The Doxology of Chinese Literary Works--Exploring the Way of Compilation and Translation fro m The

Orphan of Zhao Family to The Orphan of China

Hanyang Li, Guangxi University

Abstract

The Orphan of Zhao Family is a classic Chinese literary work created by Ji Junxiang. It has been widely spread in the West, and has a great influence on Britain and France. In the eighteenth century, it was introduced to France by several translators, and later changed to The Orphan of Zhao Family by Voltaire. Later, there are also several British translators who recreated it. The spread and circulation of The Orphan of Zhao Family gave Europeans a better understanding of Chinese drama and Chinese culture, and promoted the exchange of Chinese culture and Western culture.

Key words: The Orphan of Zhao Family; The Orphan of China; doxology; compilation; Vlotaire

Introduction

Ji Junxiang's The Orphan of Zhao Family in the Yuan Dynasty is considered to be the first literary work in China that went abroad. Scholars, writers and directors from various countries not only researched it, but also adapted and recreated it. At the beginning of the dissemination, The Orphan of Zhao Family was translated for the first time by a missionary who preached in China. When this drama was introduced to Europe, it attracted not only the attention of critics but also the interest of playwrights. They believe that the theme and expression of The Orphan of Zhao Family are worthy of reference and are the essence of oriental culture. Therefore, from the 1840s to the 1980s, more than four adaptations appeared in Europe. The earliest of these was published by William Hatchett in 1741 (Fan Cunzhong 1991). In the 18th century, Europe which had emerged from the ignorance of the Middle Ages, entered a new stage of development, and at this time, Sino-Western exchanges became increasingly frequent. China's political system and culture inspire enlightenment thinkers who attacked the authoritarian Christian culture. Therefore, Europe set off a climax to promote and spread Chinese culture. Therefore, during this period, the introduction of The Orphan of Zhao Family had a huge impact on Europe (Yi Yuexiang 2004). One of the most famous adaptations comes from the French Enlightenment thinker Voltaire. The Orphan of China he compiled have been very successful and have had a huge impact. His work’s height of determination is also unique.

I Related Concepts and Knowledge

As one of the most basic research paradigms of comparative literature impact research, hermeneutics is closely related to the development and evolution of impact research. Due to its influence, the early studies of comparative studies limited the research object of comparative literature to the interrelationship between the literature of the two countries. In the early days, it was very important to study the regional differences of national literature, but the influence relationship of national literature in this period was always connected with the concept of national identity centered on Europe. The British historian Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859) once expressed his views. Never before have any oriental scholars denied that a good European library can display a complete literary work of India and Arabia in a summer vacation; Which oriental scholar dare to insist that poetry in Arabic and Sanskrit can be compared with the works of great European countries (Comparative Literature: A Critical Introduction 1993). In addition to imitation and inheritance, the influence of foreign literature will also be used for reference, absorption, innovation and even mutation. These are the horizontal forces for the development of literature in other countries in the process of communication and dissemination. For the 18th-century Europeans, The Orphan of Zhao Family is not only a literary work, but also a moral handbook, which can be used to satirize and criticize the declining morals of European society during the development of capitalism.

The Orphan of Zhao Family tells the story of the family hatred of the two generals during the Jin Dynasty. The introduction of this zaju made Europe have a profound influence on certain writers at that time and even the entire Enlightenment period, promoted their reflection on European cultural hegemony and weak cultural self-rebellion, and strengthened the cultural exchange between Asia and Europe.

II Translation and Adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao Family

1. Source of Communication: Sinologist Joseph de Prémare

The earliest introduction of The Orphan of Zhao Family to the West was the English Sinologist Joseph de Prémare. As a missionary, Joseph de Prémare is proficient in Chinese and has a deep study of Chinese culture. In 1732, Joseph de Prémare translated The Orphan of Zhao Family into French in Guangzhou. The reason why he chose The Orphan of Zhao Family for translation in hundreds of Yuan dramas is because he has hidden motives. He hoped that through this real Chinese tragedy, Europeans can observe the degree of Chinese civilization and morality.

Joseph de Prémare was sent to China as a missionary after strict education and selection by the Jesuits, when he was 32 years old. He didn't understand Chinese completely before coming to China. After arriving in China, he began to work hard to learn Chinese. At that time, the scale of Chinese and Western exchanges was limited, and his foreign language learning conditions were simpler than they are now. But through unremitting efforts, Joseph de Prémare's Chinese level gradually improved until he was fully proficient. From the perspective of language level, Joseph de Prémare is fully equipped with the ability to translate The Orphan of Zhao Family . In terms of Sinology research, Joseph de Prémare also experienced many difficulties to break through academic difficulties. Despite the political influence of the Qing Dynasty and the deterioration of his health, Joseph de Prémare did not give up his translation.

