LCS Lecture Series - From Literature to Culture: Translating J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World

John Millington Synge has been critically-acclaimed as one of the best Irish writers in the 20th-century. Of all the works by Synge, The Playboy of the Western World is the most highly-regarded and the most popular play in the Abbey Theater. As many critics contend, Synge’s skillful blending of comic scenes and serious topics as well as his idiosyncratic use of the English language makes interpretation of the play tough. Based on his experience translating the play from English into Chinese, in this presentation Dr. Chang will discuss his rendition and the challenges of literary translation.

Speaker: Dr. Hawk Chang

Dr Hawk Chang is assistant professor in the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies. His research interests include modern Irish literature, 20th-century English and American Poetry, Romantic Literature, and Short Story. His translation of John Millington Synge’s play The Playboy of the Western World was published by Bookman Books (Taipei) in 2012.