Cloning Of Poetic Beauty In Poetry Translation: Transformation And Regeneration

Poetry, as a treasure house in language, is the highest form of human literature, and the best combination of knowledge, culture and enjoyment. Translation is a linguistic activity in which we use one language to reproduce the closest natural meaning of another language. Because of cultural differences in any two languages, translation is a challenging activity, and poetry translation is the toughest among this field. The present paper, drawing upon the viewpoints of translation researchers, noticeably Xu Yuan-chong's theory of cloning, attempts to probe into the nature and process of poetry translation as follows: Firstly, a brief review is laid on poetry features and its translation. Secondly, there is a comparative study about the similarities and differences between English and Chinese languages, and those between their poems with the conclusion that although English and Chinese are two completely different language systems, they share a lot of common techniques in poetry creation. Thirdly, comes a brief review on translation theories in general and stylistic and aesthetic factors in general in translation; Lastly, a discussion is tried on the linguistic transformation and meaning regeneration of poetic beauty (as embodied in the three elements of rhyme, rhythm and artistic conception) with abundant examples illustrating the process of poetry translation during both English to Chinese and Chinese to English. The paper winds itself up with the following conclusion: Poetry is translatable, and it can be satisfyingly translated, so poetry translation is reliable to transform and even, to some extent, regenerate the beauty of its original in cross-cultural transmission.