An Analysis of Symbolism in A Passage to India

第6卷第11期读与写杂志2009年11月Vol.6 No.11Read and Write PeriodicalNovember 2009An Analysis of Symbolism in A Passage toIndia张瑛(湖北工业大学外国语学院湖北武汉430068)Abstract: E. M. Forster is a very famous traditional novelist, who is good at using symbolism to interpret the themes inhis novels. At the beginning of this essay, the author briely introduces Forster's life story, and then analyzes the use ofsymbols in his masterpiece A Pasage 10 India.Key words: symbolism;friendship;A Passage to India中图分类号:G642文献标识码: A文章编号:1672- -1578(2009)11 0031-02Introductionmasterpece, not only because of the careful description of theEdward Morgan Forster is a realistie, traditional novelist in four major characlers and the content which uncovered theEnglish literature. He was bom in London in 1879, the son of conflicts between the English colonial rulers and the oppressedan architect. He was educated at Tongridge School and lalter at native Indians, but also because of Forster's succeeding in fus-King's College, Cambridge, where he enjoyed the free academ-ing the elements of social realism, symbolic suggestion andic atmosphere there. He was paricularly interested in thepsychological insights wonderfully well. From the several placesCambridge pbilosopher, G. E. Moore's idea of true friendship of the themes of the novels, we may know this.in a very stuffy and hypocritical world.First, A Passage to India is a superb realistic novel. InForster began his career by working as a joumalist after this novel, Forster exposes the brutal treatment of the Indianhis graduation. He visited Greece and stayed for a time in 卜people by the English colonialists in India to certain extent.aly. Both Creek mythology and ltalian Renaissance art gaveBy presenting a vivid picture of the racial inequality in India,him much inspiration. And most of his work is concermed withForster not only condemns colonialism, but also shows his deepways of discovering a quality in personal relationship amid the sympathy for the common India people. In this sense, A Pas-complexities and distortions of modem life. And he also em- sage to India can be regarded as a eriticism of the Englishphasized the importance of harmony between spiritual life and colonialist rule in India and has rich social and historical sig-material civilization and the need of mutual understanding innificance.human relationships, which was very well presented in his nov-Secondly, A Passage to India is also a modernist novel.els. In 1912 and 1922, Forster visited India twice, and out ofWith a vast physical and mental landscape, it shows the valuehis personal experience of the two trips, he wrote his last and of personal relationships and the holiness of the "heart's af-best novel A Passage to India.feection". The emphasis here is put on man's difficulties and2 The Content of A Passage to Indiainadequacies in achieving the ideal. On various degrees, all theIn A Passage to India, Forster takes the relations between major characters, such as Fielding, Aziz, Adela and Mrs.he Englishmen and the Indians in India in the early 1920s as Moore, seemn to have failed in their search for friendship anda background,tells us a story about an Indian doctor's beingunderstanding.accused falsely of insulting an Englishwoman, and explores the. As a novelist, Forster is also very good at making subtlepossibilities of establishing true frendship between Englishmen use of symbolism