English translation of Chinese in Moment in Peking

I have read at least five or six of Lin Yutang’s (林語堂) books, all in English, and read his novel of Moment in Peking, also in English. After writing the Importance of Living in New York City in 1937, he moved to Paris to write Moment in Peking in 1938 when Europe was seething for war; 危邦不入亂邦不居.  Lin Yutang apparently loved Paris so much or he was oblivious of what's happening politically, which cannot be possible.  He also went there after leaving Harvard.  He was the Director of Arts at UNESCO based in Paris 1947-1950.  While living in Taiwan, he led the PEN Group to attend the Congress of International PEN Club in Paris.

It was said that Lin Yutang himself didn’t like the Chinese translation of Moment in Peking, if that were true one should read his English version.

This post will talk about the English translation of Chinese that I came across in his Moment in Peking.  Having mastered both Chinese and English, Lin certainly did a good job the best he could in translating, but as we all know if one knows both Chinese and English, one will have deeper appreciation.

Here are some examples:

“The rice is cooked and I cannot abandon her.”

“The rice is cooked” (生米已煮成熟飯), which usually means the boy got the girl pregnant during a courtship and before marriage.

“a former secretary of a Viceroy had written a poem about her, she had become one of the "reddest" (最紅的) or most popular courtesans of that day.”

“The reddest” is “the most popular”.

In describing the beauty of Sutan, Mulan’s school friend, Lin Yutang wrote,

“She was pale as a ghost, but extraordinarily beautiful, like an exotic blossom, with seductive eyes like the water of an autumn lake. “

眉似春山，眼如秋水 (老殘遊記·第九回)

“The ceremonies were simpler because this was Chinya's second marriage, being known as ‘re-stringing’ (續弦)(of a violin)”

Re-stringing 續弦 means a man’s (not a woman's) second marriage.

Mr. Yao said, “You still have this idea of tsunghsi[沖喜].  It did not work in the case of Mannia, did it . . .? Wait until she is better.”

Tsunghsi [沖喜 ] is a more complicated concept for the Americans. When Pingya, Mr. Tseng’s eldest son, was hopelessly ill, it was arranged to have him marry Sun Mannia, hoping the happiness spirit (喜氣) would “dilute” or even “wash away” the bad luck. Pingya died a week after the wedding.

“Let this be my humble present to you Old People”

Old People (老人家) is a revered way to address people much senior to you; old age commands respect in China.

“This is what is known as ‘killing the landscape [煞風景]’”

煞風景 can be loosely translated to “spoil the fun”.

“Mr. Tseng called the whole lot of revolutionists barbarians, ‘forget-eights,’ ignorance talking about what they didn't understand, particularly Confucianism (which was probably true.)”

The “forget-eight” (忘八) is titally Greek to Americans, “忘八” is referred to someone forgetting the eight virtues of 孝、弟、忠、信、禮、義、廉、恥, 忘八 somehow is evolved into 王八 and 王八蛋.

“But meifatse(沒法子). Who has the luck like you, young mistress? ”

Meifatse (沒法子) was a common fatalistic phrase meaning, “there is no choice,” or “one can do nothing about it.”

“The Dog-Meat General (狗肉將軍) was called a man of ‘three don't-knows’” (一問 三不知)

“The Dog-Meat General (狗肉將軍)is referred to a very bad military general who is also ignorant. 

In 1940, Lin wrote an article about a war lord 張宗昌 " 狗肉將軍回憶記 " " Memoir of a dog meat general ". In it , he described general Zhang 一問三不知，"he doesn't know how much money, how many soldiers and how many wives he had.”

“The Cassia bent down and whispered to him that Dimfragrance had ‘happiness’ in her body( 有喜), and then old man smiled and drew his last breath.”

Having ‘happiness’ (有喜) in one’s body means one is pregnant.

“Cassia said, ‘If this bride of Sunya's can be bullied by her husband or anybody else, I will cut off my head to be a stool for you to sit down.’”

“cut off my head to be a stool for you to sit down.” (我會斬頭譲你坐) is a very common swear emphasizing the swearer is absolutely right.

disturb the bridal chamber

(鬧洞房) is not really “disturb” the bridal chamber; it is a boisterous, animated or even rambunctious and rowdy event to finish the wedding ceremony.