Conveyance Of Aesthetic Effect In The Translation Of Su Shi's Ci-poetry

Ci, as a special form of literature, occupies a significant position in the history of Chinese classical literature. Su Shi is considered as one of the most outstanding poets in the Song Dynasty. His ci-poetry is cherished as a gleaming gem in Chinese literature. It has been attracting the interest of a wide range of readers both at home and abroad, and was translated into English by many translators. Among many translation theories that have emerged in the East and West, Eugene Nida's theory of functional equivalence is one of the most widely accepted. According to Nida, translation should aim at the closest natural equivalent of the message in the source language. His functional equivalence focuses on"the response of the receptor", in which the criterion of evaluation lies in the comparison between the understanding and appreciation of the target language readers and that of the source language readers. Under the guidance of functional equivalence, the closest natural equivalent translation is the one can evoke from its target readers the similar response as the source text can from its readers. In classical Chinese poetry, form and content are inseparable. In poetry translation, translators not only satisfy with transferring of the ideas in the original,but also strive for conveyance the aesthetic effect. This thesis attempts to explore the translation of classical Chinese poetry from the aesthetic perspective. Nida's theory of functional equivalence is applied to the analysis of the conveyance of aesthetic effect in Su Shi's ci-poems. Due to the differences between Chinese and English languages on lexical and grammatical levels, there is no absolute equivalence between them. A translator should try his best to achieve the adequacy both in content and in form. If not possible, content is always prior to form.In addition to introduction and conclusion, there are four chapters in this thesis.In the introduction, Su Shi's life and achievements are presented. It mainly probes into the characteristics of ci, especially the characteristics of Su Shi's ci-poetry, and then the author gives a general survey of the historical development of the English translation of Su Shi's ci-poems. Chapter One is a detailed explanation of Nida's theory of functional equivalence, including a general review of the foundation and development of the theory of translation equivalence, the ideas of Nida's functional equivalence theory which offers essential theoretical support for this thesis.Chapter Two offers an analysis of the conveyance of poetic beauty in form from aspects of phonetics, lexicology, syntax and discourse. In respect of phonetics, rhythm and rhyme will be analyzed. In respect of lexicology, the name of pattern and the reduplicated words are discussed in detail. In respect of syntax, the discussion focuses on a special line scheme of classical Chinese poetry—parallelism. And in respect of discourse, the analysis mainly focuses on types of literature and language, such as rhymed translation and prose translation. The original language style should also be retained in translation. Chapter Three focuses on the reproduction of beauty in content of Su Shi's ci-poems, and it is divided into two parts. The discussion puts emphasis on imagery beauty and figures of speech. Imagery is the most essential aspect in poetic translation. As to figures of speech, simile, metaphor and metonymy will be studied.In Chapter Four, a comparative study of the four English versions of Mid-Autumn Festival is made both in form and in content. In form, a comparison of the four English versions will be made from line arrangement and sound effect. In content, the images in this lyric are discussed in detail. From the comparison, it is clear to find that Chinese translators have done much better than western translators in reproducing images.The last part in this thesis is conclusion. Guided by the theory of functional equivalence, this thesis endeavors to provide a textual resource for further translation studies on Su Shi's ci-poetry.