{"id":7771,"date":"2016-06-06T07:00:27","date_gmt":"2016-06-05T21:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-711166-2356953.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=7771"},"modified":"2016-07-20T12:37:41","modified_gmt":"2016-07-20T02:37:41","slug":"approximate-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/","title":{"rendered":"Approximate Translation: Between Language and Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"approximate<\/em>In semantics, precision is key. So, why is it, when it comes to Chinese, there is a habit of English speakers resorting to malapropism (see: \u201ccomedy\u201d sketches<\/a>) that undermines the language and those who speak it? <\/span><\/p>\n

Like a steamroller, the Western ear flattens the nuanced vowels and tones, rendering the Chinese linguistic landscape a wasteland. For the coloniser, reducing a language to a few flat notes makes the language easier to understand, easier to compartmentalise, easier to define, easier to stereotype. Chinese becomes a total of three or four hollow phonemes\u2014usually Ching, Chang, and Chong\u2014and Chinese becomes Japanese until whole volumes of diverse languages become one monolithic \u201cAsian\u201d. The linguistic relationship of \u201cOriental\u201d to coloniser necessitates translation. More specifically, the translation of the \u201cThem\u201d\/”Orient\u201d into \u201cUs\u201d\/\u201cOccident\u201d. But to translate language is\u00a0<\/span>only to provide an approximation of a culture\u2019s rich, multi-layered semiotics\u2014and this is the matter at hand in Felix Ching Ching Ho\u2019s Approximate Translation<\/a>. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The three-part, experimental drama is rendered in layers of Cantonese, Shanghainese, Mandarin and English woven together in some semblance of a symphony. In collaboration with other artists, Ho produces a show that intends to \u201cunpack some of the vast and rich Chinese languages through a chamber of sound and images, to look into a traditional Chinese performing arts form through translations\u201d. From this vantage point, Ho reflects her reality onto the audience through the use of surtitles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ho\u2019s intent is most effective in the second act where Chinese outgrows English-the lens through which it is understood. Three languages are performed: Mandarin by Yuchen Wang, Shanghainese by Rose Weirou Gui, and Cantonese by Derek Sheung Bun Lo. For the length of the act, the three performers recite sentences, perform laryngeal features, and demonstrate different intonations of their specific dialect. Here, speech is translated into lyrical notes that bear an almost ethereal quality. As surtitles flash on the screen in rapid gunfire, the sounds that emerge from the mouth do not match up with the letters on the screen. The cognitive dissonance that results forces the audience into communing with the ebb and flow of the language that floats through the theatre. On the stage, the English language is arrested by the overwhelming technicality of the Chinese phonemes: its Roman alphabet is unable to capture the sound. As plosive pops and clicks are made with the mouth, the differing dialects that seemed to grate against one another suddenly find harmony in certain words. The effect is as if fine string is being looped in pursuit of these choreographed connections and what Ho presents us with is a tapestry in worship of the languages performed on stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At this point, I closed my eyes and allowed the disembodied voices to sweep me into the waves of sound. Like the meditative urgency of a monastic chant, Ho urges us to listen to the complexity of the language. The act concludes with a poem\u2014Between Chinese and English<\/i>\u2014written by Ouyang Jianghe<\/a>. This poem is recited collaboratively by the three players in their respective dialects and then in English by Ho. The performance, while lengthy, confronts the audience with the burden of language and the urgency of its gradual disappearance. Ho does not pretend to be original with this concern, citing Ouyang\u2019s poetry to aid in her battle cry. What is most interesting is the pairing of a meticulous dissection of each dialect\u2019s distinguishing features with a literary voice. The beauty of the language was not to be found in the artist\u2019s literary mastery but in the prosaic staccato of voice. <\/span><\/p>\n

