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The Necessity for English Translation of Classical Korean Narrative Literature and Plans for Its Implementation

  • The Research of the Korean Classic
  • 2007, 0(16), pp.39-65
  • Publisher : The Research Of The Korean Classic
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature > Korean Literature > Korean classic prose

Jeung Sun Hee 1

1이화여자대학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

The Necessity for English Translation of Classical Korean Narrative Literature and Plans for Its Implementation Jeung, Sun-Hee The present paper asserts that classical Korean narrative literature needs to be translated into English to help English-speaking readers understand Korean values and recognize the fine quality and originality of Korean literature. The paper also emphasizes that the translation project can be performed most efficiently when scholars of classical Korean literature take a leading role. The translation project is meaningful because it will help foreign readers who do not have much knowledge on Korean academic achievements or its culture to understand the custom, etiquette and values of the country. In addition, translated literary works will give them an opportunity to share feelings Koreans in the past felt toward love, family, life's paths, poverty, greed, bravado, wars and the like--that is, feelings universal to human beings--by the medium of stories. In this sense, more works of classical Korean narrative literature should be translated, and systematic plans are needed to accomplish this task. Finally, a prerequisite for an accurate and adequate translation is in-depth knowledge on classical Korean narrative literature: its original expressions, descriptions, themes, questions, implications of or meanings symbolized by names of people or places, and phrases with authentic precedents.

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