The Narrative Significance of Poems in <i>Er Pai </i>and Their Translations

Yan Liu; Xiao Ma

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12

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The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations

Yan Liu, Xiao Ma

Published in International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 9, Issue 1)

Received: 14 January 2023 Accepted: 6 February 2023 Published: 16 February 2023

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Abstract

The incorporation of verse in prose narrative is a distinctive generic feature of Chinese classical vernacular fictions. Many scholars have regarded poems in fictions as a type of narrative redundancy or a sign of orality and little attention has been paid to the narrative significance of them. The poems remain insignificant because of the potential inconsistency they bring to the narration, but in fact, they perform import narrative functions in the text. This article examines the narrative functions of the poems in Er Pai, and explores the translations of them from a narratological perspective. After an examination of the narrative significance of the poems in Er Pai, we have observed that under the influence of historiography narration, the poems in Er Pai perform structuring function, commenting function and edifying function. Through a detailed analysis of the translations of the poems in Er Pai from a narratological perspective, it reveals that the omission of the poems in translation will lead to the disruption of the narrative structure, weakening of the narrative power and the alteration of the narrator’s image. Since the poems in Er Pai assume important narrative functions, the omission of them in translation is not suggested for the sake of narrative coherence and narrative strength in the target text.

Published in	International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 9, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12
Page(s)	12-19
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Classical Vernacular Fictions, Er Pai, Narrative Functions, Translations

References

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[11]	Tan, J. (2016). Revisiting the Narratological Study of Lyrics: Poetry Narratology. Journal of Shanghai University (Social Sciences Edition), (6): 98-106.
[12]	Ling, M. (2018). Slapping the Table in Amazement: A Ming Dynasty Story Collection. Shuhui Yang and Yunqin Yang. (Trans.). Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 463, 467, 562, 709, 369, 795, 390, 160.
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[17]	Zhao, Y. (1998). When the Narrator is Narrated: Introduction to Comparative Narratology. Beijing: China Renmin University Press, 115.
[18]	Yang, X. & Gladys Yang. (2007). Selected Stories of the Song and Ming Dynasties II. in Library of Chinese Classics. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1033.
[19]	Ling, M. (1998). Amazing Tales (First Series). Wen Jingen. (Trans.). Beijing: Chinese Literature Press, 343.
[20]	Ma, Y. W. & Joseph S. M. Lau. (Eds.). (1978). Traditional Chinese Stories: Themes and Variation. New York: Columbia University Press, 562.
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APA Style

Yan Liu, Xiao Ma. (2023). The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 9(1), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12

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ACS Style

Yan Liu; Xiao Ma. The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2023, 9(1), 12-19. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12

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AMA Style

Yan Liu, Xiao Ma. The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2023;9(1):12-19. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12,
  author = {Yan Liu and Xiao Ma},
  title = {The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {9},
  number = {1},
  pages = {12-19},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20230901.12},
  abstract = {The incorporation of verse in prose narrative is a distinctive generic feature of Chinese classical vernacular fictions. Many scholars have regarded poems in fictions as a type of narrative redundancy or a sign of orality and little attention has been paid to the narrative significance of them. The poems remain insignificant because of the potential inconsistency they bring to the narration, but in fact, they perform import narrative functions in the text. This article examines the narrative functions of the poems in Er Pai, and explores the translations of them from a narratological perspective. After an examination of the narrative significance of the poems in Er Pai, we have observed that under the influence of historiography narration, the poems in Er Pai perform structuring function, commenting function and edifying function. Through a detailed analysis of the translations of the poems in Er Pai from a narratological perspective, it reveals that the omission of the poems in translation will lead to the disruption of the narrative structure, weakening of the narrative power and the alteration of the narrator’s image. Since the poems in Er Pai assume important narrative functions, the omission of them in translation is not suggested for the sake of narrative coherence and narrative strength in the target text.},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations
AU  - Yan Liu
AU  - Xiao Ma
Y1  - 2023/02/16
PY  - 2023
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 12
EP  - 19
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12
AB  - The incorporation of verse in prose narrative is a distinctive generic feature of Chinese classical vernacular fictions. Many scholars have regarded poems in fictions as a type of narrative redundancy or a sign of orality and little attention has been paid to the narrative significance of them. The poems remain insignificant because of the potential inconsistency they bring to the narration, but in fact, they perform import narrative functions in the text. This article examines the narrative functions of the poems in Er Pai, and explores the translations of them from a narratological perspective. After an examination of the narrative significance of the poems in Er Pai, we have observed that under the influence of historiography narration, the poems in Er Pai perform structuring function, commenting function and edifying function. Through a detailed analysis of the translations of the poems in Er Pai from a narratological perspective, it reveals that the omission of the poems in translation will lead to the disruption of the narrative structure, weakening of the narrative power and the alteration of the narrator’s image. Since the poems in Er Pai assume important narrative functions, the omission of them in translation is not suggested for the sake of narrative coherence and narrative strength in the target text.
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Yan Liu

School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Xiao Ma

School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

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APA Style

Yan Liu, Xiao Ma. (2023). The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 9(1), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12

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ACS Style

Yan Liu; Xiao Ma. The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2023, 9(1), 12-19. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12

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AMA Style

Yan Liu, Xiao Ma. The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2023;9(1):12-19. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12,
  author = {Yan Liu and Xiao Ma},
  title = {The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {9},
  number = {1},
  pages = {12-19},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20230901.12},
  abstract = {The incorporation of verse in prose narrative is a distinctive generic feature of Chinese classical vernacular fictions. Many scholars have regarded poems in fictions as a type of narrative redundancy or a sign of orality and little attention has been paid to the narrative significance of them. The poems remain insignificant because of the potential inconsistency they bring to the narration, but in fact, they perform import narrative functions in the text. This article examines the narrative functions of the poems in Er Pai, and explores the translations of them from a narratological perspective. After an examination of the narrative significance of the poems in Er Pai, we have observed that under the influence of historiography narration, the poems in Er Pai perform structuring function, commenting function and edifying function. Through a detailed analysis of the translations of the poems in Er Pai from a narratological perspective, it reveals that the omission of the poems in translation will lead to the disruption of the narrative structure, weakening of the narrative power and the alteration of the narrator’s image. Since the poems in Er Pai assume important narrative functions, the omission of them in translation is not suggested for the sake of narrative coherence and narrative strength in the target text.},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Narrative Significance of Poems in Er Pai and Their Translations
AU  - Yan Liu
AU  - Xiao Ma
Y1  - 2023/02/16
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 12
EP  - 19
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20230901.12
AB  - The incorporation of verse in prose narrative is a distinctive generic feature of Chinese classical vernacular fictions. Many scholars have regarded poems in fictions as a type of narrative redundancy or a sign of orality and little attention has been paid to the narrative significance of them. The poems remain insignificant because of the potential inconsistency they bring to the narration, but in fact, they perform import narrative functions in the text. This article examines the narrative functions of the poems in Er Pai, and explores the translations of them from a narratological perspective. After an examination of the narrative significance of the poems in Er Pai, we have observed that under the influence of historiography narration, the poems in Er Pai perform structuring function, commenting function and edifying function. Through a detailed analysis of the translations of the poems in Er Pai from a narratological perspective, it reveals that the omission of the poems in translation will lead to the disruption of the narrative structure, weakening of the narrative power and the alteration of the narrator’s image. Since the poems in Er Pai assume important narrative functions, the omission of them in translation is not suggested for the sake of narrative coherence and narrative strength in the target text.
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download