Harvard Professor Discusses Tale of Kieu: Is Gen Z "Out of Step" Due to Different Thinking?

(Dan Tri) - Will differences in thinking and cultural background create an invisible "wall" separating Gen Z from the masterpiece Truyen Kieu?

Speakers attending the event (Photo: Huyen Nguyen).

When the generation gap is a challenge

At the ceremony to award the World Federation of UNESCO Associations certificate to Hoa Sen University, Professor Truong Nguyen Thanh, Vice Chairman of the University's Advisory Council, raised the issue of differences in thinking and generation with international speakers and guests in a lively discussion about the challenges in appreciating and translating the masterpiece Truyen Kieu by the great poet Nguyen Du.

According to Mr. Thanh, the story is not only about language barriers but also about profound differences in culture and thinking between generations.

Taking love as an example, he analyzed that in the time of grandparents and parents, love was full of shyness and reserve; holding hands or exchanging kisses could take months, even years of getting to know each other. On the contrary, with today's youth (gen Z), the concept and speed of love are very different.

Therefore, for a modern young person to understand the historical and cultural context, the difficulties in feudal etiquette and the subtle metaphors and allusions that Nguyen Du conveyed is not easy.

"So how can a young person from Gen Z, reading The Tale of Kieu , understand the cultural and historical context, and understand all those concerns?", Mr. Thanh's question has opened up many thoughts.

Many students and experts came to listen and participate in the discussion (Photo: Huyen Nguyen).

This challenge becomes even more difficult when translating The Tale of Kieu into English. The biggest problem with translations often lies in the "dropping" of cultural elements.

Many translators when translating from Vietnamese to English often focus too much on words and forget about the cultural context. Along with that, using Western metaphors to explain Eastern culture sometimes creates a lameness, making it difficult for international readers to grasp the "soul" of the original work if they do not have a certain understanding of Vietnamese culture.

Continuing the story, Professor John Stauffer - Department of English, Harvard University - gave profound comments on the value of translating classical literature. He admitted that there is a huge difference between Nguyen Du's 19th century context and today's modern world.

However, the Professor asserts: "The unique power of translating poetic works is its ability to connect. It helps us understand, recreate and link the past with the present and the future."

Professor and writer John Stauffer - Department of English, Harvard University - shared that every time he reads The Tale of Kieu, he feels like he "becomes a better person, a more humane person" (Photo: Huyen Nguyen).

According to him, generation gap is inevitable. Actions considered cultural norms in one era may be completely strange in another era. Therefore, it is a big challenge, but also very interesting for young people to read and fully appreciate the artistic devices in classical literature.

"The journey of translating and appreciating literature is the way for us to keep the present connected with the past. From there, we can draw out values ​​and provisions that the next generation can use in the future," the coordinator shared.

The "shock" from the translation error to the determination to "rescue" The Tale of Kieu

Sharing a fresh perspective on the global value of the great poet Nguyen Du’s masterpiece, the Harvard University professor said that The Tale of Kieu has the nature of an epic. It is a journey to overcome obstacles and suffering to move towards a better and more humane society for humans and animals.

He shared that every time he reads it, he feels like he "becomes a better person, a more humane person" and understands Vietnam better, emphasizing the transformative power that the work brings.

According to the professor, the greatest beauty of the work lies in the language, a language that has the power to transform readers, making us think about ourselves in new ways and expanding our ability to empathize with others.

He commented that The Tale of Kieu is not a fairy tale; it contains painful scenes of life, reflecting the tragedies that people have to face. But it is the process of overcoming fate, fighting against the feeling of helplessness before fate, that brings the work profound human value.

According to him, poetry and literature have a strong ability to regenerate and revive the spirit, helping people overcome adversity. He pointed out a characteristic of all great works that clearly appears in Truyen Kieu : after reading, people are urged to go back to the beginning.

Sharing about the motivation for implementing the project to translate the Tale of Kieu into English, the 20th edition, Poet - translator Nguyen Do said that this came from the "shock" of the trilingual (English, French, Vietnamese) poetry collection translating the Tale of Kieu , which he accidentally read two years ago in Vietnam.

Poet - translator Nguyen Do (middle) - shares his concerns about translating Truyen Kieu (Photo: Huyen Nguyen).

He said he was surprised to read translated sentences that did not convey the original meaning.

"I think I feel too sorry for Truyen Kieu ...", Mr. Nguyen Do expressed.

It was that moment that made him think of making a new, serious and worthy translation. The project was born with a different name: The Soul of Kieu , instead of the traditional The Tale of Kieu .

Translator Nguyen Do frankly shared: "Translating The Tale of Kieu is very difficult and takes a lot of time. When translating The Tale of Kieu or translating Vietnamese literature, it is necessary to understand Vietnamese and ancient Vietnamese."

According to him, for the translation of Truyen Kieu to be successful, it is necessary to meet the "3 in 1" criteria, including understanding poetry like a poet, having fluent English, and being able to convey emotional spirit.

Will AI replace writers and poets in creating literary works?

In a discussion about the role of AI in creativity, Professor Stauffer argued that while AI can write more poetically, emotionally, and smoothly, it cannot possess the unique “voice” of each writer or poet.

A great voice comes from life experience and personal identity, something that AI, which synthesizes countless voices into a flat mass, cannot replicate. He believes that a unique voice is what makes people recognizable in just a few sentences, and that is the power of true art, something AI will have a hard time replacing.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/giao-su-harvard-ban-truyen-kieu-gen-z-lac-nhip-vi-khac-biet-tu-duy-20251121061544940.htm