At the beginning of the work, Ho states her intention and purpose of the piece\u2014unwilling to yield to an audience\u2019s tendency to universalise the art: <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

This journey is a reflection of my journey not only to fulfil the hunger and curiosity as an artist, to share the sophistication of the languages I speak, and me making connection to the communities and culture that I was, am, and will be part of.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And in \u201cDialectics Chamber\u201d, Ho certainly hits the mark. While it\u00a0may have seemed\u2014to some\u2014distanced and clinical in its delivery, in fact it is deeply personal. There is a strong sense of Ho\u2019s curiosity, yearning, and love for the language that shines through in her method. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, while \u201cDialectics Chamber\u201d possesses a quality that has stayed with me, the other parts of the work felt more like the first stages of Ho\u2019s experimentation with the form.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the first part, titled \u201cTriangular Relations\u201d, Yuchen Wang takes centre stage and begins a monologue from Sarah Kane\u2019s 4:48 Psychosis. <\/i>The passage selected is a deeply personal piece taken-out of context-from the harrowing drama about an individual\u2019s battle\u00a0 <\/span>with (and subsequent loss to) suicidal ideations. \u201cTriangular Relations\u201d introduced the playfulness with language that Ho utilises to better effect in “Dialectics Chamber”. The monologue is recited, in both English and Mandarin, at superhuman speed, and then slowed down in resentful bitterness (to the credit of the talented Yuchen Wang). Surtitles ghost the monologue, flashing up a few key words. Gestural performance concludes the segment. This part seemed to be more appropriately a study or experiment for \u201cDialectics Chamber\u201d and an attempt to become self-referential and cohesive in dramaturgy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the third act of the Approximate Translation, <\/i>\u201cInvisible Rituals\u201d is an excerpt from The Moon Pavilion, <\/i>a Cantonese Opera performed by the Kong Chew Chinese Opera Association. Including the unaltered opera at the end of the work feels like a reference to historical traditions and a nod to other forms of theatre that do not necessarily fit in the Western conception of the art. The opera feels like an affirmation of the notion that language transcends speech. This is apparent in the way actors convey humour, not only through what is said in the scene, but by what is implied through double entendre, body language, gestures, and emoting. Surtitling, while effective in the other parts of the play, undermines the intent of \u201cInvisible Rituals\u201d. With surtitles, the linguistic safety blanket of the audience remains and inhibits the ability of the audience to experience the reflexive translation that occurs when encountering another language. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is evident that Felix Ching Ching Ho has wrestled with language at all levels of discourse. Approximate Translation <\/i>marks the first step towards a more refined piece about the relationship between actor, audience, and content. Even in its early stages, the work reveals the utter miraculous manifestation of language and is persistent in its interrogation of multilingualism and translation.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Felix Ching Ching Ho is a Hong-Kong born independent theatre director and maker based in Melbourne. Felix is currently Assistant Director for\u00a0The Caucasian Chalk Circle\u00a0<\/a>at Black Swan State Theatre Company. Approximate Translation was an artist curated event at The Malthouse Theatre on May 28 2016.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Conceived and Directed by \/ Felix Ching Ching Ho
\nDesign \/ Eugyeene Teh
\nSound \/ Chris Wenn
\nSurtitles \/ Vincent Ging Ho Yim
\nStage Management: Tia Clark
\n#1 Triangular Relations
\nPerformer \/ Yuchen Wang
\nExtract\/ \u201cPsychosis 4.48\u201d by Sarah Kane
\nChinese Translation \/ Kaiqi Hu
\n#2 Dialects Chamber
\nPerformers \/ Rose Weirou Gui, Derek Lo, Yuchen Wang
\nPoem \/ \u201cBetween Chinese and English\u201d by Ouyang Jianghe
\nEnglish Translation \/ Austin Woerner
\n#3 Invisible Rituals
\nPerformed by Kong Chew Chinese Opera Association Inc.
