Literary Language Research Journal

A Linguistic-Structural Analysis of Chinese Translations of Sa’di’s Golestan (Exploring the Nature and Reasons Behind the Linguistic-Structural Gaps Between the Translated and Original Texts, and the Impact of Ideological Alignment Between the Translator and the Author on the Translation Process)

FAHIMEH SABEGHI

Volume 2, Issue 3 , December 2024, Pages 1-34

https://doi.org/10.22054/jrll.2024.82511.1116

Abstract

AbstractThe Gulistan by Sa’di has been officially translated into Chinese four times: twice by Muslim translators and twice by non-Muslim translators, one of them was indirectly translated from English and the other directly from Persian. Despite the text’s historical importance in ... Read More AbstractThe Gulistan by Sa’di has been officially translated into Chinese four times: twice by Muslim translators and twice by non-Muslim translators, one of them was indirectly translated from English and the other directly from Persian. Despite the text’s historical importance in China’s Muslim Community, these translations have not yet undergone systematic analysis or comparison. This study examines these translations, evaluating linguistic and structural inconsistencies, omissions, and additions compared to the original Persian text. Using Gholamhossein Yousefi’s edited version as the reference, the translations were analyzed on lexical and syntactic levels and assessed for structural fidelity, including the inclusion and arrangement of stories.The study applied a comparative analytical method, evaluating each part in the Chinese translations against the original Persian text. Key research questions addressed the linguistic accuracy of these translations, conceptual errors, and the influence of the translators’ cultural and religious backgrounds on the Quality of translation. Findings reveal significant issues in four areas: pronoun gender shifts, mistranslations of names and places, interpretive additions by translators, and structural modifications, such as story omissions or rearrangements. Surprisingly, non-Muslim translators, owing to their methodological rigor, produced translations closer to the original text, whereas Muslim translators, influenced by religious considerations, introduced more deviations.The study underscores the importance of revisiting classical Persian works translated into Chinese, advocating collaboration between Iranian scholars and Chinese translators to enhance the fidelity and accessibility of such translations for Chinese readers. IntroductionThe masterpiece of Persian classical literature, Gulistan by Sa’di, has profoundly influenced Chinese culture, particularly within the Muslim community, for centuries. Since the early eighth century AH (14th century CE), it has been a foundational text in the curriculum of Islamic schools across China, serving as a critical resource for teaching Persian. Despite its historical and educational significance, the Gulistan's first official Chinese translation appeared only in 1947, produced by Akhund Wang, a Muslim scholar. Three subsequent translations followed, authored by Shui Jianfu, Yang Wanbao, and Zhang Hongnian.This study is the first comprehensive comparative analysis of these four Chinese translations. Its primary objective is to evaluate their linguistic and structural alignment with the Persian original as edited by Gholamhossein Yousefi and to examine the influence of the translators’ cultural, religious, and methodological orientations. The research addresses key questions: How do the translations differ linguistically and conceptually? What errors, omissions, or interpretive deviations exist, and how do these affect the conveyance of Sa’di’s ideas? To what extent do the translators’ cultural and religious backgrounds shape their decisions? Finally, which translation best preserves the Gulistan's literary and thematic essence? Literature ReviewAlexander Jabbari (2020) explores cultural and political adaptations in Yang Wanbao's 2000 Chinese translation of Gulistan, emphasizing alignment with Confucian, Buddhist, and state ideologies. Sara Almasie (2018) examines the accuracy of Quranic verses in Gulistan's Chinese translations. This study uniquely compares four translations directly with the Persian text, addressing gaps in prior research. MethodologyTo answer these questions, the study employs a comparative analytical approach. Each translation was analyzed story by story, with