On Translatability And Its Limitation Of Classical Chinese Poetry

Poetry is the superior form of literature. Classical Chinese Poetry (CCP) is characterized by its terseness in language, abstruseness in meaning, richness in imagery, sharpness in emotion, and distinctiveness in rhyme and rhythm. The translation of Classical Chinese Poetry has long been considered a controversial topic. Through more than a century's endeavor, many translators both at home and abroad have produced a lot of literary translation works. The publishing of many English versions of CCP has proved its translatability; but whether they can perfectly reproduce the literary glamour of the original or not is still in heated discussion. This thesis is to explore the translatability and its limitation in translating Classical Chinese Poetry.This thesis is divided into six parts.The first part is introduction, which illustrates the significance of poetry translation and current studies in this field.Chapter One explains the definition of poetry and analyzes the differences between Classical Chinese Poetry and English poetry from the aspect of grammar, rhyme and imagery. On grammar, CCP is very flexible while English poetry is relatively strict. On rhyme, the two languages find their different ways in making musical effects. CCP uses the level and oblique tones of each character, the end-rhyme and the antithesis, etc. while English poetry employs stressed and unstressed syllables as well as foot. On image, CCP emphasizes abstractness while English verse tries to depict the real world.Chapter Two is the theoretical foundation of the thesis. The author introduces the general principles of translation firstly and then the principles in the translation of CCP specifically. In this part, the translation theories of Liu Chongde and Xu Yuanchong are compared. Then, the author draws the conclusion that the translation principle produced by Professor Liu is the fundamental principle of poetry translation while the "Three Beauties" principle put forward by Professor Xu Yuanchong can be regarded as the ideal goal for translators to strive for. On the other hand, " New Translation Theory" advocated by Professor Xu overemphasizes the translator's creation and neglects the essence of translation.In the third chapter, firstly, the author states the foundation of translatability from three aspects: the relationship between language and culture, human's emotional reaction and the frequent cultural exchange. Then, this part proves the translatability of the CCP from the aspect of imagery and style by numerous examples and offers some specific methods for the rendition of imagery and style.The fourth chapter points out the obstacles caused by culture in the translation of CCP, for example, the allusions, social customs, natural environments and traditional aesthetics. Then, it continues to analyze the barriers in language. The uniqueness of Chinese language and culture brought great difficulties to the translation of CCP.In conclusion, the author makes the point that CCP can be translated, but there exists some limitations for the sake of the linguistic and cultural diversities. Consequently, the author believes that Chinese translators enjoy the advantage of understanding the ancient Chinese and culture hidden in Classical Chinese Poetry. While in the use of the English language, the English-speaking foreign translators can make their versions smoother and more beautiful. So both the Chinese and foreign translators share their own strong points and overcome their weak ones towards rendering Classical Chinese Poetry. Therefore, the cooperation between Chinese translators and foreign translators might be the most favorable approach.