(Translation) 不禽不獸
| Primary Source | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
Title | |
| English | ||
| Chinese | ||
| Korean(RR) | ||
| Text Details | ||
| Genre | ||
| Type | ||
| Author(s) | ||
| Year | ||
| Source | ||
| Key Concepts | ||
| Translation Info | ||
| Translator(s) | Participants of 2018 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Intermediate Training Group) | |
| Editor(s) | ||
| Year | 2018 | |
Original Script
Translation
Student translation : (Althea Volpe)
The Feng Huang lived so long that every bird went to the court to congratulate him and only the bat didn't show up. The Feng, blaming it, said: "You are inferior to me so how can you be so arrogant?" The bat replied: "I have feet so I belong to the beasts' race, why should I congratulate you?" One day it was the Qi Lin birthday and the bat didn't show up again. Also the Qi Lin blamed the bat. The bat replied: "I have wings so I belong to the birds' race, what should I congratulate for?" The Feng Huang and the Qi Lin gathered and talked about the bat's matter and, complaining for the indignation they both felt, said: "Now in an evil and ungenerous world, there is even a crowd of neither bird nor beast that moves from place to place and there is really nothing you can do about it."
- Discussion Questions:
+ How would we render Fenghuang? (Fenghuang bird? Phoenix?) How about Qilin?
(JG) I thought it was a great choice that you were consistent - if Qilin, then also Feng Huang. I would only maybe say fenghuang and qilin, together and now capitals, cause each is one word and it indicates a kind of creature. I would also add footnotes describing briefly what these creatures are.
+ For 壽, wouldn't it be better to say "banquet/celebration for its long life"?
(JG) I agree, I think we translated it something like that in class too.
(NKL) for 属the translation into "race" seems unfitting - perhaps "the category of beasts" or "the family/genus of beasts"?
(YO) Yes, or even "belong to the likes of birds"?
(Althea) Actually I think this is an error due to my mother tongue, we use to say "race of a certain animal" so I thought it could be used in the same way also in english. Would saying only "beasts" and "birds" without any other word be correct too?
