In the?Translation Certificate Program, students are asked to deeply consider various translation issues. When translating ancient Buddhist texts, the issue of modernization comes into play. The current standard is to translate into modern English. Is something lost in the modernization? What is gained? We took a radical approach to this and had students translate Shakespeare into modern English, modern Chinese, and even GIFs! The true timelessness of Shakespeare becomes apparent.
Peter Tran BA’2
Sonnet #29
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
(All GIFs are from?. We do not claim any ownership over the GIFs.)
Lan Huang TC’22
When I have seen by Time’s fell hand defaced
the rich proud cost of outworn buried age;
我曾见时间的巨手轻易摧毁了昔日荣华，
When sometime lofty towers I see down-razed,
也曾见高塔轰然倒塌，
And brass eternal slave to mortal rage;
连青铜也无法避免无常的吞噬；
When I have seen the hungry ocean gain
我曾见汹涌的大海，
Advantage on the kingdom of the shore,
侵佔了海岸的领土，
And the firm soil win of the watery main,
一时土地又填平海洋，
Increasing store with loss, and loss with store;
此消彼长；
When I have seen such interchange of state, Or state itself confounded to decay;
当我见到领土如此流转变迁，
Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate，
残败光景教我不禁深思，
That Time will come and take my love away.
时光亦将带走吾爱，
This thought is as a death which cannot choose
此念如死亡不可避免，
But weep to have that which it fears to lose.
对失去的恐惧令我泪沾衣袖。
Jiahui Hung TC’22
Bonus GIF Video of a Poem By Emily Dickinson!