Rhetorical Questions
Why did I fall in love with words?
You may wonder why I am into words.
Relative pronouns
It is a legacy from the Heian period, which features the Tale of Genji.
Japanese literature is capable of illustrating the relationships between men and women,
which can be dated back to the Tale of Genji.
Women used kana to describe feelings which turned into a common style in Japanese
literature.
Japanese women expressed their feelings, which have evolved into a collective
sensibility in Japanese literature.
The Japanese have a team to compile dictionaries which need to be edited every year.
Chinese noun=English verb
Han literature has been the nutrition of Japanese literature, rather than its trunk.
Han literature has become the nutrition but not the bones for Japanese literature.
The Chinese literature is the nutrient rather than the core of Japanese literature.
Sino Literature gave Japanese Literature nutrition, but did not form its backbone.
Chinese literature is not the bone structure of Japanese literature, but it did nurture
Japanese literature.
Chinese literature fostered Japanese literature but it does not consist of the most
important parts of it.
Chinese may have nourished Japanese literature but it is the Tale of Genji which
formed its structure.
Chinese literature may have nurtured the development of Japanese literature, but it is
not the foundation of this literature.
Chinese literature partly nurtured Japanese literature, but not definitely affected it.
Chinese literature has nourished Japanese literature, and yet the essential part of
Japanese literature comes from the Heian period.
Chinese literature has nourished Japanese literature. However, it was not the backbone
of its Japanese counterpart.
Chinese literature nurtured Japanese literature but was never its backbone.
Japanese literature is nurtured by, but not based on, Chinese literature.
While Chinese literature certainly influenced Japanese literature, its real backbone is
the Tale of Genji.
Chinese literature helped foster Japanese literature but did not become its mainstay.
No plural
The emperor’s daily lives.*
I read literatures every day.*
Kana, the Japanese syllabic scripts.*
You devote a lot of efforts to learning Japanese.*
Literal Chinese
The most representative work is the Tale of Genji.
In order to learn profoundly the tradition and culture.
Chinese classical literature
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They became writers because of their original intention.
What matters in one’s course of life is the original intention.
It is often one’s original intention that has a lifelong influence on a person.
One’s original will has a lifelong influence on someone.
I think a person’s life is moulded by his/her original motivation.
What affects a person’s life is the original aspiration.
I think what affects one’s life is one’s heart.
It is the determination from the beginning that affects one’s choices in life.
It is always the first resolution that matters and that changes our life.
I think the decision to devote oneself to something in the very beginning can
determine a person’s life.
This leads me to recognise what a significant role passion plays in one’s life.
The thing you desire the most is also what influences you the most.
What influences a person’s life is what they were first really passionate about.
What influences you the most usually turns out to be the very first thing you were
passionate about.
The passion people have in the beginning is what inspires them further on their way.
The course of our life is actually influenced by what we have planned to pursue in the
first place.
Overuse of the genitive form
Many Japanese writers’ works
In my teacher Liao Wanyan’s house
I lived in teacher Liao Wanyan’s home.
I lived with my elementary school teacher Liao Wanyan’s home.
At my teacher Liao Wanyan’s home.
In my teacher Liao Wanyan’s home.
I lived in my teacher, Mr. Liao’s place.
I live in my elementary school teacher’s house
Adjectives qualifying a noun
The females used kana to express their unique and unmanufactured feelings.
Using kana women illustrated their natural and unique feelings.
Women use Kana to perfectly describe their unique and true feelings inside their heart.
Females use Hiragana to express their unique yet natural feelings
Women used kana to fully portray their unique and genuine feelings.
Women were making good us of Kana to express feelings.
Women used kana to describe their feelings in a natural and more expressive way.
Women used kana to describe feelings
Spellings
Men’s dairies
The dairy of Sanuki no suke.
Peice
Hightly
Poassion
With several women under the ear of polygamy.