reference to Yousefi’s authoritative edited version of the Gulistan. The analysis focuses on linguistic features, such as word choice, syntax, and stylistic nuances, as well as structural considerations like the organization and sequencing of stories. Additionally, it evaluates cultural and ideological fidelity, assessing how closely each translation reflects Sa’di’s intent while considering the translators’ interpretations and contextual adaptations. By identifying recurring patterns and unique characteristics, the study provides insights into the translators’ strategies and challenges. DiscussionThe findings reveal significant variations in linguistic precision and structural fidelity across the translations. Muslim scholars Akhund Wang and Yang Wanbao introduced ideological modifications and cultural adaptations that often diverge from the original text. For example, their translations frequently altered or omitted stories they perceived as conflicting with the moral and religious values of Chinese Muslim communities. Common issues include changing the gender of pronouns, mistranslating names and places, and adding interpretive commentary that shifts the meaning of the text. While these choices reflect the translators’ cultural and religious priorities, they compromise the fidelity of their work to Sa’di’s original language and themes. In contrast, translations by non-Muslim scholars Shui Jianfu and Zhang Hongnian demonstrate greater methodological rigor and a stronger commitment to textual accuracy. Shui Jianfu’s translation, based on Edward Eastwick’s English rendering rather than the Persian original, benefits from Eastwick’s detailed annotations and contextual explanations, resulting in a relatively accurate transmission of Sa’di’s ideas. However, Zhang Hongnian’s translation, rendered directly from Persian, stands out as the most precise and comprehensive. With deep expertise in Persian studies, Zhang captures both the linguistic subtleties and literary essence of the Gulistan. ConclusionThe study highlights the evolving quality of the Gulistan's Chinese translations over time. Akhund Wang’s pioneering 1947 translation reflects the limited resources and linguistic tools available in mid-20th-century China. It contains numerous omissions, interpretive rewritings, and structural inconsistencies, making it less reliable as a faithful representation of the original text. Yang Wanbao’s later work claims to be the most complete Chinese translation but suffers from significant errors, including incorrect pronoun usage, stylistic inconsistencies, and deviations from the tone of Sa’di’s prose. By contrast, the non-Muslim translators, particularly Zhang Hongnian, demonstrate that linguistic expertise and methodological precision are more critical than cultural or religious affinity in producing high-quality translations of Persian literature. This study identifies four primary categories of translation issues: changes in gendered pronouns, mistranslation of proper nouns, addition of interpretive commentary, and alterations in the sequence or number of stories. These categories are analyzed in relation to the translators’ cultural and ideological motivations. The findings suggest that Muslim translators, driven by a desire to align the Gulistan with Islamic values, made deliberate modifications that sometimes undermined textual fidelity. Conversely, non-Muslim translators, unencumbered by such ideological constraints, were better able to maintain the integrity of Sa’di’s original intent and literary style. Ultimately, this research underscores the importance of revisiting and refining Chinese translations of Persian classics, particularly the Gulistan, through collaborative efforts between Iranian and Chinese scholars. While the Gulistan holds an enduring place in Chinese literary and educational traditions, its translations reveal the complexities of conveying Persian literary and cultural heritage to Chinese audiences.In conclusion, this study provides a valuable framework for future research on Persian-Chinese literary translations. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing translations, it calls for a more nuanced and collaborative approach to promoting Persian literature in Chinese cultural contexts. The enduring relevance of Sa’di’s Gulistan lies not only in its literary brilliance but also in its potential to foster deeper cross-cultural understanding through improved translation practices.

