I have more questions regarding Eastern cultures than I do information - and although I am quite aware I can search the internet and read articles regarding these societies, I do not believe that I will find true a true understanding of these cultures. What I would like to do is read ethnographies of the different cultures, read about a person who actually placed themselves into the position of living in the culture I am learning about. It is quite easy to learn about different aspects of a culture - what they do, what they eat, etc - but I want to hear or read about those aspects from someone who did what they do, ate what they eat. I've done some searching, but have yet to find a reliable source that convinces me the person was actually experiencing the culture rather than simply relaying the information.
From there, I have some questions that I guess I will need to look for the answers in a different area (or continue looking on the internet):
I understand cultures differ from each other, but how far back do we need to go to understand why (and when) cultures diverge from each other, to the point of being almost completely different? I would imagine it would be a look into the very distant past.
I want to know more about the apparent tranquility of certain Eastern cultures. I want to know which cultures these are. I want to know why we, as Americans, cannot take on the same mentality and act as peaceful, calm, loving individuals - not a culture that always seems to be on the run.
I want to know more about gender roles in these societies. Western society has made great strides in gender equality, but we also went through the steps of gender inequality. There are connections between the type of society (highly industrial, pre-industrial, agrarian, etc) and the severity of gender inequality; I want to apply this knowledge to Eastern cultures, and learn more from there.
Although I did investigate what was posted on Webnotes, I felt as though I should post questions here that would involve more than just searching the internet.
- Arielle
Posted by arielle at September 23, 2004 12:46 AMI read the posting on the new translation of Sei Shonagon's "Pillow Talk." Translation is an art form in itself. Not everyone who studies a language is a target for a translator. It is not automatic, but rather a window or a lamp, a view into another culture. There is no perfect translation: each translator merely echos what he or she sees in any given selection. Translation, as I've heard described before, can be thought of as the opposite side of a tapestry; while you can still make out the picture, its not quite as vivid as the original. I know of a Japanese tanka poem about a frog leaping into water that has thousands of translations. How can one determine which translation is better or more accurate than another?
Additionally, it seems poetry in ancient Japan was not wild and free expression, but kept within form. All poetry was politically comissioned; therefore, those that did not fit the mold were not acknowledged. Written in such a controlled environment, poetry and prose alike were subsequently biased. They were rituatlist and formalist in style and composed by the aristocracy (tied to social rank). Furthermore, the poems were about a shared body of knowledge and themes. What makes one poem better or more renown than another? In other words, why are some considered famous or thought provoking while others are ignored. If poetry is an expression of emotion, who or what defines which expressions are best?
Lastly, it seems poets from Ancient Japan talk about the world, especially nature, from a priveledged seat. Were they really in contact with everything they discussed? I know that people in ancient Japan rarely ventured far from the capital.
-Kristin
Posted by: kristin at September 26, 2004 06:22 PMI read the posting on the new translation of Sei Shonagon's "Pillow Talk." Translation is an art form in itself. Not everyone who studies a language is a target for a translator. It is not automatic, but rather a window or a lamp, a view into another culture. There is no perfect translation: each translator merely echos what he or she sees in any given selection. Translation, as I've heard described before, can be thought of as the opposite side of a tapestry; while you can still make out the picture, its not quite as vivid as the original. I know of a Japanese tanka poem about a frog leaping into water that has thousands of translations. How can one determine which translation is better or more accurate than another?
Additionally, it seems poetry in ancient Japan was not wild and free expression, but kept within form. All poetry was politically comissioned; therefore, those that did not fit the mold were not acknowledged. Written in such a controlled environment, poetry and prose alike were subsequently biased. They were rituatlist and formalist in style and composed by the aristocracy (tied to social rank). Furthermore, the poems were about a shared body of knowledge and themes. What makes one poem better or more renown than another? In other words, why are some considered famous or thought provoking while others are ignored. If poetry is an expression of emotion, who or what defines which expressions are best?
Lastly, it seems poets from Ancient Japan talk about the world, especially nature, from a priveledged seat. Were they really in contact with everything they discussed? I know that people in ancient Japan rarely ventured far from the capital.
-Kristin
Posted by: kristin at September 26, 2004 06:23 PM