| Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts are mainly concentrated in the treatise Sketches of Idle Pleasure.Li Yü not only provides a comprehensive summary of ancient Chinese dramatic aesthetics,but also has unique insights into appearance,life,and garden aesthetics.As China’s comprehensive national power continues to rise,Chinese aesthetics is being integrated into the international aesthetic community,so it is appropriate to study Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts with an international perspective.This paper takes the translations and interpretations of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts in Sketches of Idle Pleasure by the English world as the object of study.First,influential translations,monographs,and dissertations are sorted out.Second,the focus of the selection of translations and researchers’ materials is analyzed.Third,the translations of the core terms in Li Yii’s aesthetic thoughts are explored.At the same time,the translation strategies adopted by the translators are analyzed,and whether these core terms become distorted in meaning during the translation process is examined.Fourth,the understanding and interpretation of the core issues in Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts by scholars in the English world are examined.On this basis,the differences between the interpretations of the scholars in China and abroad are compared.Then,the characteristics and limitations of the translation and research of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts by scholars in the English world are analyzed,and the influence of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts on the English world is investigated.Finally,an attempt is made to find appropriate solutions to specific problems in order to promote a more effective dialogue and exchange between Chinese and Western aesthetics.This paper is divided into six chapters.Chapter 1 provides an overview of the translations and researches of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts in the English world.In this chapter,the translations of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts in the English world are first summarized in chronological order.On the whole,there has not yet been a complete translation of Sketches of Idle Pleasure in the English world.Although scholars in the English world have translated many fragments of Sketches of Idle Pleasure in their monographs and essays on Li Yü,these translations often appear as a kind of argumentative and supplementary material to the subject of discussion.There are only a few translations that present the complete texts of Sketches of Idle Pleasure.However,with the help of these selective and fragmentary translations and interpretations of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts,the attitudes and characteristics of the English translators in selecting and accepting Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts can be summarized.Second.the studies on Li Yii’s aesthetic thoughts in the English world are reviewed.On the whole,scholars in the English world have affirmed the importance of Li Yü’s Sketches of Idle Pleasure and the value of his aesthetic thoughts when introducing this work.However,most of them have only given a brief description of the contents of Sketches of Idle Pleasure,or have only elaborated and discussed the core issues,without a systematic and in-depth study.Although no specific and systematic study of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts has been conducted in books and papers in English,their insights into Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts can be glimpsed in their overview of the entire text of Sketches of Idle Pleasure and their interpretation of the core issues.Chapter 2 explores the translations and studies of Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics in the English world.Section 1 compares the focus of concerns and the selection of materials in the translation and interpretation of Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics by scholars in the English world.The scholars in the English world have devoted much attention to the translation and discussion of Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics.while different scholars have their priorities.Among them,the discussions are focused first on the theme and plot structure of the drama,including the introduction and interpretation of Li Zhu Nao(立主脑)and Mi Zhen Xian(密针线).Second,it is about the theatrical stage performance.Third,it is a discussion of Li Yü’s solutions to practical problems in theater with respect to theater practice.Finally,it is about the innovations in Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics.On the whole,there are abundant studies on Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics in the English world,and they have grasped the core issues of Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics accurately.However,no scholar of the English world has yet translated and studied Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics systematically and comprehensively,which is a regrettable point at present.Section 2 reviews the translations of the core terms of Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics by scholars in the English world,focusing on their translations and interpretations of the terms:Jie Gou(结构)and Zhu Nao(主脑).The translations of the core terms of Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics by scholars