to express a normal and spiritual interprela-and Indians under the Brish colonialist rule. The story devel- tion of human experience. In his novels, the images, metaphors,ps mainly around the relations of Aziz, a Muslin Indian doc-and the details of descripions and actions seem to have car-tor, and Cycil Fielding, an English humanisl, who works in In- ried a certain symbolic meaning. The very obvious symbols india as the principal of the Govemment College.this novel are the title of the novel and also those names ofMrs. Moore and Miss Adela Quested have strong liberal places. The titleideas and are eager to meet Indians on an equal position. In to greater understanding of India, but also symbolically impliesorder to meet the needs of Adela's deeply and truly under- man's quest for ulimate truth. The three subtitles, "Mosque",standing of India, Aziz invited the two women and his friend "Caves" and "Temple", symbolically suggest that various reli-Fielding to visit the Marabar Caves. While visiting one of thegious paths to truth are being problematically offered. In thecaves, Adela seems to have a hallucinalion of being insuiled firstpart, the meeting of Dr. Aziz and Mrs. Moore at theby some one in the cave. She rushes down alone and is mosque implies the possible achievement in personal relationspicked up to go back to Chardrapore. Aziz fails to find Adela, by means of intuitive sympathy, acceptance and warnth. Inbut is arrested for having insulted Adela according to the lat. correspondence with the theme in this part, the cool weatherter's own testimony. Adela's accusation brings the already implies a kind of sanity and control over the human behavior.strained relations between the British and the Indians to a cri-But the abortive "bridge party" the rudely interupled tea par-sis. During the stormy trial, Adela recovers from her hysteria, ty, the broken and patched engagement of Adela and Ronnyand realizes that she has made a big mistake. The crisis is re- and the coming of the hot weather all pose a threat to thesolved, and Dr. Aziz is set free. But Adela flls into a lonely frail human bond.position and is dropped by all the British community excepl中国煤化工. xperience of Adela andFielding, who now admires her and helps her back to England. Mrs.Mcentral episode. Adela'Fielding comesback to India again after two years and meets B accu:Y HC N M H Gliroys Mrs. Moore bothAziz. But Aziz clearly expresses that there will be no true spinituauy anu piysicay, au wives Adela to the brinkfriendship between the two peoples before India gets complete madness. It threatens ruin to Aziz and destroys all constructiveindependence.relationships among the four persons. Suspicion, hostility3 The Symbolism in A Passage to Indiand hatred between the Englishmen and the Indians areA Passage to India is regarded as Forster s well-knows(下转38页)-31 -第6卷第11期读与因杂志2009年11月Vol.6 No.lIRead and Write PeriodicalNovember 2009了存在的意义。因此他们在翻译意识流开拓之作(尤利西斯)时表达的意思和意境.而这些读者包括懂得和不懂得源语言的人，给全书增加了5,840条注解，字数上十万。.而作为译者真正要关照的对象就是那些不懂得源语言的读者,3.4创造性叛逆(creational treason)只有连他们都看懂了,译文才是成功的译文。既然直译行不通,我们这里所说的“创造性叛逆",主要指译者在语言层面对就需要译者的智慧和创造力了。而译文二貌似对原文叛逆,却巧译文所做的"脱胎换骨”性的转化处理。(孔致礼,2009:137)。这妙地玩了一个中文文字游戏，不仅创造性地再现了原文文字游样的叛逆通常有两种情况:一是在语言差异较大不便直译的情戏的幽默，还能让所有的译文读者看了都能会心一笑。况下,要敢于冲破源语的束缚,译出意义最切近而又符合译语规(3)一我姓陈,耳东陈。范的译文,也就是说,要善于将“规范自然的原文”转换为“规范-My family name is Chen, C-H-E-N.自然的译文" ,舍弃“形似"而求“神似”。请看下例:上面的这个例子,直译根本无法翻译,就算勉强翻译出来也(1) .. was wrong in her situation. I wanted her to stay是晦涩难懂.