Types of Semantic Deviation in Nasrollāh Monshi's Kalilah va Demnah

Volume 2, Issue 1 , June 2024, , Pages 159-182

https://doi.org/10.22054/jrll.2024.78924.1068

Abstract

Abstract Language, as the primary medium of literature and communication, plays a crucial role in creating literary works. Among the various tools writers and poets use to harness language's power and enrich their work is semantic deviation, a concept that emerged with the formalist school of literary ... Read More Abstract Language, as the primary medium of literature and communication, plays a crucial role in creating literary works. Among the various tools writers and poets use to harness language's power and enrich their work is semantic deviation, a concept that emerged with the formalist school of literary criticism. Formalism brought fundamental changes to literary studies, asserting that every literary work is independent and self-sufficient. The school aimed to break free from past literary norms and boundaries, challenging conventional linguistic and literary principles. Formalists argued that literature's essence lies in deviating from these conventional language boundaries. According to formalists, style emerges from deviating from standard language use. They posited that a literary work's imaginative quality stems from surpassing common language norms for artistic purposes. Semantic deviation, in particular, became a fundamental tool for writers and poets to create novel meanings in their work. This perspective led to the introduction of the concept of defamiliarization in literature, emphasizing the idea that literary language should make the familiar strange, thereby enhancing the reader's perception and engagement with the text. Shklovsky introduced the concept of defamiliarization as a technique writers and poets use to make their texts appear unfamiliar to readers. This view, held by Russian formalists, was later challenged and expanded by the Prague school of linguistics. Unlike the formalists, who focused solely on defamiliarization in literary texts, the Prague school considered all textual elements, both familiar and unfamiliar. They argued that these elements are intertwined and mutually dependent, making it impossible to examine them in isolation. This holistic approach led to the replacement of defamiliarization with the concept of foregrounding. When a writer employs defamiliarization techniques, it creates a static and conflicting relationship between these mechanisms and other textual elements. However, foregrounding affects the overall structure of the text more dynamically. According to Leach, foregrounding occurs through two main methods: parallelism and deviation. Parallelism can be thought of as an unexpected degree of regularity in the text, whereas deviation is an unexpected degree of irregularity in the text. This perspective provides a more comprehensive framework for analyzing literary techniques and their effects on the text as a whole. Non-normativity in literature occurs when a writer or poet uses terms and combinations that break the boundaries of standard language, challenging the reader's mind. This deviation from norms can be classified into eight main categories: lexical, syntactic, phonological, graphological, semantic, dialectal, stylistic, and historical, all of which affect meaning in various ways. Semantic deviation involves using phrases and sentences in novel ways, creating meanings that differ from their conventional usage in standard language. This is achieved through innovative semantic relations and imaginative forms. Nasrollāh Monshi's Kalilah va Demnah is notable for its significant use of imaginative elements, making it an important text for understanding the linguistic and literary style of 6th-century prose. This study aims to reexamine Kalilah va Demnah through the lens of semantic deviation, using the model presented by Farzān Sojudi. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach, explaining each type of semantic deviation based on Sojudi's perspective. Using a library research method and focusing on Nasrollāh Monshi's Kalilah va Demnah, the study categorizes and presents numerous examples of semantic deviation according to the specified theory. The research findings indicate that Nasrollāh Monshi consistently used semantic deviation in Kalilah va Demnah to enhance the text's imaginative quality and make better use of language. The frequency of semantic deviation in this work is higher compared to other types of norm deviation. This study contributes to our understanding of the literary techniques employed in classical Persian literature and highlights the importance of semantic deviation in creating ornate prose.

The Structure of the Figure of Speech Istikhdām and its Identification on the Basis of Ellipsis

Volume 1, Issue 1 , April 2023, , Pages 137-159

https://doi.org/10.22054/jrll.2022.66647.1013

Abstract

Istikhdām is a rhetorical figure of speech based on double entendre or polysemy. The ambiguity that exists in defining this figure of speech in Persian rhetorical books has led to inaccurate or wrong understanding of this figure and its examples. In this article, the author intends to offer a ... Read More

Aesthetics in the poems of Rabia Qazdari

Volume 1, Issue 2 , June 2023, , Pages 167-184

https://doi.org/10.22054/jrll.2023.71650.1034

Abstract

Aesthetics is an ability to better understand perceptions as well as phenomena such as music that causes a change in a person's mood and attitude. In fact, the definition of beauty can be very broad or very narrow. Some have tried to define beauty in an objective matter especially to search: for example, ... Read More

Investigation and analysis of the process of transformation of “Samandar”(salamander) in Persian, Western and Chinese ancient texts

Volume 1, Issue 4 , March 2024, , Pages 9-28

https://doi.org/10.22054/jrll.2023.76483.1057

Abstract

The Word "Samandar" which means a mythical Eurasian animal has been mentioned in the form of various animals in Chinese, Persian and Western historical texts and literature. In Western texts, this animal was usually described as a "tailed amphibian that lives in fire", which is actually considered the ... Read More

Narrative structures of Attar's Masnavies

Volume 1, Issue 1 , April 2023, , Pages 9-28

https://doi.org/10.22054/JRLL.2022.55299.1001

Abstract

Scholars of mystical poetry believe that a great number of Persian mystical Mathnavīs, especially the three wonderful works of Persian literature, namely Sanai’s Ḥadīqah al-Ḥaqīqah, ʿAttar’s Manṭiq al-Ṭayr and Mowlana’s Mathnavī Maʿnavī, have a common narrative structure ... Read More