in the English world are more concentrated in the most important and characteristic areas,such as Jie Gou and Zhu Nao.The term "Jie Gou" is mainly used in two forms:"structure" and"construction".Combining the interpretation of Jie Gou by Chinese and Western scholars,the author believes that the use of "construction" to translate Li Yü’s term "Jie Gou" reflects not only its emphasis on the way the play is constructed,but also its reliance on the playwright’s subjective initiative.It is in line with the innovative ideas advocated by Li Yü.The translation "structure" highlights the overall framework,the composition of the elements and their relationship with each other in Jie Gou.Both translations have their own advantages and emphasize different aspects of the term Jie Gou.The translation of the term "Zhu Nao" also has two main forms:"brain" and "focus".Combining the interpretations of Zhu Nao by Chinese and Western scholars,the author believes that "brain" can elegantly translate the highlight of the metaphor of Zhu Nao.And "focus" can also concisely convey the meaning of the focal point and the center.It is notable that the term Zhu Nao,as an ancient Chinese expression,falls at the high contextual culture end and contains more culturally loaded information.The scholars of the English world have further elaborated and explained the term,and are able to convey its meaning properly.Section 3 examines how scholars in the English world have understood and interpreted Li Yü’s Jie Gou theory.Scholars in the English world have paid the most attention to Li Yü’s idea of Jie Gou theory as dramatic aesthetics.In their introduction and interpretation of Li Yii’s Jie Gou theory,they focus on the three aspects represented by Li Zhu Nao,Mi Zhen Xian and Tuo Ke Jiu(脱窠臼).They have accurately grasped the core issues of Li Yü’s dramatic aesthetics.Moreover,these scholars have a precise grasp and unique insights on the issues of Zhu Nao.the principle of Yi Ren Yi Shi(一人一事),the novelty and fantasy of the thematic plot,the structural layout and organization of the drama in Li Yü’s Jie Gou theory.It also provides new ideas and contents for the related research in China.Chapter 3 investigates the translations and studies of Li Yü’s aesthetics of appearance in the English world.Section l reviews the key issues and materials that scholars in the English world focus on when translating and interpreting Li Yu’s aesthetics of appearance.The English world pays most attention to the Tai(态),Tai Du(态度),and Mei Tai(媚态)in Li Yü’s aesthetics of appearance.They keenly capture Tai that belongs to inner beauty,which is the key to femininity.In addition,the English world is also concerned with issues such as "skill" and "hand and foot",which are related to the status and situation of women.They saw Li Yü’s encouragement of women to be literate and his reflection on foot-binding,and they liked to link Li Yü’s aesthetics of appearance with "sex",constructing an image of an"erotic master" who was positive about sex.To a certain extent,it caters to the needs of the Western era for sexual liberation,and also meets the requirements for the elevated status of women in the West.Section 2 analyzes how scholars in the English world translate and understand Sheng Rong(声容).They translate Sheng Rong in four main forms:"grooming","charms","performer’s voice and appearance","women’s(actually concubines’)beauty and accomplishments".The word"grooming" emphasizes the external appearance of a person,which is more appropriate to the original Chinese meaning of the word Sheng Rong,but ignores the emphasis on inner beauty in the Sheng Rong Section(声容部).The word "charm" is more reflective of a person’s artistic spirit that can be seen outside,and accurately captures the essence of Sheng Rong.The translation of "performer’s voice and appearance" places Sheng Rong in the context of dramatic aesthetics,which is obviously incomplete.The translation of "women’s(actually concubines’)beauty and accomplishments" can,to a certain extent,express the connotation of the Sheng Rong that external appearance and internal charm complement each other,and it also reflects the translator’s appreciation of the talent and skills of women in the Sheng Rong Section.Section 3 discusses the translation,understanding,and interpretation of Tai,Tai Du,and Mei Tai by scholars in the English world.Tai,Tai Du,and Mei Tai are the core issues in Li Yü’s aesthetics of appearance,not only concerning the relationship between inner and outer beauty,but also reflecting the important aesthetic issue of static beauty and dynamic beauty.Scholars in the English world have basically translated Tai,Tai Du,and Mei Tai in two forms.One of them is the phonetic translation directly as "tai","taidu"and "meitai" The other is to translate all three as"charm" without any distinction.Because Tai,Tai Du,and Mei Tai contain more culturally loaded information,the translators have also interpreted the deeper cultural connotations behind them.In general,scholars from the English world have a good grasp of the translation of Tai and Mei Tai,recognizing the emphasis on inner beauty and dynamic beauty in Tai and Mei Tai.However,some scholars have interpreted Tai and Mei Tai as gestures from the perspective of performers’ stage performances.Such an understanding is a misinterpretation of Tai and Mei Tai,because Tai and Mei Tai are not superficial manners and mannerisms,nor can they be acquired through training and teaching,but are the charm that comes naturally from