汉语言文学论文文献翻译
外文原稿：
Hwang Jini was a famous Joseon Dynasty kisaeng, likely to have been born around 1506in the scenic city of Kaesong, now in modern-day North Korea. She was known also by her adopted kisaeng name of Myeongwol, meaning “bright moon”. Details of her birth are inconclusive at best, but it is generally agreed that she was born the illegitimate daughter of a yangban, who, having been seduced by her mother’s beauty and charm, had consented to relations.
Growing up, she was noted for her exceptional beauty and musical prowess, and a story stands that a young man of the village, so distressed by his unrequited love for her, had died of heartbreak. This story is instrumental in the development of a picture of young Jini,because during the young man’s funeral procession, she laid her blouse on the casket as a sign of her regret and sorrow. This sensitivity to life and the needs of others, combined with her natural beauty and talent, made her an appropriate candidate to become a kisaeng.
A kisaeng is an officially sanctioned female entertainer, trained in music, dancing, and poetry composition. This being said, there is a fine historical line between being a professional entertainer and being a prostitute for the very wealthy and powerful. In many ways, kisaengs were merely the playthings of the yangban, the ruling noble class of the time, and not respected as the highly trained performers that they were. Hwang Jini is considered the most famous of these because she stood out from the expected norm. Kisaengs in general had more freedom than the average women of the time, due to the nature of their job. Jini, however, especially refused to be confined to the standards of her day, and had little regard for societal restraints. In shaping this unique worldview, Jini was influenced by the expected role of her gender, important worldly events, characterizing relationships, the class divide, her education and role as a kisaeng, and her life in both Kaesong and Hanyang.
Korea’s Joseon Dynasty was heavily divided between the rich and poor, and male and
female. Ancient Korean society relied largely on Confucianism as a moral code and
way of life.
This meant that, according to Confucian ideals, the woman’s place was at home while the man was to be out participating in society. Promoters of this idea were members of the ruling class,the yangban, who had emerged from a group of literati. They held themselves in high intellectual esteem, living extravagant lifestyles funded by the government. Kisaengs, while often taken as concubines or secondary wives by men of yangban status, were typically born into the lowest class, making them ineligible to be primary wives or hold any recognized power.
Should a kisaeng rise to any sort of exemplary fame or attention, it was merely considered an indication of her ability to manipulate the heartstrings and purse-strings of the men she catered to,but it was still only a figurative role. In classical Korean thinking, this was almost shameful,because women of the time were, without resorting to obvious stereotypes, trained only to cook,clean, and raise children.
Where many kisaengs may have felt freedom from hiding behind a prettily painted face, Hwang Jini was a rare exception in that she often remained barefaced. Why Jini was so free from restraint is open to interpretation. It could be a combination of her instance of birth, the relationships she formed with forward-thinking men, or the innate power that comes from acknowledging one’s own beauty.
In discovering what shaped Jini to be the noble character she was known to be, it is
important to first discuss the crucial societal events in her life. She was born in a time of turbulence in the Joseon Dynasty. Around the time of her birth, a corrupt king (Yeonsan) was dethroned and replaced by his brother, Jungjong.
The Joseon kingdom was at a crossroads attempting to adapt to a new lifestyle brou
