Chapter 387: How Should This Be Translated?

Lin Sicheng's pen did not stop; in the blink of an eye, he had sketched the base drawing and quickly applied color.

The Painting of Lady gradually took shape, vivid and lifelike.

One look at the expert's handiwork, and you know if they have the skill! Several people looked at each other: this drawing technique, this speed?

Looking up again at Yu Jingsi not far away: what was the difference between the two?

But the likeness was secondary; the focus was on the angles and dimensions: the side-hip, the hip bone, the back of the wrist, the radius, the angle between the head and neck, and the distance between the feet and the water sleeves from the ground.

Everyone present was an expert, and they could judge at a glance: all the data proportions perfectly met Lin Sicheng's requirements. Including the posture, it was even more standard than when he had personally stepped in to repeatedly correct the two performers.

And the key lay in the static language expressed by the limbs of the lady in the painting, the expression and the eyes, and even the temperament and charm presented as a whole. Charming and enchanting, graceful and elegant, shy yet timid, resisting yet welcoming...

Several people looked at one another, their expressions of astonishment seemingly about to overflow from their faces.

Recalling how Lin Sicheng had put it earlier: he had never systematically studied classical dance, nor did he have long-term professional experience; he had only incidentally learned a bit from historical materials, Cultural Relics, and the like.

But looking at the drawing before them, Liu Hao and Cheng Nianjia dared to pat their chests and say: Lin Sicheng's understanding of the Classical Soft Waist Dance was absolutely no worse than theirs. He could provide precise data in one go, lock in the best orientation and angle for each posture in one go, and make every part perfectly balanced to present the best artistic effect.

There was no trial-and-error process, no uncertainty; all procedures were done in one step. Not to mention the two of them, ask Li Jingting if he could do it?

If he could do it, he wouldn't be this shocked...

Li Jingting's eyes were fixed; he looked at the ancient dance score figure on the whiteboard, then at the Painting of Lady on the drawing board, and then turned back to stare at the photos and materials on the long table.

Having taught students for half a lifetime, he dared to point to his head and guarantee: without ten or eight years of study and research, it was impossible for Lin Sicheng to have such strong comprehension, let alone translate so quickly.

But the problem was, the young man before him was only in his early twenties and still a graduate student in the Xida Cultural Heritage Conservation Department; even if he wanted to have received systematic study, he had to have the time.

It couldn't be as Lin Sicheng said: he knew a bit about Cultural Relics and a bit about history, and drew inferences about other cases?

Li Jingting shook his head decisively: impossible.

If classical dance were so easy to learn, what would professional dance academies be for?

Just as they were shocked and uncertain, Lin Sicheng picked up his drawing pen and put a checkmark on the first set of dance figures in the photocopy of the ancient score.

This meant the first drawing had been translated and finalized.

Then, he began flipping through the materials again.

This time it was even more miscellaneous; not only were there photos, but he also had Fang Jin look up information on Song dance, Yuan drama, and Tang Dynasty poetry on the computer.

But soon, in about five or six minutes, Lin Sicheng put down the mouse: "Teacher Yu, please get ready!"

Yu Jingsi was stunned for a moment, flicked her water sleeves, and stood with her feet together.

"Teacher Yu, have you seen the De Shou Gong Dance Score?"

Yu Jingsi nodded: "I have!"

The De Shou Gong Dance Score was a Southern Song Dynasty court dance from China and is the most complete ancient dance document remaining to this day, with the most detailed explanations of the body parts and dance movements.

Although it was not a required course, anyone who studied classical dance could not avoid the De Shou Gong Dance Score...

"Good that you've seen it!" Lin Sicheng smiled, "Volume 2 of the dance score, figures 227-235, Shoot Goose Style: front knee taut, back leg lifted, left waist twist with hand supporting the chin, imitating a lady in her boudoir looking at the clouds... and the entry 'Column Nine Turns' in the dance score: leaning on the railing to look at the moon, a lady in her boudoir leaning on the railing..."

"The set of dance postures we are translating now is actually a neutralization of the movements in these two entries: shooting the goose, supporting the chin, and looking back... The point is: this set of movements is transformed from the 'Top Hips Support Cheeks' posture, it's roughly like this..."

Lin Sicheng gestured casually, returning to the previous 'Top Hips Support Cheeks' movement. Then, in an instant, his hands changed position, while simultaneously tucking his hips, leaning his body, lifting his leg, and lowering his eyes.

Being a principal dancer and a veritable pillar of the troupe, Yu Jingsi learned it as soon as she saw it; she followed the pattern and struck the pose in the blink of an eye. One man and one woman, one in front and one behind, holding the exact same posture.

But just at this moment, everyone saw the difference: it was visible to the naked eye that Yu Jingsi's transition between dance postures felt raw and stiff—this was not strange; after all, it was a new movement, and even when copying, there had to be a process of familiarization.

But why was it that when it switched to Lin Sicheng, the whole set of movements was smooth and flowing, natural and spontaneous? It was as if he had already translated the score and practiced it a thousand times?