2. Climax: The Adaptation of Voltaire

Joseph de Prémare translated The Orphan of Zhao Family and introduced it to France, which attracted the attention of Voltaire, the leader of the French Enlightenment. He believes that the Chinese drama represented by The Orphan of Zhao Family does not meet the requirements of Western drama, but its connotation and enveloping ability are no less than any outstanding Western drama. Voltaire was keen to borrow Chinese drama to promote the spirit of enlightenment and rationality, so he adapted The Orphan of Zhao Family into the opera The Orphan of China (L' Orphelin de la Chine) and performed it in France, and this opera became a sensation. Europe. In Voltaire's view, China represented by porcelain, silk and lacquer can be used as the best weapon for criticizing ignorance of Europe. Genghis Khan in Voltaire's script advocates force and tries to solve everything with violence, but in the end it is convinced by lofty morality. He tried to demonstrate the great power of ethics. Voltaire expressed his thoughts in a letter in 1755, which is a perfect proof of the natural superiority of reason and talent to the blind and brutal power. Throughout Voltaire's life, he has authored a total of 52 dramas and a large number of drama criticisms. He is also the only translator who has the identity of dramatist among the translators of The Orphan of Zhao Family Some people think that Voltaire's adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao Family has two main motives. One is to find a paradigm for governing the country in Oriental culture, and the other is to reform French theater. In the adaptation, Voltaire changed the dispute of loyalty within a country into a battle between civilization and barbarism between two peoples. Representing the savage Genghis Khan, under the inspiration of civilization, he turned from a conqueror to a conquered one. Such changes are aimed at expressing the aesthetic ideal of the 18th century enlightenment, where reason is better than emotion and civilization is better than brutality. In an age when the monarchy increasingly strengthened its reactionary rule, French drama entered the 18th century in a state of total decline. The French classicist theatre industry used the old art form of classicism to express the content of new enlightenment thoughts, so enlightenment classicism came into being. Voltaire was the representative writer of this classicism tragedy. In order to reform French theater and improve its artistic level, Voltaire often learned from foreign theater. Looking back in history, the sequelae brought by France in the first half of the 18th century due to the expansion of Louis XIV's national policy are fully reflected. At this time, Louis XV launched a series of wars in order to pass on the crisis, and the results ended in failure. These have caused a lot of social contradictions and the people do not talk about life. Under such circumstances, enlightenment began to emerge. People are anti-feudal, anti-autocratic, and resistance to the church. Based on rationalism, they advocate social change and try to overthrow feudal rule. The Orphan of China compiled by Voltaire and The Orphan of Zhao Family have obvious differences and also cater to the needs of the times. Because China and France have different drama backgrounds and different national conditions, Voltaire adjusted its content. Voltaire's extreme praise of Confucian ideology and morality is also a secret satire of French autocracy, which provided ideological resources for the Enlightenment. Voltaire’s The Orphan of China uses the background of the Yuan Dynasty in China, following the laws of neoclassical drama and shortening the time span of The Orphan of Zhao Family from more than 20 years to one day and night. Voltaire has been emphasizing the power of human civilization, highlighting human reason, and using these ideas to inspire the public. These have made ideological and public preparations for the social transformation of France. More than thirty years after The Orphan of Zhao Family was staged, the French Revolution broke out in 1789. The result of the revolution was to overthrow the feudal monarchy, and France gradually became a capitalist society. In this major historical turning point, Voltaire made great contributions as an enlightenment thinker. The Orphan of Zhao Family he compiled also played an important role. The circulation of The Orphan of Zhao Family shows that in the course of historical development, this can not only serve as a medium for cultural exchange, but also provide ideological resources for cross-cultural social transformation, thereby promoting the development of the entire human social civilization.

3. Adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao Family in Britain

There were at least three adaptations of The Orphan of Zhao Family in Britain in the 18th century, namely The Orphan of China: A Tragedy by William Hatchett in 1741, The Orphan of China by Voltaire translated by Thomas Franklin in 1756 and 1759 The Orphan of China by Arthur Murphy. These three versions draw on different plots of the original work and express different demands of the adaptor.

British dramatist William Hatchett first adapted The Orphan of China based on the French translation of The Orphan of Zhao Family. This drama is based on the theme of the prime minister’s power and corruption of the dynasty and the government. The irony is directed at the time of the British Prime Minister’s rule. Compared with The Orphan of China , which was adapted by several British, French, German and Italian writers later, William Hatchett's version is the closest to China. Even so, this play was not made for the spread of Chinese drama art, but a political satire in the form of a play. Perhaps because of this, the script was published shortly before Walpole was forced to step down in 1742.

Inspired by the translation, Voltaire adapted The Orphan of China and then translated it into English in 1756 by the Englishman Thomas Franklin and introduced it to the United Kingdom. This version of Voltaire had a far-reaching effect in the United Kingdom, and later Arthur Murphy was adapted on this basis.

