Promoting Architectural Values in Culturebound Scenery in Tourist Destinations

Faculty of Arts,Monash University,Melbourne,Australia Email:joy204@126.com

[Abstract]Tourist destinations serve the function of attracting tourists and bring economic benefits,but how tourist destinations can be effectively promoted has been the heated debate for years.It is claimed that the culture embedded in tourism promotional materials is a kind of promotional culture,aiming to trigger the psychological emotions in potential tourists and attract them to pay a visit.This paper will analyze architectural values of culture-bound scenery in the Humble Administrator’s Garden and explore how the promotional culture in architectural values can be effectively promoted through translation to international tourists.

[Keywords]promotional cultures;tourist destinations;tourism translation;the Humble Administrator’s Garden

Introduction

Unlike some other translation materials,tourism translation materials are typically regarded as promotional materials that have operative functions of transforming potential tourists into actual tourists.When tourists visit particular sites,the info-promotional functionality of exhibition boards,to some extent,have influences on tourists’decisions on how long they would like to stay,how much they are willing to pay for tourism products,and whether they long for another visit or recommend it to friends and family members.

The translation from Chinese to English tourism promotional materials has drawn scholars’attention for decades,but the low quality of tourism promotional materials are consistently emerging as concerns for researchers and translators(Jin,2017,p.31).The translation of the Humble Administrator’s Garden is no exception.

Built as early as 1509 in the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644 CE),the Humble Administrator’s Garden is located in the north-eastern corner of the ancient city Suzhou.Among all tourist attractions in Suzhou,Suzhou Gardens are the most well-known tourist destinations and“the representatives of traditional Chinese garden culture”(Ju,2011,p.1).As the largest classical garden in Suzhou,the Humble Administrator’s Garden was called“the mother of classical gardens in China”(Zhang,2012,p.44)and was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.The Humble Administrator’s Garden’s cultural value is prominent,but the translation of some exhibition boards fails to convey cultural values.Although there were some translation studies about the Humble Administrator’s Garden,limited research has touched upon how to promote architectural values to tourists in translation.

This paper will analyze the translation of exhibition boards in the Humble Administrator’s Garden and aim to find out how to promote cultures from the perspective of architectural values successfully.

The Architectural Value:Culture-bound Scenery

Exhibition boards,the intimate visual connection with real-time tourists,carry an essential role in supporting the sales of tourism destinations.Exhibition boards in tourist destinations aim to communicate messages and meet tourists’psychological needs in limited space.Three tourists’expectations of tourist destinations,“authenticity”but not necessarily reality,“strangerhood”but not similarity,and“play”(Dann,1996),illustrate that appealing tourist destinations can provide tourists with authentic different leisure experience.

There are unique Chinese styles of architectures and culture-bound scenery in the Humble Administrator’s Garden,and their introduction on exhibition boards constitutes Chinese source text and its English translation.It is a matter of question whether these texts represent Chinese architectural values.The textual analysis on excerpts extracted from exhibition boards will study whether potential info-promotional characteristics in Chinese cultural elements can either be well presented or become the possibility of hindering intercultural communication.

Example 1

Source text(ST):此館為西部的主廳。這是由前后兩廳相結合的建筑，中間隔以銀杏木雕刻的屏風，北廳為卅六鴛鴦館。館北臨荷池，池中有鴛鴦戲水。取《真率筆記》“霍光園中鑿大池，植五色睡蓮，養鴛鴦卅六對，望之燦若披錦”語意而名。管內陳設精致的書畫文物、古式家具極其精致。館四角建耳室，構造別致，作輔房之用。

Target text(TT):It is the chief building in the western part of the garden.A carved screen made of gingko wood divides it into two halls,the north hall and the south hall.The north hall,called the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’Hall.It overlooks a lotus lake with mandarin ducks playing on the water.“The Notebook of Zhen Shuai”records that Huo Guang’s garden has a large pond with five-colored water-lilies and 36 pairs of mandarin ducks,and the pond looks as if it was richly ornamented with brocade.Hence the name.Furnished with calligraphy,paintings,antiques and exquisite old furniture,the unique building possesses four auxiliary rooms at four corners.