But that was impossible.

To be able to have him translate the score, he must have understood what was necessary: this ancient score was something Lin Sicheng had only picked up from Panjiayuan eleven days ago.

Afterward, something happened, and it was said he had been seriously injured and had been recuperating for over a month.

Even if he hadn't been injured, let alone whether a month was enough for translation, just in terms of practicing dance, it was absolutely impossible to practice to such a proficient level.

Seeing a group of people staring again, Jing Zeyang explained in a low voice: "Cousin Lin has practiced martial arts, and he is an expert; his body is quite agile, and his joints are very flexible. Moreover, he has done quite in-depth research on drama and classical music and dance..."

"The key is that his memory is terrifying, he can be called photographic, his brain reacts quickly, and he learns things even faster; basically, he learns it after one look..." The meaning was... a genius?

Li Jingting scoffed: even if he were a genius, there had to be a process of learning and familiarization. He hadn't taught students for over twenty years for nothing: if Lin Sicheng hadn't practiced dance, he would dare to dig his own eyeballs out.

But the problem arose again, just as he had said: without ten or eight years of effort, one couldn't be this proficient, so where did Lin Sicheng get the time? In a flash, Lin Sicheng finished the movement and corrected Yu Jingsi's posture: "Chin-supporting hand: middle finger against the zygomatic arch, while twisting the waist 15° + looking back... Pay attention to body language and emotion: when transitioning postures, the 'Shoot Goose' leg must be fast and vigorous, expressing the determination to not be bound... When twisting the waist, lean and rotate to the side to express the conflict of wanting to go yet stopping... The focus is on the lowered eyes, and the synchronized facial language: express the melancholy of how things have changed, and the sorrow of missing an old friend..."

Expressing emotions through limbs and expressions was just the basic skill of a dancer, and of course, Yu Jingsi knew these.

What surprised her was that Lin Sicheng was not professionally trained, so why did he understand so much?

And this was his first time translating a score, and those photocopied manuscripts were so blurry that, let alone expressions, even the facial features couldn't be seen clearly. So how did Lin Sicheng know that the dance figures in the ancient score necessarily expressed these emotions he spoke of?

It couldn't be, as he had just said to Professor Li: speculation, blind guessing?

"Of course not, I was just joking with Professor Li earlier..."

Lin Sicheng explained with a smile, "Even if an ancient score is lost, it doesn't mean it has become a dead score; traces can still be found in many documents. Just like the two entries in the De Shou Gong Dance Score I just mentioned."

"There is also the Tang Dynasty's 'Palace Lyrics' by He Ning: 'Shoot goose posture tilts the golden slingshot, supporting the chin still remembering the painted screen,' which describes this set of movements... And the famous late Tang poet Wen Tingyun's 'Night Banquet Ballad': 'Little shoot startles the swan, receiving the feathered arrow, jade fingers slenderly support the emerald hairpin'... 'Startling the swan' is another name for shooting the goose, and 'supporting the emerald hairpin' corresponds to supporting the chin... it still describes this set of movements."

"As well as the Song Dynasty team dance (court dance) 'Beauty Cuts Peony': 'The young girl performs the shoot goose posture, supporting the fragrant chin while climbing to break the peony'... And the Yuan Dynasty variety play 'Soul of a Beauty': 'Posture, the lead actress performs the shoot goose and chin-support act.' Singing: 'Just like that lone swan reflecting its shadow'... The first sentence doesn't need explanation, and the 'lone swan reflecting its shadow' in the latter sentence refers to the lowered eyes..."

"Including this set of movements, it didn't come out of thin air: the Dazu Rock Carvings (Southern Song) banquet dance lady is carved with the chin-supporting hand from this set of movements. The Baisha Song Tomb brick carving dancer is the lower limbs, which is the 'Shoot Goose' leg. And the Li Shou Tomb line-engraved female musician is carved with 'waist twist + lowering'..."

Yu Jingsi was stunned, her eyes fixed.

She stared at Lin Sicheng for a long time, then looked at the materials on the table and the computer in front of Fang Jin.

"Student Lin, did you look up all these materials just now?"

"How could that be?" Lin Sicheng couldn't help but laugh, "Historical documents are as vast as the sea; if I collected them on the spot, I wouldn't even know which entry was in which book... The materials were, of course, prepared in advance..."

But even if prepared in advance, it was only a matter of a few days.

Just relying on that assistant of his, or even the devil-may-care Jing Zeyang? Stop joking...

While thinking to himself, Lin Sicheng adjusted the movement and stared at the mirror for a few seconds: "It's ready, Teacher Yu, finish it!"

Yu Jingsi finished the dance posture, and Lin Sicheng picked up his pencil again and began to sketch the base drawing.

It also only took five or six minutes, and a "Shoot Goose and Support Chin" dance figure was fresh off the press.

Subconsciously, several people looked at the drawing, then looked at Yu Saijing in front of the mirror wall.

