Classification(s) | SpecialistSpecialist courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide for the acquisition of specialist skills; or 'second degree' and higher level of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs; or knowledge associated with professional accreditation. |
| Areas of Interest | Asian Languages |
| Recommended Courses | Chinese Fictions; The World of Chinese Poetry |
| Consent Required | Departmental Consent Required |
| Programs | Master of Asia-Pacific Studies |
| Academic Contact | Prof John Minford |
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