Hawkes’ most significant achievement as a translator is The Story of the Stone (also known as the Dream of the Red Chamber), a work to which he fully devoted himself, even resigning from the post of Professor of Chinese in 1971 to focus on the project. His other translation works, such as The Songs of the South and A Little Primer of Tu Fu, are also authoritative studies and translations of Chinese classical literature. After Hawkes’ death, as his Literary Executor, Professor John Minford donated Hawkes’ papers to CUHK Library in 2011 and set up the David Hawkes Archive. The priceless original manuscript of his Stone translation, which had been bought many years earlier by the Research Centre for Translation, joined the Archive in 2013. This inspiring Archive, with its rich array of manuscripts, correspondence and other precious items, is an enduring source of inspiration to translation students at the University and around the world. Some of the highlights of the David Hawkes Archive are highlighted below.

The Story of the Stone Manuscript

Hawkes’ version is unique among the various translations of The Story of the Stone because of his “one abiding principle”: “to translate everything - even puns”. This principle, as mentioned in his introduction to the first volume of The Story of the Stone, came from his belief that every element in the story is there to serve a purpose and must be retained and carefully handled. Throughout the translation, we can see how Hawkes sought to preserve all of the symbols and examples of wordplay in the original work for his English readers. Many critics consider his version of The Story of the Stone to be one of the first truly successful English renderings of traditional Chinese fiction, as it is both scholarly and readable while retaining the poetic and artistic aspects of the original text.

Translation manuscripts often reveal the thoughts and emotions of the translator, and hence record the translator’s journey in tackling the challenges of translation. Traces of the editing process are easily distinguishable in Hawkes’ manuscript of The Story of the Stone, and scholars, students, translators and lovers of literature can study when, how and why certain translation decisions were made and witness first hand how the great Chinese classic gradually came alive in another language.


Handwritten Notes

Hawkes’ translations have set the highest standard for the art of translation, as they are based on his comprehensive and in-depth research into Chinese literature from pre-Qin to modern times. His meticulous efforts are reflected in the notes preserved in the Archive. For instance, from the translator’s notes of The Story of the Stone we can see how Hawkes compared the texts of different versions of Stone one by one, and how he also analysed the various views of scholars on these versions. His notes on Yuan Zaju contain English abstracts of the dramatic repertoire and related bibliography. Reading the notes, we are impressed not only by Professor Hawkes’ erudition and diligence but also by his beautiful Chinese handwriting.

Correspondence

The Archive contains a wide range of correspondence between Hawkes and his family, friends, scholars, students, etc., dated from 1948 to 2009. The senders include his lifelong friends Professor Jao Tsung-I and Ms Fang Zhaoling, the painter and calligrapher who counted Professor Hawkes as her teacher and mentor, along with Qian Zhongshu and Jin Yong. The extensive subject matter of the letters ranges from cordial greetings from relatives and friends to serious academic discussions. The letter from Jin Yong reveals that Hawkes anonymously participated in the translation of his novel The Deer and the Cauldron. These letters are significant as they provide insights into Hawkes’ personal network.


Artworks

Hawkes famously devoted his life to literature and translation, but his artistic interests remain little known. In addition to textual materials, the David Hawkes Archive contains numerous artworks. One of his lifelong but rarely mentioned hobbies was watercolour painting, and he was also an enthusiastic art collector. During his time in Beijing, Hawkes collected Nianhua, posters and seals. He was also presented with artworks by his friends, such as a scroll by Professor Jao Tsung-i that describes Professor Hawkes’ resignation from Oxford to focus on the translation project of The Story of the Stone, along with various paintings and calligraphic works by artists such as Ms Fang Zhaoling.

 

 

To celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Professor David Hawkes, an exhibition entitled “Mislay Me Not, Forget Me Not: David Hawkes and The Story of the Stone. Sinologist and Translator, the Man and the Book” began on 6 October 2023. All are welcome.