LFU:online

In the Western world, understanding of the Sinitic civilization is mostly predicated on translation. In quantity as well as in quality the latter still is quite far from providing a foundation for vivid intellectual exchange in cultural life which has long since developed out of the work of Chinese translators of western literature. However, the impediment urging the Western intellect in its encounters with the East Asian mind into the trap of the exotic might very well issue even more from the ignorance concerning the constant efficaciousness of the great cultural myths and the literary and social personalities they have produced. The typology connecting the image of the “literary talent” 文才 tightly to the dilemma of spiritual and worldly power or between that of ethical responsibility and aesthetical freedom, for example, remains widely unknown. Even the image of the modern Chinese intellectual in his ambiguous relation with state-power and his strong sense of social responsibility is often blurred by the meaningless epitaph “dissident”. Many other types, like the “warhorse”  武俠, the beauty „swallowing“ her grief (a poetic masque of the betrayed official), the Buddhist nun in possession of supernatural power acting as an assassinate and tearing through the yarn of suffering also remain in essence unknown and undiscussed. As a consequence of this the respective figures, when they appear in a work, often remain unrecognized in their proper typological orientation and with the cultural myth speaking through them. Thus, the truth in the work may lose momentum as swift as the exotic impediment of the spectator passes by. This seminar ventures to solve the dilemma by working with a selection of particular case-studies in order to convey to the participant knowledge and ways of self-consistent learning of East Asian culture.

1. Introduction into literary typology of imperial China and historical outlines of classical literature, its most important subgenres as well as of some individual works and outstanding personalities.
2. Myths and cultural types in classics and early modern and modern adaptations.
3. Discussion of processes of transformation transgressing the limitations of genres: from mythology and religion to poetry; from narrative prose to theater, opera, film; from lyrical myths to modern dance; from classical landscape-poetry to eco-critical photo-montage.

We will rely on translations of mythological, lyrical and narrative texts from Chinese into English or German. Four weeks before the beginning of the session-period participants will receive a compilation of text-materials including commentaries and some theoretical essays to be studied in advance. During the period of sessions the three main topics – “Introduction into literary typology”, “Myths and cultural types” and “Processes of transformation” – will be treated in sequence and additional working-materials will be consulted. During the third section („Processes of Transformation“) we will increasingly pass over from classical literary texts sources to the reception through new media (movie, modern-dance performance, photo montage, internet-poetry).

Each participant from the materials to be studied before the session-period must choose a topic for a short presentation of 15 minutes. The presentation should include also one or two additional texts (translated literary sources or research articles) chosen by the author himself in order to complete the already provided ones. There is an option to present on one topic in groups of two presenters, but the presentation should be divided into equal parts, each of which would be presented by one author. In this case the length for the presentation will be extended to 30 minutes.

Participation in each of the sessions is a precondition for obtaining credit-points. Oral participation in the discussions will make up to 25% percent of the final result.

1.    Bauer, Wolfgang: Das Antlitz Chinas. Die autobiographische Darstellung in der chinesischen Literatur von ihren Anfängnen bis heute. (Carl Hanser 1990)

2.    Berkowitz, Alan J.: Patterns of Disengagement. The Practice and Portrayal of Reclusion in Early Medieval China (Stanford University Press 2000)

3.    Birrell, Anne: The Dusty Mirror. Courtly Portraits of Woman in Southern Dynasty Love Poetry. In: Hegel, Robert E. and Hessney, Richard C.: Expressions of Self in Chinese Literature (Columbia University Press 1985)

4.    Lupke, Christopher: The Sinophone Cinema of Hou Hsiao-hsien: Culture, Style, Voice, and Motion (2016)

Übersetzungsliteratur:

1. Debon. Günther: Mein Haus is menschenfern, doch nah den Dingen (Diedrichs 1988)
2. Eich, Günter: Aus dem Chinesischen (Suhrkamp 1976)
3. Kuhn, Franz: Der Traum der Roten Kammer (Insel Verlag 1960)
4. Keller, Raffael: Liu Zongyuan. Am Törichten Bach (Friedenauer Presse 2005)
5. Schimmel, Annemarie u.a.: Lyrik des Ostens (Hanser 1952)
6. Stumpfeldt, Hans: Ein Garten der Sprüche. Das Shuo-yüan des Liu Hsiang (79 – 8 v. Chr.) Teil II (Ostasienverlag 2011)
7. Weinberger, Eliot: The New Directions Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry (New Directions 2003)