Arthur Murphy's version is mainly adapted from The Orphan of China by Voltaire. He kept some of Voltaire's designs, but also changed a lot of content according to needs and background. As far as characters are concerned, Murphy retains the names and identities of some characters, or retains their names but changes their identities. In the plot, Murphy also retained some plots in Voltaire's play. Although some plots are similar, there are appropriate changes.Murphy's The Orphan of China is not closely related to Ji Junxiang's The Orphan of Zhao Family , but it was indeed inspired by Voltaire to imitate Shakespeare for creation. There are many details in this drama that can support this view as evidence. Murphy borrowed Voltaire's The Orphan of China in terms of name, plot, scene and theme. Both reflect that civilization defeated barbarism, and barbarians were influenced or eliminated.The Orphan of Zhao Family was originally about the story of Cheng Ying in Jin Dynasty during the Spring and Autumn Period to protect Zhao's orphans for his loyalty. The adapted version of Murphy tells the story of China’s resistance to aggression and the resistance of one nation to another. This has practical political significance for Britain during the Seven Years of War between Britain and France (1756-1763). At the time, the play was a huge success after being staged in London, preaching themes of loyalty, justice and patriotism.

The tragic consciousness and spirit contained in The Orphan of Zhao Family became the earliest representative of the west spread in Chinese classical drama.

III The Dissemination of The Orphan of Zhao

1. Adaptation during Communication

Family’s Communication

Whether it is William Hatchett, Arthur Murphy, or Voltaire’s adaptation has its own characteristics, but in some aspects also have some common characteristics.In fact, they do not understand the situation in China, because the characters in their works are very European. Second, from the perspective of traditional hermeneutics, the adaptors misread The Orphan of Zhao Family. But it is precisely because of this that each adaptation has its own style characteristics. The most important thing is that these authors are based on the political situation and social phenomena of their own country. Starting from reality, they hope that their works can have an enlightening and persuasive effect on the historical environment.As Le Daiyun said, any culture only makes a choice of identification, this choice is often derived from the needs of local culture.

2. Impact and Importance on European Culture

Europeans in the 18th century did not understand Chinese literature. Whether it is a Jesuit who has lived in China or a European who has learned about China through the Jesuits, the Chinese drama is not highly rated. But the moral concepts in Chinese literary works have attracted the attention of many Europeans. For example, Voltaire was adapted because he took a fancy to the moral meaning contained in The Orphan of Zhao Family

In fact, the kindness and morality in The Orphan of Zhao Family not only attracted Voltaire, but also moved Goethe at the end of the 18th century. At that time, the Chinese factor was a popular topic in Europe.

Through the dissemination and adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao Family , it is not difficult to find that European intellectuals in the 18th century attached great importance to social and moral issues. The previous moral system was based on theocracy. The Orphan of Zhao Family brought inspiration and impact to

European enlightenment scholars, inspiring them to establish a system that is independent of religion but can effectively maintain social order.

A variety of adapted versions of The Orphan of Zhao Family combines Chinese and Western cultures. On the basis of adapting to Chinese traditional culture, it also promotes rationality and civilization and achieves the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures.

Conclusion

The Orphan of Zhao Family had a huge impact after it was introduced to Europe, and produced a large number of translations, adaptations and subsequent imitation works. Westerners recognize the charm of The Orphan of Zhao Family and the Chinese thought it embodies, including the spiritual outlook, morals and values of the Chinese. By borrowing Chinese elements and Chinese literature, the translators conveyed their political needs for their country and their persuasion to the people. The understanding of Chinese drama during the European Enlightenment period is of great significance in the cultural process of Europe. It enables Europeans to understand Chinese drama and the politics and culture embodied in the drama. It expands the Europeans’ horizons and promotes European thinking. progress. At the same time, the Europeans' idealized understanding of the ideas of Chinese drama expression has unearthed the meaning of these works that have not been recognized, and has also promoted the re-recognition of these works in China. The discovery and adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao Family in Europe during the Enlightenment reflected this kind of benign interaction, which played a positive role in the exchange of Chinese culture and Western culture.

Work Cited

John Francis Davis. A Romance, translated from the Chinese Original with Notes and Illustrations: to which is Added a Chinese Tragedy. The Fortunate Union London: Oriental Translation Fund, Vol.2, 1829, p.216.

William Hatchett. The Chinese orphan: an historical tragedy. Alter’ d from a specimen of the Chinese tragedy, in Du Halde’ s History of China. Interspers'd with songs, after the Chinese manner . London: Printed for Charles Corbett, 1741.

白晶玉 “比较文学视域下的《赵氏孤儿》解读.”名作欣赏 08(2012):148-150.

靳小蓉 传统戏曲的经典化与再生产 . 2014. 武汉大学， PhD dissertation.

李亚方 “浅析《〈赵氏孤儿〉杂剧在启蒙时期的英国》的价值论 ” 今古文创 08(2022):22-24.

刘畅 . “ 18 世纪西方眼中的中国形象：跨文化视野下的陈受颐《赵氏孤儿》西译考证研究 . ”今古

文创 . 25(2022):37-39.

卢迪 . “从顺应论分析《赵氏孤儿》跨文化传播中的文化融合 . ”淮北师范大学学报（哲学社会科

学版） 37.04(2016):69-72.

曾艳兵 “中法文化交流史上的先行者 伏尔泰对《赵氏孤儿》的改写 ”群言 09(2014):31-33.