Since May 2021, the musical adapted from the British version of "Orphan of Zhao" has toured in more than 20 cities in China, with a total of more than 70 performances.
Some people say that this musical is a Chinese-English mixed race. In the play, people can see not only the common "ghost revenge" plot in Shakespeare's plays, but also the morality and loyalty of ancient Chinese people. It is a veritable "Chinese Hamlet". "".
1. Misunderstanding translations
In the 1830s, a Frenchman in Beijing, Joseph Marseille, translated a drama of the Yuan Dynasty. He asked two friends to bring the translation back to Paris and gave it to Fourmont, an oriental scholar at the Collège de France.
By mistake, the translation fell into the hands of sinologist Du Hede.
Du Halde was editing an encyclopedia about China, which would later be known as China General Annals.
Du Hede, who got the translation, felt like a treasure, and published the Chinese drama in "China General Annals" in 1735 without the permission of Joseph Marosell and Fullmont.
Fourmont also wrote a letter condemning Duherd's actions due to copyright reasons.
In fact, Fullon himself did the same thing.
As early as 1728, Joseph Marseille sent the manuscript of "Chinese Notes" to Fourmont, hoping to use his influence to publish it in France.
Fuermont was also compiling a Chinese grammar book at the time, and he used the materials in Joseph Marosell's manuscripts in his own "Grammar of Mandarin", and published a part of the book in advance.
Joseph Marseille's "Chinese Notes" was shelved since then, and it was not discovered until a century later, and it was officially published in 1831.
Nearly 300 years have passed since this incident, and it is still embarrassing to read it today. People may think: If Marosell’s translation of the Yuan Zaju is really in the hands of Fullon, what will be the fate?
Perhaps history should thank Du Hede, who saved the translation that was likely to be buried, and created the possibility for Chinese literature to influence Europe.
This Yuan Zaju is "The Orphan of the Zhao Family", and the author is Ji Junxiang.
"The Orphan of Zhao" has been translated or adapted many times in the West. There are one French version, two English versions, one German version and one Italian version.
The most recent adaptation was in 2012: British poet and playwright James Fenton was invited by the Royal Shakespeare Company, based on the English translation of "Orphan of Zhao" by American sinologists West and Idma, Created a new English version of Orphan of Zhao.
In October of the same year, Fenton's play was staged and performed in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace.
In 2021, this contemporary version of "The Orphan of Zhao" will be translated into Chinese and adapted into a musical, and a tour in China will begin.
2. Ma Joseph and Du Hede
The story of "The Orphan of the Zhao Family" was first seen in "Zuo Zhuan". Sima Qian made changes when he wrote this story into "Historical Records", and it became the prototype of the story we are familiar with.
During the Ming Dynasty, the play was compiled and adapted by Zang Maoxun, and included in "Yuan Qu Xuan" in 1616.
In "Tell the Reader", Du Hede introduced the source of Marosell's translation - "a book called "Hundreds of Yuan Operas", which "collects 100 of the best plays created during the Yuan Dynasty", "Zhao Orphan's is the 85th of them.
Judging from this, Marosell should refer to the "Yuan Qu Xuan" collected and arranged by Zang Maoxun when translating.
Marosell introduced "The Orphan of Zhao" to Europe mainly because it has many similarities with French tragedies.
First of all, it is one of the few five-act dramas in the Yuan Dynasty; second, the heavy tragic theme is consistent, and there are no funny comedy interludes and no love scenes; in addition, the main characters in the story are all nobles.
In fact, Marosell's translation only has the narration and stage instructions but no libretto. Du Hede attributed the reason to the translator's Chinese level: the libretto is "too difficult to understand" and there are too many allusions "that we don't understand and rhetoric that we can't perceive." ".
In the article ""The Orphan of Zhao" Zaju in England during the Enlightenment Period", Mr. Fan Cunzhong, an expert in English language and literature, pointed out another possible reason: that is, Joseph Marseille specialized in Confucian classics and was not very good at "poetry and music".
