The Recreation of the “Sapience” of Xue Baochai in the Translations of Hong Lou Meng

Tang HE, Xi CHEN

Abstract


“时宝钗 (Shi Baochai, sapient Baochai)” is widely acknowledged as one of the most accurate descriptions of Xue Baochai. “Sapience” is her outstanding characteristic throughout the novel, mainly exhibited in her flexibility in dealing with various persons and her firm support for dominant feudal ethics. This article discusses the “sapience” of Xue Baochai recreated in the two translations of Hong Lou Meng based on the theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics. From the perspectives of experiential, interpersonal, and textual metafunctions, the article finds out that by adding material process and imperative mood types, Hawkes recreates a more reckless and hasty Baochai deviated from the requirements of feudal female ethics. While by reducing the total number of process types and mental processes, increasing the modality value to express obligation and cutting interpersonal themes sharply, Yang presents a more aloof and reserved Baochai losing flexibility and sophistication. It is argued that the subjectivity of translators and their anticipations of readers play an important role in influencing their linguistic choices.

 


Keywords


Systemic Functional Linguistics; Hong Lou Meng; Xue Baochai; Sapience; Translation

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NOTES

Note 1. The Guardian. Remembering David Hawkes. 2009.9.23. https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/sep/23/1

Note 2. Culture China. Yang’s passing away like a towering tree fell down. 2014.4.15

http://www.china.com.cn/culture/txt/2009-11/25/content 2014/4/15




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/12712

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