daily life.In addition,the scholars of the English world have not fully interpreted Tai and Mei Tai,nor have they compared Tai and Mei Tai with related Western aesthetic theories,which also needs to be improved.Chapter 4 examines the translations and studies of Li Yü’s aesthetics of life in the English world.Section l reviews the focus and choice of materials in the translation and interpretation of Li Yü’s aesthetics of life by scholars in the English world.Scholars of the English world have not translated the contents in the"Yinzhuan(饮馔)Section" and the " Yiyang(颐养)Section" of Sektchs of Idle Pleasure in their entirety.For the"Yinzhuan Section",firstly,most of the scholars in the English world have translated Li Yü’s views on the two organs of the mouth and stomach,explaining Li Yü’s complaints about the stomach as a bottomless pit.Second,they also pay more attention to Li Yü’s philosophy that "meat is better than vegetables" as an aesthetic way of life.Finally,they give a brief introduction to the pleasures of daily life,such as crab,wine and tea,which are characterized by their unique Chinese charm.Most of the translations of "Yiyang Section" by scholars in the English world are in three types:the method of enjoying life along with the scene,the method of enjoying life for the rich,and the method of enjoying life for the poor.However,they have not translated and interpreted much of Li Yü’s other rich aesthetic ideas of life.In addition,the scholars of the English world fail to compare and analyze the important issues and ideas in the aesthetics of life in China and the West from the perspective of the contrast between China and the West.It should be noted that the translation of "Yinzhuan" by scholars in the English world is more uniform,focusing on "diet" and "food and drink".The former translation is more focused on the structure of meals than the latter.However,their translations of"Yiyang"differ significantly,with each scholar having a unique understanding.The translation of "health and pleasure" emphasizes physical health and enjoyment;the translation of "nourishment of life" focuses on food and nutrition;the translation of"mental hygiene" pays attention to spiritual health,but is still incomplete.These translations fail to show the enriched aesthetics of life in "Yiyang Section",and more detailed interpretation is required for the rich culturally loaded information contained in "Yiyang".Section 2 examines the understanding and interpretation of "hedonism"by scholars in the English world.Scholars in the English world generally attach great importance to the idea of "hedonism" in Li Yü’s aesthetics of life,recognizing not only the ordinariness of enjoyment,but also emphasizing that "enjoyment is not in the outside but in the heart".Patrick Hanan has unique and profound insights into Li Yü’s "hedonism"that are worthy of deeper exploration.Firstly,his interpretation of Li Yü’s "hedonism" takes into account both pure instinctive pleasure and aesthetic pleasure.Secondly-he analyzes the logic behind Li Yü’s "hedonism" as a view of life and death based on carpe diem.Finally,he also points out the unique aesthetic value of Li Yü’s "hedonism" as naturalness and simplicity,and Patrick Hanan’s insight provides new ideas for Li Yü’s research in China and abroad.Chapter 5 investigates the translations and studies of Li Yü’s garden aesthetics in the English world.Section 1 reviews the key issues and materials that scholars in the English world have focused on when translating and interpreting Li Yü’s garden aesthetics.Although scholars in the English world have translated and interpreted Li Yü’s garden aesthetics in many different ways,no scholars in the English world have yet translated and interpreted Li Yü’s garden aesthetics in a comprehensive and systematic way.Their focuses are mainly on the following aspects:firstly,they both translate and explain Li Yü’s design of window rails and the aesthetic idea of borrowing scenery by using window rails.Second,it is an emphasis on Li Yü’s garden aesthetics that advocates frugality and refrains from extravagance.Thirdly,the originality and aesthetic individuality of Li Yü’s garden aesthetics are emphasized.Finally,it is the translation of Li Yü’s garden aesthetics as "exquisite replication of nature".Scholars of the English world have a more accurate grasp of the core issues in Li Yü’s garden aesthetics ideas.However,scholars in the English world have neglected the issue of garden typicality and the aesthetic idea of gardening adapted to local conditions,as well as the philosophical concepts behind them.Section 2 examines the translation and interpretation of the core issue of"landscape by window rails"by scholars in the English world.In Sketches of Idle Pleasure,Li Yu discusses the various windows he designed,and "Qu Jing Zai Jie(取景在借)”is mainly realized through window rails.Scholars in the English world have also paid great attention to Li Yü’s idea of garden aesthetics and have given a unique interpretation while translating the relevant aesthetic ideas.The translation of"taking the view by borrowing" can subtly convey the charm of the character"借”.The translation of "introducing the element of nature into house interiors by’borrowing’ from the outside landscape" can reflect the idea of "introducing" natural landscape elements into the interior of the house.The word "borrow" is chosen in the by-guided adverbial clause of manner to further highlight the action of 借.This translation method adopts an