In the book "Europe in China", French contemporary sinologist Ai Tianpu started from the trend of Sino-Western exchanges in the 18th century, and believed that Joseph Marose, like many Europeans at that time, "knows little about Chinese music" and "has little knowledge of Chinese music". Little is known about the role of Chinese music in Yuan Zaju.”
Marosell's translation of "The Orphan of Zhao" was published in "China General Annals", which aroused people's comparison and heated discussions on the traditions of Chinese and French drama.
In France in the 18th century, neoclassicism was the only criterion for drama creation, and the literary theorist Boileau's "The Art of Poetry" was the textbook of neoclassicism.
In this book, he extracted some disciplines from Aristotle's "Poetics" and Horace's "The Art of Poetry", combined with the works of contemporary French dramatists, he formed a set of principles for drama creation .
Looking at "The Orphan of Zhao" from the perspective of neoclassicism, it does not conform to the "three unities" advocated by neoclassicism, that is, "a story must be completed in one place and in one day, and the stage must be kept full from the beginning to the end." ".
In the story of "The Orphan of Zhao", 20 years have passed from the birth of the baby to the revenge, and the location of the story has changed many times.
But Du Hede firmly believes that this play created in China in the 13th and 14th centuries is much better than the contemporary French play.
At that time, he said, "the (French) poetic drama was very immature and very crude", so "there is no need to look here for the 'three unities' of time, place and plot, and for giving regularity to such works. rules to be followed".
3. William Hatchett
In Britain in the 18th century, the introduction of Chinese literary works was almost always transferred from the European continent, especially France.
After "General Annals of China" was published in France in 1735, an abridged English translation was available in England in the second year, and the full translation was published twice in 1738 and 1741.
In 1741, Hatchett's "The Orphan of China" was published in London. This was the first Chinese drama adapted by Europeans, and it was also the earliest adaptation of "The Orphan of Zhao" in Europe.
In 1755, Voltaire's adaptation of "The Orphan of China" was performed at the Comédie Française, and the story of "The Orphan of Zhao" appeared on the European stage for the first time.
In 1756, the Englishman Arthur Murphy created "The Chinese Orphan" based on Voltaire's adaptation, and it began to be performed at the Drury Street Theater in February 1759.
The neoclassicism grown on French soil is no longer applicable in England.
Shakespeare’s works violate the “Three Unities” everywhere, and the 18th-century British classicist writers, as Qian Zhongshu said in “China in 17th and 18th Century British Literature”, “are not like French contemporaries are so rigid and inflexible.”
Hatchett wrote these few words in his dedication to the play, which shows his love for "Orphan of Zhao": "With all due respect, although the example (on which this work is based) given by Douhard is very vulgar , is far from perfect; and I still believe that the unabashed style of writing in the story cannot be compared even in the best European repertoire." In the preface to Murphy written by Poet Laureate Whitehead, we read several An "Elegy" to neoclassicism: "Ancient Greece and Rome have said too much. Their treasures have bottomed out, and neither of them fascinates us: it is in vain to try now and then." In this laurels Under the poet's pen, Chinese literature is a rising star: "Tonight the poet's eagle-like wings / For new virtues, will fly to a bright country / From China in the East, for the virtuous Thirsty Britain, / Bring the teachings of Confucius."
In The Far East and the British Imagination, Robert Macley states that "Eighteenth-century China offered the British Royalists a way to strengthen their socio-political views".
Hatchett's "Chinese Orphans" is just such a political satire about current events in Britain.
King George II was weak and incompetent, and the country was controlled by Prime Minister Robert Walpole.
One of Walpole's chief opponents was the Field Marshal, the Duke of Argyll, who was dismissed for clashing with him in Parliament.
Hatchett was moved by this incident, and based on the story of "Orphan of Zhao", he wrote a story about a prime minister who framed a general, and dedicated this story to the Duke of Argyll.
Hatchett adapted both the plot and the characters, shortening the time span from the original 20 years to a few months, so that revenge is impossible before the orphans grow up.
In Hatchett's story, the protagonist is not an orphan but a prime minister—a man who puts his personal desire for power above the national interest, so the plot revolves around punishing evil and eradicating adultery.