At a glance, it looked like a cartoon, but in reality, Yu Saijing really looked like this: an oval face, fine round cheeks, phoenix eyes, and skin as white as a doll's.

Whether it looked like her or not became secondary; the point was the image: the angle of the limbs, the sway of the clothing, and the changes in expression were exactly the same as the moment right before the actor finished the movement that Lin Sicheng had repeatedly adjusted.

Relying only on memory, he could replicate it one-to-one, drawing it just like a photograph; what kind of terrifying memory power did that require?

Subconsciously, they remembered the sentence Jing Zeyang had just said: Lin Sicheng's memory is super good, almost photographic...

Is this what photographic memory is?

For dance choreographers, this was also secondary, because storyboard composition was just their basic skill. Including Li Jingting, Liu Hao, Cheng Nianjia, and the two choreographers, it was basically second nature to them.

But if they were asked to design, or even more so to translate the notation, they would at most draw it like this:

Or perhaps put in a little more effort, add some clothing and hairstyles, and draw it like this:

In any case, it would never be like Lin Sicheng's, which was not only comprehensive in every detail but also made the figures look as if they had come to life.

It wasn't that they couldn't do it, but that it required time.

Especially the static language expressed by the actors through their limbs, as well as the emotions and feelings presented through expressions and eyes.

To borrow a famous foreign saying: there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes. Whether professional or not, translating every set of movements in ancient notation inevitably requires multiple deductions, and even more so, countless trials, errors, and judgments to select the expression that best fits the dance posture and can best express the emotional details, while also having sufficient visual tension and sufficient stage effect.

It can be said like this: designing every set of dance postures, the synchronized emotional expression, and the emotional changes during the transition of dance postures, takes at least a day or two of deliberation and research, and sometimes three to five days is not out of the question.

But for Lin Sicheng, he didn't need that at all: the moment the movement was determined, he seemed to know what kind of expression was most suitable for this set of movements. And, he seemed to have already determined the Center thought and theme of the work?

Just like the few sentences he emphasized when adjusting the actors' movements earlier: shy yet timid, wanting to refuse but still welcoming... needing to express the determination of not wanting to be bound, and even more so to express the sense of contradiction of wanting to go yet stopping, as well as the melancholy of things remaining the same but people having changed, and the sorrow of remembering an old friend but being unable to meet them...

If this isn't the thought behind the work, then what is?

The key is that it is appropriate, tailor-made, and a perfect match.

Whether it was for Cheng Nianjia, Liu Hao, or even Li Jingting, they all felt it couldn't be changed further. They even had an intuition: this set of dance postures was born to express such emotions.

Therefore, a group of people were particularly unable to figure it out: it was as if Lin Sicheng had already translated the notation and was just copying the composition again through the actor's storyboard?

But thinking about it, that was impossible: this is ancient notation, not a textbook; you have to translate, not copy.

With only a few days in total, it would be good enough just to figure out the auxiliary literature and materials...

In a flash, Lin Sicheng put a checkmark on the second piece of ancient notation, then took the drawing down.

Immediately, Fang Jin took a stack of photocopied manuscript paper and stuck them onto the whiteboard one by one.

There were more than ten sheets in total, and in the blink of an eye, the entire whiteboard was covered.

Everyone was stunned for a moment: what is this, shoes?

No, this is a footwork diagram for the dance posture.

It looks like this:

Or like this:

And like this:

A dozen or so diagrams, all exactly the same: all only showing two shoes.

Jing Zeyang blinked his eyes: "Where are the people dancing?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "No one!"

"Then how do you translate it?"

"There is notation!"

As he spoke, Lin Sicheng stuck a few more sheets of manuscript paper up, and he even stuck them very neatly.

Taking a glance, Jing Zeyang's eyeballs almost popped out: five or six pages with nearly two or three hundred characters, and he didn't recognize more than ten of them. It wasn't just him; including the two students, several actors, and even the two choreographers, they all looked at it like it was a heavenly book.

Liu Hao and Cheng Nianjia recognized a little, but it was limited to "a little"; if they were asked to translate the notation, that would be making things difficult for them.

Li Jingting was more professional and knew a bit more; if he were asked to translate it, he should be able to.

But to say whether the translation was correct, or how accurate it could be, that would be deceiving oneself.

Because there were too many uncertainties.

For example: "、" is a Pause Symbol, referring to stepping on the ground to fix a pose, but you don't know if it's the left foot or the right foot that is fixed. Whether the upper body is upright, leaning forward, or leaning backward.

You still have to judge through the dance symbols before and after.

Another example, "川" is a Shake Symbol, but you don't know which part is shaking. Is it the head, the neck, the chest, the waist, or even the hips? You also have to judge through the symbols before and after.

Then, the problem arises: not all ancient dance notation symbols have annotations left behind. Taking these few sheets in front of them as an example, Li Jingting could find the source and accurately translate perhaps only half of them.

What about the remaining half? You can only rely on guessing.

Therefore, ninety-nine percent of ancient notation translation relies on deduction.

Li Jingting was very curious: how would Lin Sicheng translate it?