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Zeng: Once David Hawkes had completed his translation of the Elegies of Chu, he
resigned his post at Oxford and devoted himself completely to the translation of The
Dream of the Red Chamber. Today the international world of sinology does not only
attest his contribution to translation, it also affirms his outstanding scholarship. In
Taiwan, however, the academic value of translation is underrated, so scholars are
reluctant to become involved. This contributes, in part, to the low quality of
translation in Taiwan. In recent years the National Science Council has actively
promoted a plan to translate the Chinese Classics with the aim of raising the status of
translation as scholarship, but the strictures of academia may yet limit the scope for
experiment in the art of translation. You yourself play the role of both a poet and a
scholar of comparative literature. In your own work as a translator, how do you strike
a balance between the demands of scholarship and art? Or rather, what is the
distinction between general scholarly reading and interpretation and becoming
involved in the practicalities of translation?
Yang: Let me say first of all why I am inspired to translate. A colleague of mine at
the University of Washington in Seattle asked me why I distract myself doing
translation instead of concentrating on creation. My immediate reaction to his
question was that he had not shared my experience of learning several languages. I
think that if you have learnt a language to a certain level of competence, you will want
to try and translate. I have studied English for so many years that I feel the greatest
challenge in translation is not the transformation from one grammar or sentence
structure to another, but rather how to convey the tone and feel of the original text in
Chinese. For instance, when I translate John Donne, I try to think about how he might
have written in Chinese and what kind of style he would have adopted. His style is
quite different from his fellow 17th century metaphysical poet, Andrew Marvell.
Recently I have been trying to translate a section of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
There is one passage which describes the pilgrims in an inn. Hidden in the medieval
English is a style that is both humorous and solemn, replete with their piety and
companionship in the joys and sorrows of life. To capture the tone of Chaucer’s
dramatic dialogue in appropriate Chinese was what took up all my effort as a
translator.
When it comes to style, the Romantic poets, Coleridge and Blake, are very
different. The former is intellectual in taste but not lacking in delight; the latter
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expresses himself like a prophet. Furthermore, the style used for translating Blake
most certainly will not fit the case of Wordsworth. It is as in a class of English
Literature or English Poetry, where the teacher must help the students appreciate that
Browning’s style is not the same as that of Tennyson. Otherwise, if it is only a matter
of clarifying the meaning of words or providing a vague translation, then the class
degenerates into applied English and it is not about literature any more. Explanations
in class or in essays cannot always avoid slipping into inanity. Translation aims to
ensure that the distinctive style of each poet can be expressed in Chinese. As a
translator of poetry I am not only a poet or a scholar, I am much more an actor, a
voice-actor, expressing the lilt of the original voice. This is what sets the goals the
translation aims to realise. It is much more demanding than the traditional aim of
fidelity, expression and style.
Zeng: Creative writing and translation are two very different acts of writing. When
you are working as a translator, do you find that there is a slight difference in your
relationship to the use of language? Or rather, does your rich experience as a creative
poet influence your translation? Are you able to use your skill in taking natural
scenery as a metaphor, your talent for illuminating the feelings of the heart and
projecting your vision when you are translating poetry?
Yang: Your question is probably asking about how poets translate poetry. Ezra Pound
is a good example. He translated Li Bai’s poem “Chang Gan”. His translation is quite
different to other English versions. For instance he took the five lines “The falling
leaves are early this Autumn. The August butterflies are yellow. They fly in pairs to
the grass in the Western Garden. Feeling this wounds the maid’s heart. She sits in
sorrow in a reddish hue of old age,” and read them as the external world reflecting the
inner world. He built up the images on the basis of the feeling of sorrow and loss of
the woman and extended this out to the falling leaves, the yellow butterflies flying
over the grass and the fading beauty of the ageing woman.
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The Full Truth with no Illusion
Xu Huizhi
I was in third grade of primary school when our form-room teacher, Du Yincai,
suddenly fell seriously ill and had to be taken to Zhongli Hospital in Taoyuan County.
As the captain of the third year I led a number of my fellow pupils to the hospital to
see him. Coming from a poor, coastal village to a big city like Zhongli, we wanted to
buy something that would be good for him to eat. I will never forget that we bought
three apples, each costing NT$100. These were not the Fuji apples that later became
quite common, but red Washington apples coated in a thick layer of wax. I do not
know if apples were particularly expensive then or if the fruit seller was cheating us
little urchins. I just remember that we held a meeting to discuss the matter and
decided to give our teacher those expensive and nourishing apples. Our hearts felt
sore about it. Those three apples have remained stuck in my memory ever since.
