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1、Beijing Dialect Translation in Camel Xiangzi*Abstract: Lao She, a member of Manchu decent family in Beijing, knew the Beijing dialect very well and applied it to his works skillfully as to get the reputation as “Language Artist”. In his famous novel Loutuo Xiangzi which mainly was about the lower wo
2、rking class in old Beijing City, Lao She depicted each character with distinguished features by properly using idioms, Beijing dialect, truncated witticisms and so on. Since those expressions are highly culture-featured, its perhaps one of the most difficult parts for translators to handle. Therefor
3、e, this paper mainly focus on the translation of Beijing dialect, based on Shi Xiaojings English version Camel Xiangzi, to delve into proper methods of translating culture-loaded elements in literary works.Key words: Camel Xiangzi, Beijing dialect, dialect translationLuotuo Xiangzi, Lao Shes well-kn
4、own novel, has been translated into several languages and gained word-wide popularity. In this novel, characters were featured by their Beijing dialect and distinctive dialogue, vividly reflecting the social and cultural background of the common people in that period. A good translator should try to
5、 convey the original style and the meaning in his rendering. In the translation of Luotuo Xingzi, many highly culture-featured expressions were well handled in Shis translation regardless of the difficulties of dialect translation due to cultural differences. Hence, in the following sections, many g
6、ood examples of dialect translation will be appreciated and the trial analysis of those translation methods will also be discussed.Generally speaking, as a Chinese translator, Shi Xiaojing knew well about her mother tone and language, which brought convenience to her translation. In view of the tran
7、slation strategy, Shi mainly adopted “domestication”, and examples will be taken as follows.1. Rendering the Original Meaning and Tone Clearly例1：希望能从清晨转到午后三四点钟，拉出“车份儿”和自己的嚼谷。（老 4）施译：in the hope that, by three or four in the afternoon, they will have earned enough for the rickshaw rent as well as the
8、ir daily needs.(老 5)车份儿and 嚼谷in Beijing dialect just mean the rent and the daily needs, as the translation has conveyed. The translation has clearly rendered the original Chinese meaning.例2：祥子知道事情要坏，可是在街面上混了这几年了，不能说了不算，不能耍老娘们脾气。（老 34）施译：Xiangzi knew they were in for trouble, but after all these year
9、s knocking about in town he couldnt back out now like an old woman.(老 35)In English, the phrase “knock about ” is often used especially in an informal way, used to say that someone travels and lives in various places; “在街面上混” is also an informal expression to say wandering about. Those two expressio
10、ns are almost used in a similar way, carrying the same meaning and tone. Whats more, in the following part of this sentence, “back out” means “to decide that you are no longer going to take part in something that has been agreed.” By using this phrase, the whole meaning is gained and the main gist o
11、f the image is also preserved through literal translation “like an old woman”. So the translation maintains the flavour of source language and gives a vivid picture of the target readers at the same time.例3：二来是，年轻气儿盛，一句话不投缘，散！（老 158）施译：Secondly, because young people have short tempers, and if someon
12、e put my back up I would walk out.(老 159)If somebody has “a short temper”, he always gets angry easily. In Chinese, it just means 年轻气儿盛. The phrase “to put sb back up” is an informal expression meaning “to annoy sb,” and the phrase “walk out on sth” is an informal way to express the idea of “stoppin
13、g doing sth that you have agreed to do before it is completed”. Both of the two English expressions not only match well with the meaning of Beijing dialect “不投缘，散” but the style of the sentence.例4：这两天了，大家都觉得祥子是刘家的走狗，死命的巴结，任劳任怨的当碎催。（老 294）施译：These last two days they felt that Xiangzi had become the L
14、iu familys running-dog, that he was toadying to them as hard as he could by serving as their handy-man.( 老 295)Here “running-dog” is a literal translation of Chinese走狗, meaning lackey. It is derived from the eagerness with which a dog will respond when called by its owner, even for mere scraps. When
15、 it comes to describing a person, the vivid obedient, submissive image can be captured by foreigners. “碎催” in Beijing dialect refers to the person who is good at doing those trifling things. In Shis translation “碎催” is translated into “handy-man” which means a person who is clever at doing household
16、 repairs, etc or who is employed to do odd jobs (善于干家庭中修修补补活的人，受雇干零碎杂活的人). Shis translation expresses the cultural connotation of “碎催” and transmitted the cultural information of it.(张 49)例5：只觉得她与虎妞是，用他所能想出的字，一道货。（老 452）施译：In his words, she was the same line of goods.( 老 453)In the above sentence, “
17、the same line of goods” is the direct translation of“一道货”that is a satiric way to depict the women in Beijing dialect. The English version uses “goods” to properly give the readers the notion of their low social status; that is, to be sold.2. Replacing the Original Image Appropriately例6：初上来，大家以为他是向刘
