Publication details
《Jin Ping Mei》 fanyi zuowei wenhua mailuo de jingxiang
| Title in English | The Translation of Jin Ping Mei as a Mirror of Cultural Context |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Ming Qing wen ren de yi xing you huai — di ba jie Zhongguo gudian wenxue guoji xueshu yantaohui lunwen ji |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://web-ch.scu.edu.tw/chinese/opinion/13517/28151 |
| Keywords | Plum in the Golden Vase; Ming Dynasty; Czech translation; translation strategies; cultural context; sexual depictions |
| Description | A work of unknown authorship from the late Ming Dynasty, The Plum in the Golden Vase is considered one of the most important works of Chinese fiction. Although the author is unknown, Plum in the Golden Vase reflects his vast knowledge, for the book's one hundred episodes are filled with historical and cultural allusions, reflecting comprehensively all aspects of late Ming society. It has been called, without exaggeration, "the encyclopedia of daily life in the Ming Dynasty. This treasure of ancient Chinese literature has been almost completely translated into Czech, using the unabridged version (Wanli text). The first seven volumes were translated by Prof. Oldřich Král, and after his death, Prof. Lucie Olivová and Dr. Ondřej Vicher took over the task of translating them and worked hard to complete the project. This article brings to light the unique perspectives and experiences of these two Czech translators, who have both literary and linguistic backgrounds, focusing on the nuances of narrative, culture, and lexical and grammatical details. The article will present specific translation challenges, in particular the use of terms reflecting leisure and pleasure, as well as the translation of sexual depictions ranging from vulgar and straightforward to poetic and subtle. Special attention is paid to the choice of translation strategies in order to achieve a balance between fidelity to the original and readability for Czech readers. |