An Analysis of Fuzzy Language in Li Bai’s Poems and Its Translation

【Abstract】Classical Chinese poems pay much attention to artistic conceptions. It means that poetry attains emotional and situational realms by virtue of images. And on the way of pursuing artistic conception， fuzzy beauty always takes the first place. However， although fuzzy language of classical poems brings us new enjoyments， it also engenders many barriers in the translating process. Li Bai， the greatest poet in Chinas Tang Dynasty， is known as the “Poet Immortal”. Fuzzy beauty is the main characteristic in his poems. This thesis is aimed at discussing the translation methods of fuzzy language in Li Bais poems. It is of great significance for foreign readers to understand our classical poems correctly and fluently.

【Key words】classical poems； fuzzy language； Li Bai； artistic conception； translation strategies

【作者簡介】陳嘉旻（1994- ），女，漢族，江蘇蘇州人，翻譯碩士，云南農(nóng)業(yè)大學(xué)外語學(xué)院，研究方向：英語筆譯。

I. Introduction

As we all know， classical Chinese poems were created in literary language. However， it is not the simple mirror of the real language. Different from the words we used in daily life， literary language has its own features. These features all together take shape of the unique style of the artistic works. And the fuzzy language has a special place in the development of literary works. Yet the Chinese fuzzy language is usually difficult to understand. Li Bai was a romantic poet in Tang Dynasty. During his lifetime， he created a lot of wonderful poems and they are all treasure in Chinese civilization. Even today， many Chinese people still enjoy reading his poems. In most his works， he liked to use fuzzy language to express his emotions， so needless to say， the translation is quite important. This paper analyses fuzzy language in Li Bais works with an aim to exploring on its translation strategies. Based on Li Bais works and Xu Yuanchongs translation， this thesis will analyze the fuzzy language in Chinese classical poems and its translation.

II. Literature Review on Fuzzy Language

“The Modern Chinese Dictionary” defines “fuzziness” as “describe something in uncertain or unclear words” （Cao Xianzhai， 2005： 961）. In the past people have a narrow understanding of the world so they cant explain some natural phenomena correctly. However， due to the development of society， humans began to understand this world and form some theories of space and quantity. Obviously， it is a great progress for the world. However， sometimes， too much emphasis on precision is limited for human beings.

In the 1970s， Zadeh， the automation control expert in University of California， created “fuzzy sets”. “For the first time， it proposed the concept of fuzziness”. （Zheng Li， 2006： 2） With this， people can find possible ways to solve the problems which precision could not do. Fuzzy linguistics develops the original linguistic and at the same time provides a new viewpoint to the translation studies so as to broaden its field.

In China， the study of fuzzy linguistics also achieved a great success. Wu Tieping， a professor from Beijing Normal University introduced the theory of fuzzy language into China. In 1979 and 1980， he published two papers named “Fuzzy Language Study” and “Fuzzy Language Revisited”， giving a systematic introduction of this study. Later， many experts such as Wu Qian， Zhang Qiao， Wang Fengxin and Miao Dongsheng made great contributions to the study of fuzzy language （Zheng Li， 2006： 2）.

III. The Characteristics of Fuzzy Language

The main characteristics of fuzzy language are universality， uncertainty and duality. Everything in the world is in the process of developing and is widely related with each other. Although we always seek to express language with accurate words， it is undeniable that many expressions in natural language are fuzzy. We are easy to find the identity of a thing is relative because of the differences and changes. As we all know， the Chinese words “兩” means “two” in English. But on some occasions， “兩” changes its meaning and become a fuzzy number in some phrases like “三言兩語”， “三天兩頭”. Therefore， we can come to a conclusion that it is the intrinsic nature that leads to the fuzziness of language.

The duality of fuzzy language means that for a word itself， it can both express fuzzy meaning and precise meaning. For an instance， when referring to a craft project， the term “paper tiger” is precise. However， if we use to represent a person who pretends to be very powerful， it becomes a phrase with full fuzziness.