Source:The introduction of the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’Hall

The first example is the introduction of the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’Hall and its architectural values.The name of the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’Hall comes from the previous scenery of 36 mandarin ducks in the lake,as indicated in the source text.Mandarin ducks,known as“鴛鴦”(yuan yang)in Chinese,are ornamental birds in pairs,often regarded as the symbol for love.It is noteworthy that not only its name is related to yuan yang,but also it constitutes the architecture of yuan yang halls.The architectural style of yuan yang halls is like yuan yang in pairs,with equal-sized north hall and south hall,namely the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’Hall and the 18 Camellias Hall,respectively.Therefore,the name of the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’Hall originates from the symbolism yuan yang and could refer to its architectural form.

The first architectural value mentioned above has not been illustrated to the target audience.At first,international tourists may not have an idea of what mandarin ducks mean.It can be annotated as pinyin yuan yang,importing Chinese cultural elements in the target audience’s mind with an explanation afterward“ornamental birds in pairs,regarded as the symbol for love.”This attempts to facilitate the understanding of international tourists and try to create a strangerhood atmosphere to stimulate their interest.Concerning the architectural style of yuan yang halls,the target text can be revised as“...A carved screen made of gingko wood divides it into two halls,the north hall and the south hall,like yuan yang in pairs.Though in the same size,the owner often uses different window lattices,floor tiles,beams,plaques,and carvings to create different charms of each hall.The north hall is the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’Hall....”

The second unique architectural value is a square in the center and four small squares in the corners with unique roofs.The central roof has two slopes,and the four sides have pyramidal roofs,being the only one of its kind in all classical gardens in China.The source text only mentions the“館四角建耳室，構造別致，作輔房之用”which means there are unique four auxiliary rooms at four corners but does not touch upon its cultural and architectural significance.However,this unique style could be promoted to tourists to appreciate the architectural value of visiting this site.

Thus,new information can be added to demonstrate its architectural value,“Another style of architecture,four auxiliary rooms at four corners,are prominent because it is the only one in all classical gardens in China.”It tries to improve the destination image of four auxiliary rooms by pointing out its unique value in Chinese architecture and also arouse the target audience’s interest to have a look.

The identification of this destination image should be perceived by the tourists with reference to the uniqueness of the architectural value.Kozak et al.(2004,p.254)argue that the destination image perceived by the tourists determines the competitiveness of the tourist destination.The target texts do not help to improve the image in this regard with mere translation.The target text will have been more interesting for tourists if it reveals the architectural value that this architecture style is the only one in all classical gardens in China.

Blessings Embedded in Architecture:A Philosophical Origin

Private“garden,”as“subjectively staged nature,”creates“ideal worldly life for spiritual pursuits.”(Han,2006,pp.80-81)It is considered a place where scholars hid from conflicts in the officialdom but did not intend to disappear into the real and wild nature.This art form is trying to convey the beauty of nature with human-made art;in other words,a civilized nature.

The first owner of the Humble Administrator’s Garden was Xianchen Wang in Ming Dynasty(1368-1644 CE),who was a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations,but then experienced three ups and three downs during his official career(Yumuhengshan,2014,p.3).Xianchen Wang finally decided to go back to his hometown and built this garden as his residential area.The“humble administrator”is a Chinese expression of demonstrating humility that“a clumsy person regards unimportant activities like gardening as his government affairs,”hence the name.There are various sites show the philosophical pursuits of owner,such as the construction of the Fragrant Islet.

Example 2

ST:[…]這座畫舫臨水而建，上懸文徵明書“香洲”兩字橫額。[…]

TT:[…]Constructed over the water,the boat-like building has a tablet hanging above and carrying the name“Fragrant Islet”written by Wen Zhengming.[…]

Source:The introduction of the Fragrant Islet

In the source text of the Fragrant Islet,the architecture is introduced as“畫舫(hua fang)”which usually means a richly decorated ship.“畫舫(hua fang)”is culture-bound phrases,traditionally used to refer to boats with gorgeous decoration with the aim of cruise and entertainment.The image of“畫舫(hua fang)”is widely shown in ancient Chinese works,such as one excerpt in an ancient Chinese painting-Ode on Goddess Luo.

“畫舫(hua fang)”occasionally refers to a building by imitating the shape of a boat built on the water in a garden.However,the lower hull is usually made of stone,so the shape is similar to a boat but cannot move and is generally fixed on a relatively open shore,also known as an untied boat.As shown in figure 3,the Fragrant Islet has a relatively different design from the traditional ones.The bow is a platform(臺),the front cabin is a typical pavilion(亭),the middle cabin is a pavilion with terrace(榭),and the stern is a two-story pavilion(閣),four different forms of Chinese architectures.

