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The image of Joseon in early English translation of Korean classical tales -In case of Korean Tales and Korean folk tales

  • DONAM OHMUNHAK
  • Abbr : 돈암
  • 2012, 25(), pp.7~36
  • DOI : 10.17056/donam.2012.25..7
  • Publisher : The Donam Language & Literature
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature > Korean Literature > History of Korean Literature

임정지 1

1한국학중앙연구원

Candidate

ABSTRACT

This article is a part of the work which is for assessment of the width and deviation of mutual comprehension among main agents of culture through the reinterpreted literature as the results of translation. For the work, two materials which corresponded to early English version of Korean classical tales were studied and the view and way, intention of understanding of Korean culture of translators were analyzed. Korean literature began to become known to the West when Horace N. Allen translated Korean Tales into English first in the later years of the 19th century. Following that, Korean folk tales that James S. Gale translated was also published. These two translations were published with the purpose of introducing Korean culture with the same title of 'Korean Tales'. This article attempted to recall the image of Joseon which Westerners who came across Korean language and culture for the first time understood targeting these two English version. Allen's Korean Tales translated to the effect of conveying stories which were drew from popular materials that were narrated by the common people and were enjoyed in the real world. On the other hand, Gale's Korean folk tales was the result of trying to show the world of oriental spirit by picking out eccentric things from the category of Pilgi and Yadam. The view of translator was divided depending on this, while Korean Tales tried to convey tales and classic novels which was being narrated and passed down in non-official circles with the objective eyes, Korean folk tales translated odd stories like Cheonyerok which were being enjoyed in the upper class by restructuring them to the image of mystery of the inner world. The image of Joseon of the time could be separated by three aspects of women, custom, the inner world through the view of translator reflected in the following translation. The active and devotional, honorable images of women, custom of Joseon as the different culture, the mysterious and magical world of oriental spirit were able to be abstracted as the figure of Joseon which was showed in both English translations. These two books published in the early period of Korean literature translation are worthy of notice in the way that they were the first English version of our classical narrative and quite contributed to make the outside world understand private ownership and culture mechanism of Joseon.

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