On The Translation Of Imagery In Classical Chinese Poetry Into English

Imagery constitutes the core of Chinese poetic practice and serves as a key to the appreciation of classical Chinese poetry. This thesis, therefore, intends to make a tentative study of the translation of imagery in classical Chinese poetry into English.Starting with the elaboration of imagery, the thesis probes its concepts both in ancient Chinese literary works and western literature and offers a compromising rather than a clear-cut and all-inclusive definition of its own, that is, imagery is a product combined by the individual images of object with subjective emotions, the representation through language of sensory experiences. In the second chapter, a detailed account of imagery is given, among which its characteristics-subjective individuality, rich symbols and vagueness are included, and its categories and combinations expatiated.Chapter three examines the nature of translation as intercultural communication, which is especially the case with the poetry translation. As imagery is regarded as the crystallization of Chinese culture and aesthetic characters and conveyance of the poets' emotions, the transference of imagery essentially serves the purpose of cross-culture communication. Due to the substantial existence of cultural gaps, what may be readily appreciated and sympathetically responded by the SL readers acquainted with the SL culture may turn out to be either a drag or a riddle to the TL readers exposed to another culture, therefore, to what degree the conveyance of imagery is fulfilled determines the TL readers' acceptance of the translated poems.In transmitting imagery, it involves the maintenance of both the superficial form and deep concealed contents. So the difficulties mainly arise from two aspects: the comprehension of the underlined, yet in some cases, multiple meanings on one hand, the contradiction of faithfully representing the superficial image and fully conveying its cultural connotations on the other. Since the transference of imagery in poetry is within the restriction of poem translation, so the basic principles of poetry translation are introduced and interpreted based on Xu Yuanchong's principles of reproducing three merits of CCP (classical Chinese poetry). The images, embodying rich culturalconnotations, when juxtaposed together with flexibility in CCP, invoke a profound and unbounded aesthetic appreciation and imagination. Therefore, the transmittance of the imagery should be guided under the principle that the TL readers have the maximum freedom of imagination and aspiration when reading the translated verse.Chapter four mainly deals with two strategies (domestication and foreignizing) of imagery translation. Accordingly, some specific techniques in accordance with these two strategies are to be expounded. The analysis shows that due to the aim of retaining cultural flavor and color and fulfilling cultural communication, while preserving the English readers' freedom of imagination, foreignizing translation should take precedence over the domestication to some extent.In conclusion, we ask the translator to bear two points in mind: the awareness and responsibility to promote cross-culture communication, which requires their best effort to convey both the form and cultural connotation of an image; secondly, their trust in their intended readers, giving them the dynamic participation and freedom in the appreciation of classical poetry.