"Ronaldo Sorel" – this transliterated name, full of period character, sounds like a certain football star, which is quite distracting.
Lionel managed to suppress a laugh and continued reading. After a few lines of self-introduction, the main text began:
[The custom of the Alpine tavern differs from other places: a large L-shaped counter facing the street, with ice buckets and boiling water in the center of the counter, allowing all wines to reach their ideal drinking temperature in an instant.
Laborers, when they finish work at dusk, often spend one sou on iced ale — this was the price twenty years ago, now it costs two sous — leaning against the counter, standing and sipping, taking a contented rest...]
Yan Fu's command of classical Chinese was undoubtedly profound, his language ancient and concise, striving to align with the reading habits of Chinese literati of that era.
He translated "L-shaped large bar" as "曲尺巨檯" (a large L-shaped counter), and condensed "allowing every type of wine to reach the appropriate drinking temperature in the shortest time" into "可使诸酒瞬息得宜饮之温" (enabling all wines to attain suitable drinking warmth instantly), which was quite exquisite.
In Chinese, "醴" refers to sweet wine; "冰醴" (iced li) denotes iced beer, also quite elegant.
However, Lionel's brows gradually furrowed.
This highly condensed classical Chinese, far removed from everyday spoken language, while elegant, seemed to isolate the stark sense of reality present in the original text.
The power of Lu Xun's original Kong Yiji lay precisely in its almost baimiao (plain sketch) style of vernacular narration, in the ordinary and genuine perspective of the "junior waiter."
Lionel's The Old Guard, on the other hand, restored this stark, objective style in French.
Yan Fu's translation, however, involuntarily adopted a filter of "refined elegance" typical of old-school literati.
He translated "the working people" as "佣工者" (laborers), "drank briskly and rested" as "酣然暂憩" (took a contented rest), and "mostly not so extravagant" as "大抵无此豪阔" (mostly not this extravagant)...
Every lexical transformation subtly elevated and distanced the original's common touch, forcing it into the mold of classical Chinese.
Such a translation could not be called un-vivid, but a strong sense of regret and dissatisfaction arose in Lionel's heart.
He knew that a novel written in such elegant classical Chinese would, at most, circulate within the small circle of enlightened literati and students who had received old-style education; ultimately, it would merely be scratching an itch through a boot.
The true power of change lay among ordinary people who couldn't understand "之乎者也" (classical Chinese particles) but could see their own joys and sorrows reflected in vernacular stories.
He put down the translation, pondered for a long time, then picked up his pen, deciding to write a reply to Yan Fu.
[Dear Mr. Yan Fu,
I was delighted to receive your letter and pleased to learn that you and Mr. Sa Zhenbing are well and making good progress in your studies at Greenwich.
The attached translation uses the elegant literary style prevalent among the Chinese intellectual class, much like Latin in Europe, presumably hoping it will be accepted and valued by scholars and literati.
For this, I express my deep understanding and respect.
However, please forgive a small opinion of mine, perhaps stemming from a different cultural background.
My original intention in creating The Old Guard was not merely to amuse literary figures, but rather to depict the lives of ordinary people, hoping to evoke broader resonance.
In France, the vitality of a novel stems from its gradual emergence from the salon, becoming readable and discussable by ordinary citizens.
As far as I know, in China, besides this elegant literary style, there is also a language closer to the vernacular of common people, which is the mainstream for novels.
...
Your translation manuscript is returned herewith; please check it.
Thank you again for your kindness and efforts.
Sincerely, Lionel Sorrel]
Lionel did not directly criticize Yan Fu's classical Chinese translation but indirectly proposed the possibility of "vernacular translation" by expressing his thoughts on the audience and function of novels.
Lionel also did not mention in the letter whether he had shown the translation to Chen Jitong; how much of these opinions Yan Fu would understand or if he would adopt them was beyond his control.
As for the transliterated name "Ronaldo Sorel," Lionel did not correct it.
He felt that in the future, this name might be a good mark of cultural change.
Lionel handed the letter to Alice, then tidied up and left.
Today was January 3, 1880.
Last night, The Chorus had already played its fourth performance, and its popularity had not waned in the slightest.
Even audiences from out of town came especially, paying five times the price for scalped tickets, just to catch a glimpse of The Chorus's splendor.
This play was like a tireless money-printing machine, bringing enormous profits to both Lionel and the Comédie-Française.
In just four performances, Lionel's box office dividends had exceeded 2,000 francs.
If, as Émile Perrin wrote in his letter to him, The Chorus became a permanent repertoire of the Comédie-Française and toured elsewhere, with box office dividends reaching 6%, then his annual income could very likely exceed 30,000 francs.
Furthermore, Lionel now had income from serialization, reprints, and other sources, with royalties not only in francs but also in pounds sterling, rubles...
The Chorus might also attract contracts from theaters in Britain, Russia, and even Germany.
All of this involved complex legal clauses, revenue accounting, and asset management, and Lionel was gradually becoming overwhelmed.
So, he now stood before an old-fashioned, stone-built small building.
Above the building's entrance, a brightly polished brass plaque bore several lines of engraved text:
[Delacroix & Associates
Established 1832]
Lionel took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy oak door.
Warm, stuffy air wafted over him.
A not-so-spacious reception hall came into view, its walls covered by massive dark wooden filing cabinets, their doors plastered with dense labels.
A young clerk in a black robe was bent over a high-legged writing desk, busily writing in a ledger with a quill pen, making a rustling sound.
Another slightly older clerk was meticulously cutting thick documents with a small knife, his movements precise.
The entire space appeared solemn, austere, even somewhat oppressive; time seemed to flow exceptionally slowly here.
Hearing the door open, the young clerk looked up and peered at Lionel through thick lenses:
"Good day, sir. Do you have an appointment?"
Lionel nodded:
"Good day. I have an appointment with Mr. Maurice Delacroix at half past ten. I am Lionel Sorrel."
Upon hearing this, the clerk immediately checked the appointment book on the table:
"Ah, Mr. Sorrel. Please wait a moment, I will inform Mr. Delacroix at once."
He stood up, adjusted his robe, and walked quickly towards a heavy solid wood door on the inner side.
A moment later, the clerk returned and opened the door for Lionel:
"Mr. Delacroix is expecting you, sir. Please come this way."
Lionel entered the inner office.
The space here was slightly smaller than the outer hall, but the furnishings were more elaborate.
A massive mahogany desk occupied the center, neatly arranged with a brass inkwell, several quill pens of different sizes, a gas table lamp, and a stack of pending documents.
On the wall hung an engraving depicting Napoleon promulgating the Civil Code, along with several finely framed professional certificates.
Behind the desk, the tall, slender Mr. Maurice Delacroix stood up.
He was around forty-five years old, dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, with a pair of delicate gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.
His gaze behind the lenses was calm, revealing little emotion.
He was one of the best "notaries" in the Paris region, recommended to him by Émile Zola.
(End of Chapter)
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