Synthesized answer
Joly's admission of "shortcomings... both in the prose, as well as among the doggerel and uncouth rhymes" suggests that as a student relying on this translation, one should approach the novel with an awareness of these potential difficulties [1]. This frankness implies that the translation may not perfectly capture the original rhythm and may prioritize literal adherence to the text over poetic flow [1]. Therefore, a student might need to be more attentive to the nuances of the language and recognize that certain passages might be less fluid or aesthetically pleasing than intended.
Joly's statement also points to the inherent challenges of translating a culturally rich work like *Hung Lou Meng*. His mention of the text being "more adhered to than rhythm" indicates the difficulty in replicating poetic structures and cultural expressiveness across languages [1]. The translation's limitations in prose, doggerel, and rhymes highlight how elements deeply embedded in one culture's literary tradition can be hard to render faithfully in another [1]. The passages do not further elaborate on what specific culturally rich aspects were most challenging to translate, beyond the general poetic…
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
me as a student in Peking, when, at the completion of the Tzu Erh Chi, I had to plunge in the maze of the Hung Lou Meng. Shortcomings are, I feel sure, to be discovered, both in the prose, as well as among the doggerel and uncouth rhymes, in which the text has been more adhered to than rhythm; but I shall feel satisfied with the result, if I succeed, even in the least degree, in affording a helping hand to present and future students of the Chinese language. H. BENCRAFT JOLY, H.B.M. Vice-Consulate, Macao, 1st September, 1891. THE DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER. edit CHAPTER I. edit Chen Shih-yin,…
The original Chinese novel was written by Cao Xueqin. Another author later added half again as much. H. Bencraft Joly translated only the work of the first author, essentially two-thirds of the whole; the work ends abruptly at the end of volume II as if he intended to go on, but the third volume was never published. The work was not well proofread originally. There are other better and more complete English translations, but this is the only one we could find that is in the public domain in the USA. Both lists of errata have been corrected in the text. The error noted in the original errata…
← Contents Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin , translated by H. Bencraft Joly Book 1 Book 2 → The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hung Lou Meng, by Cao Xueqin This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Book I Posting Date: November 23, 2011 [EBook #9603] Release Date: January, 2006 First Posted: October 9, 2003 3426342 Dream of the Red Chamber — Book 1 H. Bencraft Joly Cao Xueqin PREFACE.…
uties, I've become in literary compositions like these, which require a light heart and gladsome mood, still more inapt. Were I even to succeed in composing any, they will unavoidably be so doltish and forced that they would contrariwise be instrumental in making the flowers, trees, garden and pavilions, through their demerits, lose in beauty, and present instead no pleasing feature." "This wouldn't anyhow matter," remonstrated all the family companions, "for after perusing them we can all decide upon them together, each one of us recommending those he thinks best; which if excellent can be…
← Hung Lou Meng or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese novel in two books ( 1891 ) by Cao Xueqin , translated by H. Bencraft Joly Book 1 → Original published in Chinese in 1763 with this translation published in 1891 by H. Bencraft Joly, H.B.M. Consular Service, China The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hung Lou Meng, by Cao Xueqin This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Book I — Posting…
More questions about this book
- How does H. Bencraft Joly's stated motivation for translating *Dream of the Red Chamber* connect to the concept of making complex material accessible, and what specific challenges does he acknowledge in doing so?
- If you were explaining the publishing history of *Dream of the Red Chamber* to someone unfamiliar with it, how would you articulate the distinct roles and significance of the 1763, 1891, and Project Gutenberg dates, and what does this chronology imply about the work's enduring impact and accessibility?
- The text states the original writer "designedly concealed the true circumstances." Based on the very brief chapter summary, what might be the literary or thematic reasons for such an authorial choice, and how could this act of concealment shape a reader's engagement with the narrative from the outset?
- Consider the contrast between Chen Shih-yin's "vision, apprehends perception and spirituality" and Chia Yü-ts'un's "cherishes fond thoughts of a beautiful maiden" in the "windy and dusty world." How do these juxtaposed introductions in Chapter 1 immediately establish potential thematic tensions or a central philosophical inquiry for the novel, and what might these elements foreshadow for the overall narrative?