Speaker

Zhang Bo

Host

Jiang Feiran

Introduction

In this lecture series, French literature translator Zhang Bo delves into the creative transformation of language and thought in 20th-century French arts. The first lecture uses Marcel Duchamp’s conceptual art naming techniques as a case study to reveal how his work titles reconstruct artistic semantics through wordplay. The second lecture reviews the compilation of Camus interviews, showcasing how Camus used language to combat the absurd and forge a philosophy of rebellion. The third lecture uses Gide’s translated works as examples to explore the alchemical process of translation—how French texts can be reborn in the fabric of Chinese. Together, the three lectures uncover the underlying code of French modern arts: for Duchamp, Camus, and Gide, words are always the crucible in which artists refine the essence of existence. Through the unique perspective of a translator, the lectures decrypt how French texts continue to release their modern energy through linguistic transformation in foreign cultures.

Course Outline

Lecture 1: The Colors of Words: The Titles and Meanings of Marcel Duchamp’s Works

As a pioneer of conceptual art and a master of language games, Marcel Duchamp meticulously crafted the titles of his works, even considering them one of the most vital elements of his artistic expression. Thus, “correct naming” becomes a prerequisite for understanding the implications of Duchamp’s works in the Chinese context. In the newly released Agora Francophone Arts Interview Series, the freshly translated Breaking Boundaries: Duchamp Interviews is included. As the chief editor of the series and the reviser of this translation, Mr. Zhang will share Duchamp’s witty word games and unique artistic creativity with the audience.

Lecture 2: The Pursuit of Thought: Albert Camus’s Life and Works

Camus’s life was a journey of recognizing and resisting the absurd. From the stone-pushing Sisyphus to the people-oriented Prometheus, Camus strode forward resolutely on the path of rebellion. The Agora Francophone Arts Interview Series features Solitude and Solidarity: Camus Interviews, compiled, translated, and annotated from original French newspapers, magazines, and audio materials. In these dozens of interviews, Camus spoke in an accessible and candid manner about his worldviews, values, and creative views, sharing his thoughts and feelings about the world and striving to reshape human value and dignity in an absurd world. As the compiler and translator of this book, Mr. Zhang will use the interviews as a starting point, combining them with Camus’s overall life and works, to systematically analyze his unwavering will to resist the absurd and present his timeless humanistic power.

Lecture 3: The Rebirth of Meaning: Taking the Chinese Translation of André Gide’s Works as an Example

As verbal ferries, how do translators navigate the ambiguous boundaries of faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance while shuttling between languages? How can they capture the subtle nuances unique to literature between the lines? How can they find a balanced path between innovation and readability, and between new and old words? Translation, as a practice, can only be answered through practice itself. As the translator of a series of Gide’s works, including The Immoralist, The Narrow Gate, The Pastoral Symphony, The Counterfeiters, and Fruits of the Earth, Mr. Zhang will use his rich translation experience as examples to systematically demonstrate the decisive impact of different translation styles on the understanding of works and to point out what he believes to be the responsibilities of a translator.

Speaker

Zhang Bo

Host

Jiang Feiran

Introduction

In this lecture series, French literature translator Zhang Bo delves into the creative transformation of language and thought in 20th-century French arts. The first lecture uses Marcel Duchamp’s conceptual art naming techniques as a case study to reveal how his work titles reconstruct artistic semantics through wordplay. The second lecture reviews the compilation of Camus interviews, showcasing how Camus used language to combat the absurd and forge a philosophy of rebellion. The third lecture uses Gide’s translated works as examples to explore the alchemical process of translation—how French texts can be reborn in the fabric of Chinese. Together, the three lectures uncover the underlying code of French modern arts: for Duchamp, Camus, and Gide, words are always the crucible in which artists refine the essence of existence. Through the unique perspective of a translator, the lectures decrypt how French texts continue to release their modern energy through linguistic transformation in foreign cultures.

Course Outline

Lecture 1: The Colors of Words: The Titles and Meanings of Marcel Duchamp’s Works

As a pioneer of conceptual art and a master of language games, Marcel Duchamp meticulously crafted the titles of his works, even considering them one of the most vital elements of his artistic expression. Thus, “correct naming” becomes a prerequisite for understanding the implications of Duchamp’s works in the Chinese context. In the newly released Agora Francophone Arts Interview Series, the freshly translated Breaking Boundaries: Duchamp Interviews is included. As the chief editor of the series and the reviser of this translation, Mr. Zhang will share Duchamp’s witty word games and unique artistic creativity with the audience.

Lecture 2: The Pursuit of Thought: Albert Camus’s Life and Works

Camus’s life was a journey of recognizing and resisting the absurd. From the stone-pushing Sisyphus to the people-oriented Prometheus, Camus strode forward resolutely on the path of rebellion. The Agora Francophone Arts Interview Series features Solitude and Solidarity: Camus Interviews, compiled, translated, and annotated from original French newspapers, magazines, and audio materials. In these dozens of interviews, Camus spoke in an accessible and candid manner about his worldviews, values, and creative views, sharing his thoughts and feelings about the world and striving to reshape human value and dignity in an absurd world. As the compiler and translator of this book, Mr. Zhang will use the interviews as a starting point, combining them with Camus’s overall life and works, to systematically analyze his unwavering will to resist the absurd and present his timeless humanistic power.

Lecture 3: The Rebirth of Meaning: Taking the Chinese Translation of André Gide’s Works as an Example

As verbal ferries, how do translators navigate the ambiguous boundaries of faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance while shuttling between languages? How can they capture the subtle nuances unique to literature between the lines? How can they find a balanced path between innovation and readability, and between new and old words? Translation, as a practice, can only be answered through practice itself. As the translator of a series of Gide’s works, including The Immoralist, The Narrow Gate, The Pastoral Symphony, The Counterfeiters, and Fruits of the Earth, Mr. Zhang will use his rich translation experience as examples to systematically demonstrate the decisive impact of different translation styles on the understanding of works and to point out what he believes to be the responsibilities of a translator.