“畫舫(hua fang)”is exquisite in site selection,usually close to the water and with the most viewing angle on the platform.Standing on the boat,the scenery on the water and the land add beauty to each other.The emergence of the stone boat is also related to the traditional Chinese philosophical and psychological pursuit.Li Bai,a famous poet in Tang Dynasty(618-907 CE),wrote:“If we despair of all human affairs,let us roam in a boat with loosened hairs(人生在世不稱意,明日散發弄扁舟)”(Xu,2007,p.179).Since ancient times,people have always compared life in the world to sail in the water,like pushing the boat along with the current(順水推舟,the hidden meaning is making use of an opportunity to achieve one’s end);sailing against the current(逆水行舟,the hidden meaning is overcoming difficulties); in the same storm-tossed boat(風雨同舟,the hidden meaning is standing together through storm and stress).It can be seen the cultural value from setting up the boat is the owner’s pursuit of the ideal and aesthetic interest.They wished themselves smooth sailing with a following wind on the voyage.

It is evident that cultural-architectural value is in the culture-bound scenery,while this case demonstrates the need for better translation strategies.The target text does not assume the role of the boat-like building in reflecting the cultural elements,and more importantly,how it narrates to play the part of alluring tourists.Therefore,some information can be provided before the target text,“The shape of the Fragrance Islet is a boat-like structure,the sustenance of literati’s ideals and sentiments in ancient China.Since ancient times,people have always compared life to sailing on the water and wished themselves smooth sailing with a favorable wind throughout the voyage.”

“Borrowed View”in Architecture:Oneness with Nature

Example 3

ST:[…]艙中置明鏡一面，反映著對岸倚玉軒一帶景物，擴景深遠，體現了虛實對比和偕景手法。

TT:[…]A large mirror placed inside reflects the Bamboo Pavilion on the other side of the lake and nearby scenery,showing the masterful use of the garden techniques of“borrowed view”and the contrast between reality and falsehood.

Source:The introduction of the Fragrant Islet

Besides the architectural and cultural value of“畫舫(hua fang)”,it is also worth mentioning“borrowed view(jie jing)”inside“畫舫(hua fang)”to reflect the cultural value of oneness with nature.“Borrowed view”is illustrated by Taylor(2006)as the natural scenes outside the garden are brought inside to create an illusion of greater space.In the source text,the mirror reflects the scenery in and around“倚玉軒(the Bamboo Pavilion)”on the opposite bank.This type of architectural design is called“borrowed view(jie jing).”

With the expansion of the landscape,the“borrowed view(jie jing)”in the mirror makes a comparison between reality in and around the Fragrant Islet and the falsehood of the scenery in and around Listening on the Jade Pavilion.This architectural design integrates and extends the natural landscape,so tourists’attention will not only be in the garden but also lead to the scenery outside.So,it integrates real and artificial views inside and out of the garden and tries to constitute a harmonious combination of oneness with nature.

To promote this cultural and architectural value to tourists,there are two techniques.As can be seen from the target text,though it attempts to illustrate its architectural value“borrowed view,”more apparent techniques could be used to draw attention from tourists.For example,the text can be revised to“you can see the‘borrowed view’in the mirror and feel the masterful use of the garden techniques-the contrast between reality and falsehood and oneness of nature.”The technique of using“you”is ego-targeting,which is used to make the tourists feel singled out from the crowd,thus making them feel special in this case or at least privileged(Sulaiman&Wilson,2019,p.25).Afterward,a hidden Chinese philosophical element“oneness in nature”in the“borrowed view”is brought in forth.By bringing up hidden Chinese culture,the target audience will understand the rationale of this architecture and understand why this tourist attraction is unique to visit.The re-translation conforms with Yang’s argument(2018,p.296)that shared characteristics of tourism promotional materials:words of a positive descriptive nature,words of cultural references,and words with persuading intention.

Conclusion

The examples above have illustrated that architectural values in culture-bound scenery are essential to consider and may pose challenges for translators.If translators fail to dig up the potential cultural barriers in the source text,the interpretation of the source text would not be sufficient.Also,without considering the target culture and conventions,the target text cannot fully serve the info-promotional function or meet tourists’demands.