The names of the characters in the play are also very interesting: the prime minister is called "Xiao He", who was Liu Bang's counselor in the Western Han Dynasty; ".
Some people have verified that Hatchett found some Chinese names from the index of "General History of China" and randomly placed them on the characters, resulting in such ridiculous results.
Hatchett added libretto to the emotional climax of the script, trying to get closer to Yuan Zaju in form.
However, Liu Wuji, a famous poet and translator, said in "The Orphan of Zhao" that Hatchett's libretto "neither served as an artistic modification nor promoted the development of the story; The libretto in Yuan Zaju is the same."
Hatchett's adaptation was never formally performed.
In 1737, the British government promulgated the "Drama Review Act". John Lalpon, the inspector in charge of the review, collected the original plays submitted for review from 1737 to 1824, called "Ralpon Drama Selection", which is now the Huntington Library collections.
Hatchett's "Chinese Orphans" is not found in this anthology, so it can be assumed that the show was not submitted for censorship.
But that's not what this adaptation is about.
Many English writers in the 18th century, such as Pope, Swift and Fielding, wrote articles satirizing Walpole's autocracy.
It can be said that Hatchett's adaptation was at the right time, conformed to this historical trend, and contributed to Walpole's resignation in 1842.
4. Arthur Murphy
Arthur Murphy's "Chinese Orphans" reflects European politics, or the relationship between Britain and France.
From 1756 to 1763, the "Seven Years' War" broke out between the alliance of Britain and Prussia and the alliance of France, Austria and Russia in order to compete for colonial and European hegemony.
Before and after the war, anti-French sentiment among the British people was very high, and France became the target of public criticism.
Writing a play based on a French work at this time is likely to invite opposition and misunderstanding.
Perhaps as a hedge, Murphy included a letter to Voltaire in the script.
In the letter, he criticized Voltaire's works: "Although it is somewhat disappointing, it is not without merit." It seems to be an announcement that he will make improvements on the basis of Voltaire's works, and will start from a French translation of Chinese dramas. Expand on the criticism of the French.
This letter to Voltaire is no bluff, and Murphy's adaptation is, in fact, quite productive.
In Voltaire's story, the Song official who was left alone was called Sheng Di, and there was a love affair between Sheng Di's wife and Genghis Khan.
Genghis Khan was moved by the words and deeds of Sheng Di and his wife, so he gave up the plan of extermination and adopted the orphan as his adopted son.
In Murphy's view, these stories of love for children destroy the tension of the drama, "like a man who was rowing at full strength and suddenly slack off, I saw, or felt, that he (Voltaire) completely give up".
Murphy deleted the love story and pushed the entire story back 20 years.
During these 20 years, Concubine Sheng raised orphans, and his own child, Hamet, also grew up in Korea.
Two young men participated in the war against Genghis Khan and were captured at the same time. Genghis Khan tortured Sheng Di and asked him to tell who the real orphan was.
Concubine Sheng kept in mind the mission of being an orphan, and concealed the identity of the real orphan. His own son Hammert was executed as an orphan, and Concubine Sheng was also executed soon.
At the end of the story, the real orphan lived up to his mission and killed Genghis Khan to avenge everyone.
Many of the plots here-the lives of two young people hanging by a thread, the painful choice of Sheng's wife, etc., all show intense dramatic conflicts, and the story is more exciting to read.
In 1759, Garrick put Murphy's "Chinese Orphan" on the stage, and performed 9 performances in a row, which was a great success.
The wonderful story is one aspect, and the stage and costume design with the characteristics of "Chinese style" also contributed a lot, and this "Chinese style" is a "rebellion" against French taste.
As Murphy wrote in his letter, if Voltaire had come to see the performance, he would have seen "a spectacle different from the principles of the French scenography."
Mrs. Yeates, who played the role of Sheng Di's wife, mentioned China many times in the "closing remarks", such as claiming that her dress is "true Chinese style", implying that it is "closer to China than the French".
A 1797 edition of Murphy's The Chinese Orphan includes an engraving reflecting Garrick's stage set.
