Chapter 60 "Village Woman" Translator's Notes [1]

"Village Woman" Translator's Notes [1] Among the writers in the small Balkan countries, Ivan Va^zov (Ivan Va^zov, 1850-1921) is probably the most familiar name to Chinese readers.About ten years ago, he had already introduced his works[2]; in 1931, Mr. Sun Yong[3] also translated and printed a collection of his short stories: "The Story of Crossing the Ridge", which was collected in China Bookstore's "New Literature and Art Series".There are two articles on it, "On Bulgarian Literature" and "On Vazov", so there is no need to repeat them now.

The short story "Country Woman", originally titled "Bulgarian Woman", was retranslated from the anthology translated by Ms. Marya Jonas von Szatanska in No. 5059 of "Lakeland World Library".The anthology is called "Bulgarian Women and Other Novels", and this is the first one. It is written about the typical village women in his country: superstitious, stubborn, but strong and brave; , for faith.Therefore, the title of this article is still accurate from the original title. It is not legal to change it to "familiar" instead of "believeable". After I finished the translation, I thought about it and felt that the previous one was too clever.At the end, the original author used "good things" to attack prayer,[4] probably as a pointer to readers in his own country.

I thought it unnecessary for me to explain that Bulgaria was under the oppression of Turkey at this time.Although this novel is simple, it is written very clearly, and the places and characters in it are all true.Although it is already 60 years ago, I believe it is still very moving. ※ ※ ※ [1] This article, together with the translation of "Village Woman", was originally published in the final issue of the monthly "Yan Wen" in September 1935. 〔2〕Referring to Lu Xun's translation of Vazov's novel "Velco in War" in 1921, which was published on October 10 of the same year in "Novel Monthly", Volume 12, No. 10 "Literature of the Injured Nation No".Later, it was included in "Modern Fiction Translation Collection", one of the "World Series" published by Shanghai Commercial Press in May 1922.

[3] Sun Yong, formerly known as Bu Chengzhong, was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.At that time, he was a clerk in the Hangzhou Post Office, and he was engaged in translation work in his spare time. He translated the long poem "Brave John" by Petofi of Hungary, etc. [4] Use "good things" to attack prayer. At the end of "Village Woman", it is said that this village woman did not believe that it was "casual prayer, and it worked. From her point of view, it was because she did it." No, but most of the good things she is determined to do are rewarded..."

[5] Turkey here refers to the Ottoman Empire at that time (built from the end of the 13th century to the beginning of the 14th century and disintegrated after the First World War). From the end of the 14th century to the 19th century, Bulgaria was ravaged and oppressed by the Ottoman Empire.