explicit translation method,which complements the information beyond the four characters of "Qu Jing Zai Jie" and makes the implicit cultural information in Chinese explicit,so that the deeper connotation and culture behind the characters can be better displayed.The translations of "…be made into a’painting"and "the ’painting’ into a ’window’" express the pictorial beauty of nature"borrowed" through windows,and translate very graphically the idea of "Qu Jing Zai Jie",a culturally loaded garden aesthetic with Chinese characteristics.In the elaboration of Li Yu’s "landscape by window rails",some scholars of the English world regard window rails as a framing device.On the one hand,it well demonstrates the cultural information loaded by the term "Qu.Jing Zai Jie",and on the other hand,highlights the framing role of windows,i.e.the selection and separation of the view.Here,it involves the aesthetic issue of "aesthetic connection",but the scholars of the English world have not discussed it in depth,nor have they launched a dialogue between China and the West on the aesthetic issue of "aesthetic connection”.In addition,the scholars of the English world have not further explored the unique Chinese philosophical concepts behind Li Yü’s garden aesthetic idea of"Qu Jing Zai Jie"that involve the integration of the inner and the outer worlds,connection between object and self,he rhythm beyond the charm,and the synthesis of the virtual and the real.These two points are also the areas that scholars in the English world need to pay attention to when translating and interpreting Li Yü’s ideas on garden aesthetics in the future.Chapter 6 points out,on the one hand,the characteristics of the study of Li Yü’s aesthetics in the English world and the limitations of the current study:First,the translators and researchers of Li Yii’s aesthetic thoughts in the English world have diverse identities.Second,the translators and scholars in the English world have some limitations in their selection of materials on Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts.Third,the translations and studies of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts in the English world have not been separated from the study of Li Yü as a whole.No scholars have yet conducted an independent and systematic translation and study of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts from the aesthetic level.Finally,the interpretations and studies of the English world as a whole grasp more accurately the characteristics and highlights of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts,and have more in-depth and novel interpretations of some core issues,which are worthy of being considered and drawn upon.On the other hand,this chapter explores the influence of the translations and studies of Li Yü’s aesthetics in the English world on its academic views,conceptualization of its works,and aesthetic concepts:Firstly,the readers of the English world add to the research content by referring to the research results of Chinese scholars and put forward many novel and original ideas.Secondly,scholars from the English world use Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts as a frame of reference to compare and analyze them with the relevant contents of Western aesthetics.Thirdly,the conception of the book Sketches of Idle Pleasure has been highly appreciated by scholars in the English world.Patrick Hanan has analyzed the conception of the book Sketches ofldle Pleasure in a profound way.Finally,Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts have had an impact on the aesthetic perceptions of readers in the English world.However,the influence of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts in the English world is limited.On the one hand,the attention to Li Yu’s aesthetic thoughts has been mainly concentrated among the sinologist community,in the field of academic research.On the other hand,although scholars in the English world have gradually intensified their research on Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts,they have always looked at them from the angle of the "other".The conception and aesthetic concepts of the book Sketches of Idle Pleasure and the theoretical thinking in Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts have had a very limited impact on translators,scholars,and readers in the English world.A more appropriate path should be sought for the further translation,dissemination and study of Li Yü’s aesthetic thoughts in the English world.In the mutual transmission and sharing of Chinese and Western aesthetics,unequal dialogue is still a common phenomenon at present.How to transmit Chinese aesthetics to the West is an urgent question for us to consider.It should be realized that translation is an important medium for the mutual transmission and sharing of Chinese and Western aesthetics,and that the process of translation is a process of contextualizing and interpreting language,as well as a process of spreading and constructing a discourse system,and that translation-related issues should be paid full attention.In addition,it is important to consider how to discover and elaborate some core issues in Chinese aesthetics that are of common concern to the Western academic and intellectual community,to stimulate the interest of the international academic community in discussing them,and to draw reasonably on Western aesthetic concepts and methods to interpret Chinese aesthetics. |
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