* Coincidentally, I just saw this a month agoSnowIn the eventRecommend the English version of this book, and also talked about the translation of this book. I didn’t expect that this book was printed last week. Now I will share some of my thoughts after translating it.Posts in the book discussion forumIf you are interested, you can take a look. There is about a quarter of the Chinese and English translation. Haha, I can only post this much ^_^
http://www.hongniba.com.cn/bookclub/images/books/book_20004765_b.jpgFine Day)” />
A few years ago, while collecting Caldecott Medal-winning picture books, I collected “A Clear Day.” At the time, I simply thought this folktale illustrated with oil paintings was lovely, but I couldn’t say I was particularly fond of it. Furthermore, the book and its creator, Noni Hoggen, were rarely mentioned in the reference books I had on picture book appreciation and research, so I put it aside after reading it. Thanks to the invitation from the publisher’s editor, I had the opportunity to reread it carefully while translating it. Rereading it again and again from a different perspective, and sharing it with my children, I gradually began to appreciate its unique charm.
This is a picture book that’s perfect for reading aloud, or rather, it’s one that needs to be read aloud to appreciate its charm. And the more you read it with your child, the more enjoyable it becomes. Why? The storyline is simple: A fox drinks milk and has his tail chopped off by an angry old woman. To get his tail back, the fox is forced to engage in a series of trades, each requiring a new condition, a chain of events that builds up into a long sequence. The most vivid language in the book is the fox’s description of this long sequence with each request, which grows longer and more comical as it goes on. The more you repeat this kind of language game, the more proficient the reader becomes, and the more enjoyable it becomes. Therefore, simply reading silently or aloud once or twice will make it difficult to appreciate its essence.
http://www.hongniba.com.cn/bookclub/demo/20004765/images/03.jpgFine Day)” />
The original English text of this book can indeed achieve such an effect, especially because it successfully challenges the limits of grammar, sticking a series of phrases together, using very economical words, but the meaning is very clear, and even three or five-year-old children can understand it immediately. For example, when the fox asked the hen for eggs, he said that he wanted to exchange eggs for beads — “to
get the jug to fetch the water to give the field to get some grass
to feed the cow to get the
milk”—and then you can use the milk to get your tail back. At the beginning of the translation, I was fascinated by this string of phrases and wanted to try a method to preserve its structure as much as possible. I finally tried translating it and reading it to people around me, but all I got was confused expressions. A friend reminded me that the language of folk tales should be both understandable and interesting. This really woke me up, and I decided to abandon the original structure and start over.
But how can I make this kind of sentence both clear and entertaining in Chinese? Suddenly, I remembered a tongue twister from a Chinese crosstalk show. The funniest part of the tongue twister is “A lama came from the south.” The most exciting part is a long string of sentences: “The lama carrying a sole wants to trade his sole for the trumpet with a mute wearing a trumpet, but the mute wearing a trumpet refuses to trade his trumpet for the sole of the lama carrying the sole.” So, I imitated this way of saying it and translated it again. For example, the English translation above could be “Give the pearl to the girl in exchange for a pitcher, use the pitcher to fetch water for the fields in exchange for some grass, use the grass to feed the cows in exchange for some milk.” Although there are many repeated words in the original text, and some subject, object, and modifier had to be added to make the meaning complete, the meaning is finally clear, and it reads smoothly and is quite interesting.
http://www.hongniba.com.cn/bookclub/demo/20004765/images/12.jpgFine Day)” />
Another tip for reading this picture book aloud is to pay attention to the expressions and body language of the speakers when reading the dialogue, especially the protagonist, the fox—this isn’t mentioned in the text (perhaps this is a deliberate effect created by the author). For example, when the fox makes requests, he sometimes seems humble and sincere, sometimes rather pitiful, yet sometimes he smiles coquettishly (in front of the girl) and sometimes he can’t hide his unique cleverness (in front of the peddler). Therefore, when speaking, he always adopts different tones, sometimes calm, sometimes pleading, sometimes flattering, and sometimes persuading, and uses his witty tongue to deliver a long string of tongue twisters that are absolutely hilarious.
http://www.hongniba.com.cn/bookclub/demo/20004765/images/13.jpgFine Day)” />
This folktale comes from Armenia. I’ve longed to find the original version, but haven’t been able to find it. However, some Russian folktales also feature stories about foxes stealing a peasant woman’s milk, and stories about playing tricks on a fox’s tail. It seems these kinds of stories were common among the people living in the mountains and forests of that region.
Noni Hogjan reportedly heard this story from her parents as a child. She was born in the United States, but her family immigrated from Armenia. Armenia is a unique people, originating in the mountains and plains of Transcaucasia. While their history was once glorious, it was plagued by hardships, ultimately achieving independence as a sovereign nation. Armenia’s total population is small, estimated at around three million, but it has a large diaspora worldwide, with approximately half a million in the United States alone. Despite their small population, Armenians possess a strong sense of national cohesion, a strong appreciation for culture, and a respect for knowledge. Throughout their generations, they have produced numerous talented individuals who have had a significant impact on the global economy and culture. This phenomenon is worth understanding and learning from.
http://landaishu.zhongwenlink.com/home/upload20083/20091227212925462.jpgFine Day)” />
Nonny Hogrogian and David Kherdian
Noni is a prime example. Born into an immigrant family, her parents and sisters were artistically educated, and her family often heard oral stories from her ethnic group. As she grew older and became an artist, she adapted these stories into picture books, earning her a second Caldecott Medal. That same year (1971), she married David Kotian, another Armenian poet. Both husband and wife share a deep sense of national identity, and over a hundred of their collaborative and independent works bear a strong Armenian stamp.
This is how a nation’s excellent culture is passed on and gradually becomes the cultural wealth of all mankind.