IV. The Factors Affecting Translating Fuzzy Language

On the way of translating fuzzy language， many factors will affect this work. Cultural difference is the most important one. For example： for westerners， they pay more attention to the structure of the works. Their poems have some unique features in melody， rhythm and image. What ‘s more， translators are also playing very significant roles in translating fuzzy language in ancient poems. To translate an ancient poem perfectly， the translator must read the original one repeatedly and carefully so as to grasp the meaning of each word in it and avoid translating out of context. The translation of fuzziness in poems almost depends on the academic level of the translator.

Besides， reader is one of the main factors of affecting translating fuzzy language. They are the acceptors with different backgrounds. As an excellent translator， he must care about all types of his readers. For different readers， the translation should adopt different methods to make them understand the original poems. All in all， translating fuzziness is a far-reaching work in the process of translation.

V. The Translation methods of Fuzzy Language in Chinese Classical Poems.

The English translation of Chinese classical poems belongs to the translation of artistic language. It is absolutely a difficult and complicated course. The translation should not only covey the original poems but also should consider the artistic conception in poems. Liu Miqing mentioned in his book Introduction Theory on Aesthetics of Translation that the translation of classical poems should attach great importance to the aesthetic value （Liu Miqing， 2012： 254）. This section will focus on the specific translation methods used in translating fuzzy words.

1.Translating the Original Fuzzy Language into Fuzzy Words

桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪倫送我情。

——《贈(zèng)汪倫》

However deep the Lake of Peach Blossoms may be，

Its not so deep， O Wang Lun！ As your love for me.

（Tr. Xu Yuanchong）

In this poem， “千尺” is a fuzzy word. It doesnt mean the depth of the river is 231 meters but as an estimated figure. By choosing fuzzy word “deep” to replace the original one， readers can feel the emotion of Li Bai actively.

2.Translating the Original Fuzzy Words into Exact Words

花間一壺酒，獨(dú)酌無相親。

舉杯邀明月，對飲成三人。

——《月下獨(dú)酌》

1） Among the flowers， from a pot of wine

I drink without a companion of mine.

I raise my cup to invite the Moon who blends

Her light with my Shadow and were three friends.

（Tr. Xu Yuanchong）

In this original poem， the poet didnt tell readers the subject clearly. Generally， it is often to see that the subjects in ancient poems are omitted. However， English people pay more attention to grammar structure. Therefore， in the first version Xu Yuanchong tends to complete the original poems with the “I” and “her” so that the foreigners can have a better understanding.

3.Translating the Original Exact Words into Fuzzy Words

蠶叢及魚鳧，開國何茫然！

——《蜀道難》

Since the two pioneers

Put the kingdom in order， （Tr. Xu Yuanchong）

In this poem the words “蠶叢”，“魚鳧” are both exact words. However， in the former translation， the translator uses “the two pioneers” to replace them. And the words “秦塞” are also substituted with the word “border”. They are all because of the cultural differences； the English people cannot understand these proper nouns and fuzzy words may be easier for them.

VI. conclusion

As a basic feature of language， fuzziness is an unavoidable phenomenon in the process of translation. Nowadays， people attach great importance to the study of fuzzy language in translation， but few of them really care about the fuzziness in our ancient poems. Chinese ancient poetry is a treasure of Chinese cultural heritage. As a result， we should treat the translation of it seriously. We must learn to convey the fuzzy beauty of ancient poems to foreign people. All in all， Difficult as they are， the fuzzy expressions in Chinese classical poems can be made clear with their equivalences found in English. However， we still cant propose a general principle to translate fuzziness of Chinese classical poems. There is a long way to go for translation theorists.

References：

[1]Adorno，T.W.Aesthetic Theory.Minneapolis：University of Minnesota Press，1997.

[2]Nida，E.A.Language，Culture，and Translating.Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press，2001.

[3]Zadeh，L.A.Fuzzy set，Information and Control.New York：Academic Press，1965.