When I was young I read Huang Chunming’s novels and found out that at one
time apples were indeed once hard to come by and expensive. Whilst Huang’s novels
moved me I still did not like to eat apples. I would always reflect that apples had been
a cause of sorrow and a mark of class differences, pointing out our poverty. Whenever
I see apples for sale in the fruit stall or come across someone eating apples, then I
think of Du and Huang. I am very grateful for that sudden flashback of memory.
Besides making me aware of my fragility and sensitivity, it also reminds me of my
courage and strength to get beyond that moment. When, in our relationships with
others and in our experience of life, our thoughts and feelings—though once violently
suppressed—are committed to writing, they may experience a most tender, spiritual
resurrection.
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One winter several years ago I fell into a deep depression and thought that the
world wears us out utterly and I did not want to have anything to do with anyone.
Over the six days of the Chinese New Year I remained alone away from everyone and
did not feel like talking to anyone. Nor did I want to see anyone. When I got up in the
morning I prepared my brush and ink and copied out the Heart Sutra and the Lotus
Sutra, word by word, line by line, thinking that if there really was any hope of
salvation in the world then it had to begin with myself. I ate very little. In the
afternoon I took my dog for a walk. At that time I poured out all my sorrows to my
dog. She was very quiet. Sometimes when I was lying on the floor she would come
over and lick my face, seeming to say she understood and felt for me.
Six days later it seemed as if I had arisen from the dead, because of copying
the Buddhist sutras and because of my dog.
By throwing all my attention into copying I put aside the complications and
stress of life. Because in the simple relationship with my dog, free from desire for
gain or the risk of getting bruised, I reestablished my trust and confidence.
Now winter has come. I think back to that winter of several years ago. I am
listening to Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte and thinking of my friend and
author, Huang Guojun, who was younger than I, and I have just written a poem “How
cold the winter was” in his memory and to express my own feelings. That cold winter
I did not end up a sick and dying peacock collapsing on the slippery ice.
The December issue of Unitas published Huang Chunming’s latest children’s
story The Three Difficult Questions of the Universe. His use of metaphor is ironic but
full of much tenderness. Read it for yourself and for your children.
In each word, each phrase, each line, each chapter, writing expresses the full
truth of this world with no illusion.
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The Full Truth
Paragraph 1
1. Position of ‘when’; Use of ‘my’, ‘our’; falling ill
2. leader, president, captain
3. village-city contrast; nutrition
4. the Fuji apples that/which…
5. seller/merchant, rip off/taking advantage of/ kids/urchins
6. remember, discuss + object
7. Use of short sentence to give stress: our hearts felt sore about it.
Paragraph 2
Young, scarce
Although… yet/ whilst…still
Class and poverty
Memory
Chinese New Year
Writing tools/ Chinese writing brush/ pen and paper
Relationship: gain and injury: A relationship without gains, losses or hurt
Peacock
I did not turn into an ill peacock that had slipped and fallen on the slippery and
chilly ice.
I did not turn into a sick peacock after all or fall on the slippery, icy ground
I did not turn into a dying princess who had slipped and fallen on the cold ice.
I did not turn into a peacock or slip on the ice and drop dead.
I did not eventually turn into an ill peacock falling on the slippery ice.
It turned out that I, after all, was not a sick peacock which had fallen down on
the slippery and freezing ice.
I did not end up a sick and dying peacock collapsing on the slippery ice.
Irony, sarcasm
Final line: Note the use of rhythm to build up to a climax:
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EATING
First Prize: I hope this book will give you a good taste.
Sentence Structure:
在這段時間，有件心事，那就是，我儘管對吃東西抱有狂熱，可是有時，看了
報紙，也禁不住質問自己
Louise: During… something has lingered… but I have never told…although I am…,
after learning…, I could not but ask:
Stephen (revised): However, one thing has bothered me throughout the years, and I
have yet to confess it to anyone: although I am a fanatic of delicious food as if it were
a religion, sometimes after hearing stories…, I could not help but asking myself.