On the screen, his wife handed Sheng Di a dagger, begging him to end his life.
Behind them, a circular window opened onto a garden.
Above their heads, the eaves carved in relief turned up, with bells hanging on the sides, and a pair of Chinese armor surrounded by two shields on the eaves.
This architectural style is very similar to the Kew Garden designed by the British architect Chambers in imitation of Chinese gardens.
Such a stage effect, as a theater review in 1759 said: "A traveler from the East will imagine himself in Beijing, and a Londoner will feel a new world."
5. James Fenton
In 2012, the Royal Shakespeare Company held a season of performances entitled "Elsewhere Worlds", which focused on presenting the stages and events of Shakespeare's contemporaries outside the UK.
The season features three adaptations: Brecht's Galileo by Mark Ravenhill, Pushkin's Boris Godunov by Adrian Mitchell, and James Finn "The Orphan of the Zhao Family" adapted by Dunton.
Galileo, Tsar Godunov, and Shakespeare were contemporaries, and Zang Maoxun, the adaptor of the Ming version of "The Orphan of Zhao," also lived in the same era as Shakespeare.
A notable feature of Fenton's adaptation is that it is as close to the original as possible in terms of expression.
First of all, the characters are named after the characters in the original work.
Secondly, poetic libretto is added to the script, and there are five libretto in the whole play.
In addition, at the beginning of each scene, the characters will introduce themselves and briefly describe their main tasks in this scene.
For example, at the beginning of Act 21 "The Painting on the Scroll", Cheng Ying was thinking hard about how to confess his life experience to Cheng Bo: "I have to tell Cheng Bo the ins and outs of the whole thing. But how do I start? How do I tell him this?" Bad news, say he's not my son? I'm not his father? Say I lied to you? Say I've always taught you to be honest, but forgive me I lied to you on this 'little' thing lied?"
In an interview with the media, James Fenton said frankly that the story took place in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history, which was an "awe-inspiring and distant era". How to imagine a "poetic language" to express this story is really a challenge. No small challenge.
In order to get familiar with the poems of the Spring and Autumn Period, Fenton carefully read the English version of "The Book of Songs".
In Act 15 "The Song of General Wei Jiang", Zhao Wu, who came to the frontier to collect herbs, discovered many plants that he had only seen in books, and couldn't help but write a poem: "The green grass bloomed , Bracken sprouts grow." Wei Jiang criticized him for not understanding the suffering of soldiers on the border: "Young man, if you have been eating this kind of bitter bracken sprouts for 18 years, you might not be so surprised."
The poem "Caiwei" in "The Book of Songs" has been known to Western readers through the "Huaxia Collection" by the American poet Pound.
The poem tells the experience of a group of soldiers guarding the frontier. There are a few lines like this: "Plucking the weeds and picking the weeds, the weaves are soft and soft. The day returns, and the heart also stops worrying. Worry is fierce, hunger and thirst. I am undecided , Return to hire the extravagant emissary." It means that when the bracken sprouts just sprouted, the soldiers wanted to go home.
They were hungry and thirsty, and missed their loved ones, but they had no fixed place to live and could not write letters to their families.
In this scene, Fenton imitated a nostalgic song with a similar theme: "Looking down is the shining dewdrop on the hillside, and looking up is a crescent moon like a hook. / Wake up the soldiers who cry in their dreams, I will soon Going home.” On October 30, 2012, the Royal Shakespeare Company performed Fenton’s Orphan of Zhao for the first time, with Gregory Dolan as artistic director.
Speaking of the European adaptation of "The Orphan of Zhao" in the 18th century, Mr. Fan Cunzhong said, "The Orphan of Zhao" "is not a historical story, but a legend, a fable, which can be picked, added or deleted."
It can be said that each of its adaptations in Europe is a piece of the puzzle, each telling a story of the mutual influence and blending of Eastern and Western cultures.
(Author: Wang Dongju, Associate Professor, School of Arts, Xi'an International Studies University)
(Source: Guangming Daily, December 1, 2022, Page 13)