2018 推句 01 - 04
Original Script
1.
天高日月明이요
地厚草木生이라.
月出天開眼이요
山高地擧頭라.
4.
日月千年鏡이요
江山萬古屛이라.
東西日月門이요
南北鴻雁路라.
Translation
Poem 1 : Petra Sváková
天高日月明이요
地厚草木生이라.
月出天開眼이요
山高地擧頭라.
The sky is high and the sun and the moon are bright,
the earth is thick and the plants and the trees are born [from it].
The moon comes out, the sky opens its eye,
the mountains are high, the earth raises its head.
- Discussion Questions:
+(YO) There is no "stars" in the first line; In the second line, it could also be "...live [on it]," couldn't it?
+(YO) For lines 3 and 4, would it be better if we make it something like: "The moon comes out; the sky opens its eye"? (Without the connecting "and".)
Poem 4 : Jelena Gledić
Sun and moon, the mirrors of the ages[1],
Rivers and mountains, the folding screens of the eons[2].
East and West, the gates of the sun and moon,
South and North, the paths of migratory birds[3].
- Discussion Questions:
+ How can the representations of earthly (rivers and mountains) and heavenly (sun and moon) phenomena given in the first two lines be interpreted through the following angles:
a) the use of different words to denote long time periods, one seemingly longer than the other?
b) the use of two different verbs, one indicating a reflected image and one a painting or a backdrop?
+ Based on the example given in the last line, please discuss the different options for translating culturally specific synecdoches and the pros and cons of each possible solution.