1. COURSE TITLE. Literary Translation 2. COURSE CODE TRAN NO. OF UNITS 4. OFFERING DEPARTMENT. Translation Programme 5.

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1 1. COURSE TITLE Literary Translation 2. COURSE CODE TRAN NO. OF UNITS 3 4. OFFERING DEPARTMENT Translation Programme 5. AIMS & OBJECTIVES This Course aims to train students to appreciate translations of both English and Chinese literary texts of different genres and from different periods, and to gain some experience of literary translation. It begins with an introduction to the conventional approach to literary translation. Students will acquire the techniques of stylistic and thematic analysis. Existing translations of a few literary texts will be discussed to help acquaint students with the art of literary translation. Students will learn to put their knowledge into practice through the completion of translation assignments and in-depth discussion of their work. When they have familiarised themselves with the conventional approach to literary translation, they will be introduced to the impact of recent developments in translation studies on literary translation. 6. COURSE CONTENT 101

2 The course covers a selection of excerpts of literary texts of different genres and the translations of those texts for critical appreciation by students. It begins with a discussion of the Intended Learning Outcomes of the course with the students and ends with a critical reflection on the course. The topics, which may change from year to year, include but are not restricted to the following: 1. Introduction: theoretical overview; method of teaching this Course; what is literary translation? Conventional approach to literary translation; the need to problematize literary translation as a conceptual category 2. Poetry Translation (E C) 3. Topics to be covered: (a) thematic analysis; (b) stylistic analysis including form and metre, rhyming patterns, poetic diction, use of figurative language; (c) translation problems related to this genre 4. Drama Translation (E C) 5. Topics to be covered: (i) thematic analysis; (ii) distinctive formal features of a play; (iii) stylistic analysis including tone and register, readability of the lines, notion of theatre language; (iv) translation problems related to this genre 6. Translation of Fiction 7. Topics to be covered: (i) thematic analysis; (ii) modes of narration; (iii) characterization; (iv) plot; (v) stylistic analysis including use of irony, symbols, imagery, etc.; (vi) translation problems related to this genre 8. Translation of Prose 9. Topics to be covered: (i) key idea(s) conveyed; (ii) political/ideological stance of the writer; (iii) stylistic analysis including prose rhythm, use of irony, sarcasm, satire, humour and other features of figurative language; (iv) translation problems involved; 10. Theoretical reflection: (i) how the cultural turn in translation studies throws light on the notion of translation strategies as distinguished from principles of literary translation ; (ii) how the skopos theory necessitates re-thinking on the distinction between literary translation and non-literary translation ; 11. Critical analysis of the course, focussing in particular on the extent to which the Course has attained its Intended Learning Outcomes 5. COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (CILOS) CILO CILO 1 Upon successful completion of this Course, students should be able to: Identify and assess the conventional approach to literary translation; [aligned with HKBU Graduate Attribute #1, 2] 102

3 CILO 2 CILO 3 Conduct a thematic study of a literary text, identify basic literary genres, analyze stylistic features, and articulate the demands of literary translation; [GA #1,2, 3, 4,] Demonstrate, through reading texts aloud in class and their own works of translation, the ability to translate and realise both the intellectual and the aesthetic content; [GA #1, 2, 3, 4] CILO 4 Critically evaluate different translations of a literary text; [GA #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] CILO 5 Analyze on the impact on literary translation brought about the cultural turn and other recent developments in translation studies [GA #1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 8 TEACHING & LEARNING ACTIVITIES (TLAS) Students will be engaged in reading assignments, in discussion and analysis of literary texts of different genres, and in translation of excerpts of those texts. CILO No. CILO 1, 2, 3, 4 CILO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 TLAs Close reading: Students will read a number of literary texts of different genres and translations of those texts. For each reading assignment, students are asked to read out the text to get a sense of rhythm and to appreciate the verbal music. They are also asked to pay attention to the following questions and be prepared to discuss them in class: (a) What is the main theme of the text you are reading? (b) How does the author convey the ideas? (c) What stylistic and generic features can you identify? (d) How did the translator deal with the theme(s), the stylistic and generic features of the source text in his/her translation? (e) Are there any significant translation shifts and why do you consider those shifts to be significant? (f) What can you, as a translator/researcher, learn from the translations? How would you re-translate the source text? Lectures: Students will attend lectures during which they will be introduced to important general questions such as What is literary translation?, How literary translation is to be distinguished from non-literary translation?, How useful is the distinction between literary and non-literary texts, and between literary and non-literary translation? They will also learn to appreciate the generic features of poetry, drama, fiction and prose, and identify the literary features in non-literary texts. 103

