2012-10-31

     Today, in Interpreting and Translating  class,  professor Ruan said, Chinese poems are untranslatable. But why? I was puzzled. Whether it is too difficult to be translated in English or there is something  in it truly untranslatable?  

     I tried to translate one, although I don't know if it could 100%  express the whole meaning well of the original poem.

Target Text:

                                         Dawning of spring

I slumbered and woke up at the drowsy dawn of spring, not knowing morning was coming until the chirping of singing birds is heard there and here. After whole night of strong wind and showers, I suddenly figure out the birds were crying for all the dropped flowers on the ground.

Autumn is bewitching. It is a bright harvest season in my mind. Many white clouds in the blue sky look like sail boats. Wind is like a naughty boy. It goes across the tree. It makes all the leaves shaking and quivering and quaking. It is also like a raider because it robs trees of their gold and laughs when it's conquered and won. You describe many words you've found as hard to translate, but then you do translate them all into English.         

Source Text:                        春晓

                                   春 眠 不 觉 晓，

                                   处 处 闻 啼 鸟。

                                   夜 来 风 雨 声，

                                   花 落 知 多 少。

I have no idea how do you understand this poem through my translation? What could you image or think about? If  you can, give me some feedback and share your thinking with me, OK? Thank you~