Tommy: During… there has been something…that I have never let…//
Despite being fanatical… after hearing, I could not help myself wondering why I
write… // I could not stop asking myself
May: During… I have never revealed: I feel uncertain whether I should keep
writing…// Even though I have, whenever learning about…, I cannot help
questioning…
Jean: During…, I have kept something to myself: I am a food maniac.// However,
when I learn about…, I cannot help asking myself:
Errors & Deletions
Wrong /misspelled/ words writing /typing/ printing/ errors
Wrong /incorrect/ information
I have proofread all of them and corrected mistakes.
My rights as the author to restore the parts deleted due to the word limits in
newspapers.
The author’s sight allows me to put back passages that were omitted due to the word
limits for newspapers.
My privilege as the author to put back the parts that were left out due to the character
limit on the newspapers.
I, being the author, have used my ‘privilege’ to put back some paragraphs which were
cut out due to the word limit.
As the author, I have added the passages which were deleted at the time due to limited
space.
Placing prepositional phrases:
This is my first book that focuses on food and drink in the past five years.
Eating: East-West is my first book only about food in the past five years.
Eating: East-West is the first ever book in which I focused only on eating over the
past five years.
Eating: East-West is my first book on food in the last five years.
Eating: East-West is my first book in five years that focuses solely on the topic of
eating and drinking.
吃得優雅，吃得津津有味
Eat gracefully and enjoy our food. Eat gracefully and enjoy this book.
Do it with grace and gusto
(1) eat with grace and read with gusto.
(2) eat gracefully and I hope this book
will bring you enjoyment when you read it. (3) Graceful eating and a good taste
(4) Eat with grace and gusto and read with relish.
Hilaire Belloc The Vulture
The Vulture eats between his meals/ And that’s the reason why
He very, very rarely feels /As well as you or I.
His head is going bald / His neck is growing thinner
O what a lesson to us all / To only eat at dinner!
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Carbon Offset
Title
Carbon Offset might not help reduce carbon emission
Carbon Offsets Cannot Offset Emissions
Authors
大陸拼音
Jean
Tommy
Jiang Yansheng
Yen-Sheng Chiang
Yen-Shen Chiang
Liao Guixian
Liao, Kuei-Hsien
Guei-Shen Liao
Crisis
*Global warming is a crisis.
Daily life
From something as simple as buying a cup of coffee to taking a flight.
Activities such as buying a cup of coffee or flying on an airplane
For any economic activity in their daily life, from buying… to flying…,
Effective
How effective is it?
Conclusion
Draw a conclusion / come to a conclusion
Come to the conclusion that carbon offsets have helped little to cut emissions
The two economists drew the conclusion that paying a fine provides a way out
of feeling guilty.
Resulting
The damage resulting from a flight
In the paper
An article in the New York Times
Negative Verb BUT positive verb
The program has not reduced the number of passengers, but has rather
encouraged people to travel more. (Add ‘rather’, repeat the auxiliary verb
‘has’)
Carbon offset does not decrease but rather increases the number of
passengers.
Change of Verb
Environmental damage has a broad effect and it is hard to quantify.
Us of the Article ‘a’
As a global warming crisis looms over the world
Paying an extra US$3 to US$5.
The centres fined parents a small sum of money
Using money as a means to make up for wrongdoing
Feel guilty
Many people do not feel guilty taking more flights. (NOT to take)
They will not feel guilty about causing harm to the climate. (NOT bringing)
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No Plural
They think that spending a little money can justify the damage they cause to
the environment. (NOT their damage).
Since the damage is already done. (NOT damages)
To make up for the harm. (NOT harms)
It provides consumers with opportunities to forgive themselves, and, as a
result, changes their behaviour. (NOT behaviours)
Insead of reducing carbon, it will increase emissions. (NOT carbons)
People travel by plane (NOT planes).
In other words, being late had become a consumer good with room to bargain.
Singular Noun-Singular Verb
The problem of late pickups was not solved. (NOT were)
Past Tense-Past Tense
Late arrival became a commodity that could be bargained for. (NOT can)
Avoid double ‘to’
Consumers need only
pay 3 or 5 dollars to buy themselves redemption
Use of possessive adjective to replace a noun
It provides consumers with a way… and hence can change their behaviour.
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