A Tentative Probe Into The English Translation Of Yuan Xiaoling

The translation of yuanqu (Yuan song) has not received due attention according to the author's investigation. Versions of yuanqu, particularly that of xiaoling (a short lyrical poem), have been lacking both at home and abroad. This thesis attempts to call more academic attention to the translation of xiaoling. Primarily referring to Xu Yuanzhong's translation theory of classical Chinese poetry and the traditional Chinese poetics and aesthetics, combined with Peter Newmark's (and others') translation theories, it presents the author's tentative translations of some representative xiaoling and makes a comparative study with versions of other translators (Xu Yuanzhong and Gu Zhengkun where available), aiming to seek a sound approach to xiaoling translation. It turns out that for the translation of the literary school of xiaoling, beauty in realm is a critical part of beauty in sense in terms of "three beauties". The translator should be sensitive enough to perceive the delicate realm underneath the images and seek to re-create that realm. Where necessary, he/she is justified to adapt the wording of the original. Generally, the language of this school is often polished and refined; and the delicate wording style needs to be preserved to reproduce the beauty in realm (sense). Beauty in sound and form also count. The translator is expected to properly balance the three aspects. Besides, non-essential culture-bound factors can be canceled in some cases. As to the popular school, this thesis investigates the translations of Xu Yuanzhong and Gu Zhengkun and has come to suggest disappointingly that neither of them has sufficiently regarded the stylistic features, particularly Gu, who prefers an archaic style whether the original does indeed read so. This approach is debatable because the loss of stylistic feature impairs the beauty of sense. The author hence supplements a "fourth beauty", i.e. the beauty of style, to the theory of "three beauties". Her point here is to call more attention to the reproducing of style, especially the colloquial style of the popular xiaoling.