4 CILO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 CILO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Presentations: Students are divided into groups and the groups take turns to give presentations and to act as respondents. Students will have plenty of opportunities to thrash out their ideas among themselves and benefit from interactive learning. They will also learn to read aloud and to articulate their thoughts in front of an audience, to defend their positions, and to critique, debate and disagree with each other in a civilized manner. For one of the presentations, they will be asked to identify non-literary texts with literary features, analyze those features and produce a translation of those texts. In the final presentation, they will give a critical analysis of the course and reflect on the extent to which they have attained the CILOs. Essays: Students will be asked to conduct detailed studies of the translations of excerpts of literary texts of different genres, or translate literary texts of different genres and discuss their strategies of translation 9 ASSESSMENT METHODS (AMS) 104

5 Type of Assessment Weighting (The percentage may vary.) CILOs to be addressed Essays 45% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Description of Assessment Tasks (Number of assignments may vary.) Essays on set topics enable the teacher to assess, on an individual basis, students language proficiency, their literary sensibilities, their analytical power and critical thinking ability, and their ability to conduct independent study. Presentation s 20% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Presentations are for the assessment of students interpretive and analytical competence, the progress they make in developing their literary sensibilities (such as the ability to read with a sense of rhythm, or to translate images clearly), their ability to appreciate good solutions to translation problems, and their readiness to engage in critical discussion among themselves Class Performance 5% 1, 2, 4, 5 Students class performance is assessed in terms of their readiness to ask questions and to respond to questions, both of which reflect whether they have completed the reading assignments and how well they have prepared for the class Final exam 30 % 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 The examination is designed to assess how well the students have achieved the CILOs. Questions not only focus on students attainment of knowledge and of the skills of literary translation, but also on their ability to analyze and solve problems of literary translation 10 RECOMMENDED READINGS* Bassnett, Susan and Andre Lefevere Constructing Cultures: Essays on Literary Translation. Clevendon: Multilingual Matters. Boase-Beier, Jean and Michael Holman The Practices of Literary Translation: Constraints and Creativity. Manchester: St. Jerome. Eoyang, Eugene and Lin Yao-fu (eds.) Translating Chinese Literature. Indiana University Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Holmes, James S Translated! Papers on Literary Translation and Translation Studies. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Liu, James J.Y The Art of Chinese Poetry. Chicago: U of Chicago. Littau, Karin Theories of Reading: Books, Bodies, and Bibliomania. Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity 105

6 Parks, Tim Translating Style: The English Modernists and their Italian Translations. London; Washington: Cassell. Weissbort, Daniel Translating Poetry. Houndmills; Basingstoke; Hamphsire: Macmillan Press. Xu, Chongxin Literary translation: some theoretical issues investigated. Translation Studies. Eds. Mona Baker. London: Routledge. 馮慶華主編,2006, 紅譯藝壇 紅樓夢 翻譯藝術研究, 上海 : 上海外語教育出版社 林以亮,1974, 林以亮論翻譯, 台北 : 志文 劉宓慶,1997, 文體與翻譯, 臺北 : 書林出版社 劉重德编著,1991, 文學翻譯十講, 北京 : 中國對外翻譯出版社 王力,1977, 詩詞格律, 北京 : 中華 許鈞,1992, 文學翻譯批評研究, 南京 : 譯林出版社 許鈞等,2001, 文學翻譯的理論與實踐 : 翻譯對話錄, 南京 : 譯林出版社 *The references will be updated as necessary with the working syllabus. 106