\nSingers \/ Helen Chin Yuan Wu, Emily Miaoqi Chen
\nPercussion Ensemble Leader \/ Sophia Xiu Liang Ko
\nEnsemble Leader \/ Xingxin Yuan
\nEnsemble \/ Peter Dat Wing Lee, Shuoyou Pan, Yaoxin Zhao, Qibin Liang
\nExcerpt \/ \u201cThe Umbrella Story\u201d from Cantonese Opera \u201cThe Moon Pavilion\u201d
\nExcerpt English Translation \/ Chanel Chan & Rick Qi<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In semantics, precision is key. So, why is it, when it comes to Chinese, there is a habit of English speakers resorting to malapropism (see: \u201ccomedy\u201d sketches) that undermines the language and those who speak it? Like a steamroller, the Western ear flattens the nuanced vowels and tones, rendering the Chinese linguistic landscape a wasteland. For the coloniser, reducing a language to a few flat notes makes the language easier to understand, easier to compartmentalise, easier to define, easier to stereotype. Chinese becomes a total of three or four hollow phonemes\u2014usually Ching, Chang, and Chong\u2014and Chinese becomes Japanese until whole volumes of diverse languages become one monolithic \u201cAsian\u201d. The linguistic relationship of \u201cOriental\u201d to coloniser necessitates translation. More specifically, the translation of the \u201cThem\u201d\/”Orient\u201d into \u201cUs\u201d\/\u201cOccident\u201d. But to translate language is\u00a0only to provide an approximation of a culture\u2019s rich, multi-layered semiotics\u2014and this is the matter at hand in Felix Ching Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":582,"featured_media":7773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[363,168,1641],"tags":[772,880,1071,1621],"yoast_head":"\nApproximate Translation: Between Language and Us - Peril magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Approximate Translation: Between Language and Us - Peril magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In semantics, precision is key. So, why is it, when it comes to Chinese, there is a habit of English speakers resorting to malapropism (see: \u201ccomedy\u201d sketches) that undermines the language and those who speak it? Like a steamroller, the Western ear flattens the nuanced vowels and tones, rendering the Chinese linguistic landscape a wasteland. For the coloniser, reducing a language to a few flat notes makes the language easier to understand, easier to compartmentalise, easier to define, easier to stereotype. Chinese becomes a total of three or four hollow phonemes\u2014usually Ching, Chang, and Chong\u2014and Chinese becomes Japanese until whole volumes of diverse languages become one monolithic \u201cAsian\u201d. The linguistic relationship of \u201cOriental\u201d to coloniser necessitates translation. More specifically, the translation of the \u201cThem\u201d\/”Orient\u201d into \u201cUs\u201d\/\u201cOccident\u201d. But to translate language is\u00a0only to provide an approximation of a culture\u2019s rich, multi-layered semiotics\u2014and this is the matter at hand in Felix Ching Read More »\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Peril magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-06-05T21:00:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-07-20T02:37:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-04-at-8.38.52-PM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"903\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"453\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"al chan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/\",\"name\":\"Peril magazine\",\"description\":\"Asian-Australian Arts & Culture\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-04-at-8.38.52-PM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-04-at-8.38.52-PM.png\",\"width\":903,\"height\":453},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/\",\"name\":\"Approximate Translation: Between Language and Us - Peril magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-06-05T21:00:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-07-20T02:37:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/0679aa3ed05c331c83afaa10fabefbba\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Approximate Translation: Between Language and Us\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/0679aa3ed05c331c83afaa10fabefbba\",\"name\":\"al chan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5313f1fb5c85c7b626e79d5f3d507424?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5313f1fb5c85c7b626e79d5f3d507424?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"al chan\"},\"description\":\"al chan is a writer based in Narrm.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/author\/allison-chan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Approximate Translation: Between Language and Us - Peril magazine","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/peril.com.au\/topics\/reviews\/approximate-translation\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Approximate Translation: Between Language and Us - Peril magazine","og_description":"In semantics, precision is key. 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