令译语读者一头雾水不知所云。“耳东陈“是为了告at home and rest this moming, but she would come with us;诉听者这个字的拼写方法,而译文中的“C-H-E- -N"恰恰巧妙he longed so much to see you all! I. Austen: Sense and地呼应了“耳东陈" ,令人拍手叫绝。Sensibiliy, Ch.19, V. )4结语:.....她的情况不太好。我想让她今天上午留在家里综上所述，在翻译的过程中，要追求绝对的忠实是不可能休息,但她一定要和我们一起来;她太想见到你们了!的。叛逆不仅不可避免,有时还是必须的,尤其是创造性的叛逆，译文二: ..她身子不方便。我要她上午待在家里好好歇不但可以做到更好地忠实于源文本，而且还能达到意想不到,令着,可她偏偏要跟我们一道来。她多么渴望见你们一家人啊!人拍案叫绝的效果,因此应该大力提倡。当然.要做到创造性叛小说中的詹宁斯太太为女儿怀有身孕引以为豪，喜不自禁.逆绝非易事,需要译者的高度创造力、想象力以及对翻译所涉及地到处宜扬，这里是她讲的一席话。其中第- -句话理解起来容的两种语 盲的高度驾驭能力。易,翻译起来却比较困难。第一种译文只是追求表面上的对应,结果是“形合而神离”,完全违背了詹宁斯太太为女儿怀孕感到参考文献:自豪的得意心情。相比之下,第二种译文用“她身子不方便"来翻[1]张培基，喻云根,李宗杰等.英汉翻译教程[M].上海外语教译反而起到了“貌离而神合"的效果。育出版社,2006.第二种常见的情况是遇到原文出现文字游戏之类的情况[2]钱钟书,七缀集[M]上海古籍出版社,1985.下,要采取“以变应变“的策路,含弃表层含义,传达深层意蕴,也[3]孙致礼.翻译与叛逆[U].中国翻译,2001(4).就是译出精神译出风格。请看下例:[4]孙致礼.新蝙英汉翻译教程{M].上海外语教育出版社,2009.(2) A: What makes a road broad?[5]Tytler, Alexander Fraser (1791) Essay on the Principles ofB: The ltter “B".Translation(论翻译的原则)[M].外语教学与研究出版社,2007.译文一:甲:什么能让一条路变宽?[6]奥斯汀著,孙致礼译理智与情感[M]南京:译林出版社,2009.乙:字母“B"!译文二:甲:什么会使门变阔? .作者简介:黄爱华(1982-),女,毕业于福州大学外国语学院,本乙:“活“字呗!科学历,学士学位,现福建农林大学英语助教。研究方向:翻译理译文一是采用直译的方法,貌似忠实于原文,达到形似,实论与实践。际上却让不懂英语的人看了丈二金刚摸不着头脑。我们知道,翻译的最终目的，是要让译语读者能够理解甚至领会源语言所要(上接31页)While presenting a realistic picture in his works, Forsteraroused to the full when the slormy trial comes. Symbolically, aims to convey his moral message in various symbols. But hethe caves stand for the voice of chaos and provide a negative does not always succeed in harmonizing realism and symbolism.answer to the human endeavor for understanding and friend-As his stories shift from one to the other, now and again theship. In this part, the hot weather, dangerous and oppressive to readerall life, echoes the negative answer to the caves with halluci- the reader to maintain his ilusion of everyday reality. The de-nation and hysleria, which annihilates all reason and justice.mands of his symbolic palterm also lead Forster astray by mak-In the third part, the festival to celebrate the birth of Indi- ing him go oulside his crealive range. But his A Passage ton love goddess in rainy season opens the“ Temple" section. India also can be regarded as a masterpiece in the EnglishUsually temple is the place where Hindu religion celebratesliterature world.the birth of love goddess, and where curls up holy incense References:smoke. But afer he celebration, when Aziz and Filding rides lJForster E. M. A Passage to India [M] New York: Harcourt'out of the mountain vlly the temples, the tank, the jail, the Brace 1984.palace, even the birds and the carrion, what seem to be an ill[2S.M.Gilbert. E.M.Forster's. A Passage to India and Howardsomen, say in their hundred voices: that they don't want to be End [M] Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and Researchfriends. So "Temple" is not only the symbol of the Hindu reli.Press, 1996.[3]全光兰。(印度之行)的象征意蕴m.兰州大学学报(社会科学gion, and also that of a magic universe to which an answer to↓版)20中国煤化工possible reconciliation of human relations might exist, and rain,大学大学出版社,1997.symbol of renewed life or regeneration, also implies a hope of[5]张C NMH G福斯特<印度之行>解future frendship between England and India. The organic com-读[].四女有因治于流于很,cU0, (U1).bination of the natural climate, the atmosphere of the story andthe characters' feeling also displays the excellent skills in us-作者简介:张瑛(1974-),女,湖北工业大学外国语学院讲师,主ing the symbolism technique.要从事英语语言学,英美文学方向研究。4 Conclusion- 38-