18、四爷献殷勤，狗事巴结人。（老 82）施译：At first, everyone thought he was sucking up to Fourth Master Liu to get into his good books.( 老 82-83) “献殷勤”and “狗事巴结人” are translated respectively into two fixed English phrases “suck up to sb” and “get into ones good books”, both meaning “trying to please someone in authority
19、 by praising them too much, helping them, in order to gain some advantage for oneself.” The image “狗” is replaced by “his good books”, with which foreign readers are so well-informed. There is no need translating “狗” into “dog”, for “dog” is often associated with a favorable impression in the wester
20、ners mind .例7：就是老头子真犯牛脖子，我手里也有两体己，咱俩也能弄上两三辆车（老 134）施译：Even if the old man gets mulish, Ive got enough tucked away for the two of us to get two or three rickshaws and rent them out.(老 135)例8：得，明儿见；甭犯牛劲，我是直心眼，有一句说一句！（老 158）施译：All right, see you tomorrow and dont be mulish, Im blunt and direct and neve
21、r mince words!(老 159) Bull or cattle are the conventional livestock in China. So in the history of China, the cattle occupy an important position no matter in the tales or myths or in the literary works on the Chinese vocabulary. As the cattle give people an impression of loyalty, unchangeableness,
22、stubbornness and independence, Chinese prefer to use its image to describe people who are stubborn. “犯牛脖子” or “犯牛劲” are Beijing dialect to say a person is stubborn and uneasy to change his or her mind. Shi translated “牛” into “mulish” which makes the target readers easily know that Chinese bull is a
23、s stubborn as their mule. She changed the original image and found another similar image in the target language, to gain the same effect and keep the literary flavor. “直心眼” and “体己” both translated freely as “get enough tucked away” and “blunt and direct” instead of being translated word-for-word, a
24、re compact and concise enough.例9：在巡警眼中，祥子是头等的“刺儿头”，可是他们不敢惹“刺儿头”。（老 466）施译：To the police he was a “prickly pear” of the first water and none of them dared provoke him.(老 467)“Prickly pear”, a kind of cactus with sharp parts like needles, is adopted to describe “刺头儿” in Beijing dialect meaning a perso
25、n who doesnt get well along with others on purpose. By comparing the person to the needle, the translation is never bad than the original one.3. Deleting the Original Images for Better Communicative Effect例10：他把泥娃娃赶紧给二太太送了回去，二太太以为他这是存心轻看她，冲口而出的把他骂了个花瓜。（老 106）施译: He hurriedly returned the muddy brat
26、to the second wife, who took this as an insult and reviled him roundly.(老 107) In Beijing dialect “骂了个花瓜” indicates a torrent of abuse. The native speakers of English would be at a loss to understand what it means simply because they might not have a thorough knowledge of Beijing dialect ; therefore
27、, “骂了个花瓜” translated in a round way is more convenient and direct for the readers to get the exact meaning.例11：瞧准了再放手钱，不能放秃鹰尾巴。（老 164）施译：Of course, you have to make sure before you give somebody loan that you will get interest on it.(老 165)The meaning of “放秃鹰尾巴”or“放鹰”in Beijing dialect is a figure o
28、f speech, which suggests that all the money and property are lost. In Shis translation, we can see that images and figures of speech is done by flexible means of free translation, and the meaning is clear enough for foreigners, even for native readers. If放秃鹰尾巴 is translated literally, the target lan
29、guage readers may get confused, wondering what the connection is between the money and the秃鹰尾巴. So in view of better communicative effect, the original image has been deleted in Shis translation for clear and informative transmission.例12：谁家的红白事，我都跑到前面，到我的事情上了，给我个干撂台，他妈妈的！（老 288）施译: I have always bee
30、n the first to chip in towards other peoples parties and funerals,” he fumed. “Now when its my turn they leave me in the lurch, the mother-fuckers!” （老 289）“红白事” is the total name of wedding, birthday parties and funeral in China. Red, signifying “luck and joy”, is the main color of a traditional Ch
31、inese wedding. On the funeral, all the families must wear everything white, to mourn the dead. But in west, the bride will wear white wedding veil which represents the brides “purity.” On the funeral, people wear the black dress to express the condolence to those who have lost their loved ones in we
32、st countries. In order not to confuse the readers, Shi adopts “domestication” and translates the meaning directly, expressing the whole idea.Shi Xiaojing adopted “domestication” in translation of Luotuo Xiangz in order to adapt her version to the American culture and the target readers. In her trans
33、lation, we can easily find that many Chinese culture-loaded dialect expressions are tackled in different ways. There are three main accesses to the dialect translation in her version: Firstly, when the same images or phrases can be found in both languages to keep the original sense and flavor and re
34、aders have no difficulties in understanding them, it is the best to retain both the meaning and the style. Secondly, the replacement of images can be adopted when different expressions are available in the target language. Thirdly, when the target readers get no idea of what the connections between the original expression and the target meaning, free translation is essential for better communicative effect. Works cited老舍. 骆驼祥子（中英对照）施晓菁译. 北京: 外文出版社, 2006.
