A Comparative Study On Xu Yuanzhong's And Ezra Pound's Theories And Practices On The Translation Of Classical Chinese Poetry

The classical Chinese poetry is an important part of the Chinese culture, and also a valuable contribution of the Chinese literature to the world literature. For the last one and a half centuries or so, scholars both at home and abroad have made significant efforts in the translation of the classical Chinese poetry. Quite a few of them have not only attributed excellent versions but also insightful views on translation theories.In the history of verse translation from Chinese to English, there have emerged different schools, namely: literal translation, liberal translation and adaptation in the early period; rhymed verse translation, free verse translation and creative translation in the late period. Each school has contributed its theories and views on the translation of the classical Chinese poetry.hi the early period of verse translation, Ezra Pound took up a crucial and unique position. His Cathay made a stir upon publication in 1915 and was considered his "most enduring contribution" to the English poetry. The success of Cathay is actually the success of the classical Chinese poetry in the United States. "Ever since then, the classical Chinese poetry began to attract the western eyes.": 1985, 150)As for the translation in contemporary China, Xu Yuanzhong is definitely the most influential one, whose excellent versions of the classical Chinese poetry are well accepted by readers both in China and overseas, and whose criteria of verse translation ?"beauty in sense, beauty in sound and beauty in form" have been widely recognized and appreciated.This thesis makes a comparative study between Xu Yuanzhong and Ezra Pound, attempting to delve into their thoughts, respective ages and cultural backgrounds to figure out the common reasons for their success.Chapter I of the thesis is an introduction to Xu Yuanzhong's life and translationcareer. It also outlines his theories on translation. The following chapter presents Pound's thoughts and achievements as a poet and translator.Chapter III is the main body of the thesis. It investigates Xu and Pound's translation theories and practices from a micro perspective. In this chapter, the author studies the similarities and dissimilarities between Xu and Pound's views on culture and translation and figures out that their views on culture directly influence their views on translation and guide their translation practice. And then, the author makes a detailed comparative study on the translation practice of Xu Yuanzhong and Pound and sorts out the direct reason for their success from the angle of the text.Chapter IV evaluates their great success in the background of time and culture. Based on the Polysystem Theory, the study is focused on the varied position of the translated Chinese literature in English Polysystem as well as the norm and tendency of verse translation from Chinese into English, which are greatly influenced by the ups and downs of Chinese culture and the Western culture.Nowadays, translation is no longer the mere transference between two languages, but also the exchange and dialogue between two cultures. In the conclusion, the author points out that translation is closely bound up with culture. Xu Yuanzhong and Pound's widely divergent versions of the classical Chinese poetry enjoy great success in different ages, which further proves that in the process of translation, despite of the disparity of the purpose, the criteria and the method of translation, a translator should take into consideration the positions of both the source culture and the target culture, and then set up the translation strategies.