Translation and Interpretation of Two Tujia Folk Songs: <i>Plucking Stalks</i> and <i>Door to Door in the Same Street</i>

Abstract

Enshi, a region where Tujia nationality have lived for generations, has bred rich ethnic cultural resources. As the main form of Tujia people's expressing their emotion and recording the changes of the times, folk songs perform a remarkable social and entertainment function in Tujia people's daily life. This article explores the translation and interpretation of Enshi Tujia folk songs "Plucking Stalks" and "Door to Door in the Same Street". Translations of the two folk songs are guided by Susan Basnett's cultural translation theory with some translation strategies flexibly employed. Then, respective interpretation from a cultural perspective is presented. Love relationships between young men and women in the two songs are gradually revealed. Both songs extol that young men and women should fall in love at their most beautiful age. Furthermore, the interpretation of the first song offers us a window into the division of labour between men and women in traditional Chinese society, and the functions of lining words appearing in the second song are also carefully analyzed. At last, challenges and countermeasures in the translation process are discussed. This study of Tujia folk songs gives expression to the living status and language habits of Tujia people, and is expected to facilitate the understanding of the spiritual and cultural pursuits of Tujia nationality.