Back To Cosmic Communion—Ontology In English Translation Of Chinese Zenist Nature Poetry

This thesis is intended to present some of my personal views on translation ofancient Chinese Zenist nature poetry into English. It unfolds into4Chapters: ChapterOne outlines the basic scope of the Zenist spiritual realm as an essential part ofChinese intellectual tradition. The Zenist spiritual realm resonates with local Daoistcosmic view in China, and both of them are highlighted by a cosmic ontology wherethe essence of the whole nature and universe is the amorphous, freely-flowing Qi,which provides for the harmonious resonance and blending among all life undulations,as well as between natural landscapes and the images in mind. This is the foundationof poetry. Concretely, ancient Chinese Zenist nature poetry is influenced by Zenistspirit in terms of imagery, perspective and linguistic style.Chapter Two is about how this Daoist-Zenist intellectual tradition influencesChinese poetry, and how it is expressed through silent and selfless contemplation atthe universe, through union with nature, in serene landscapes, wild solitude, andpristine prospects of life.Chapter Three relates the prevailing translatological standards, and points out thatthey are not suitable for translating such poems, because these standards are based onthe Cartesian dichotomy, on rational analysis and materialistic measurement, and donot touch the real essence of Qi. This part pertains to some traditions both in Chineseand Western translatologies, their intellectual progenies, and makes a contrastbetween different English versions of the same Chinese poem for illustration.Chapter Four proposes a meta-translatological discussion for the establishment ofstandards for evaluating translation of Chinese Zenist nature poems, and proposes aturn towards a culture-transcendental perspective. The translator sees through theoriginal poem into the pristine nature where his poetical instinct is submerged in vividspontaneity of the universe. This process of natural submergence is the Zenist spiritualrealm in translation and the source of “dynamic resonance” between the translator andthe author, and between translator and reader.