A Study On The Translation And Introduction Of The Chinese Ancient Literary Terms In James J.y.liu`s Chinese Theories Of Literature

Chinese Theories of Literature is James J.Y.Liu`s fifth English book. In thisbook, Liu not only reshapes the theory of “four elements” of M.H. Abrams, but alsoseletively translates about sixty pieces of Chinese literary criticism works，involvingmore than two hundred Chinese ancient literary terms, and also poses many wiseideas and thoughts about the translation and introduction of the terms, which becomesa great model for us to study his English-translation strategy of Chinese ancientliterary terms. The thesis firslty investigates Liu`s educational backgroud andacdemic way, and makes analysis of the theory foundation of Chinese Theory ofLiterature. Moreover, it selects and analyzes the English-translaiton of metaphysicaltheory terms, deterministic theory terms, expressive theory terms, technical theoryterms, aesthetic theory terms and pragmatic theory terms, and makes a list of thetranslations of Stephen Owen，James Legge for the cross-sectional and comparativestudy, and combines Liu`s The Art of Chinese Poetry and The Interlingual Critic:Interpreting Chinese Poetry for the longitudinal study. In the end, it discusses theEnglish-translation difficults of the Chinese ancient literary terms, then concludesLiu`s translation and introduction strategies of the Chinese ancient literary terms.Because of the charaters of Chinese language and the wide thinking way ofChinese literati, the Chinese ancient literary terms possess the visual, intuitivecharacters and vague meanings. The great disparities between Chinese and Englishlanguage and literary trandition impede the meaning production of Chinese literaryterms in English-traslation. Moreover, the shortage of the excellent Chinese mailandtranslators delays the translation progress of Chinese ancient literary therory worksand literary terms. In order to solve the terms`meaning losing problem in translation,Liu explores one terms`translaion-and-introduction way of “Borrowing thetheory—Analysing the concepts—Selecting the words—Clearing the connotation”,which produces the terms`meaning reinterpretation space and extends the life of theChinese theory of literature that terms bear. Liu adopts the barbarian translation, and pays close attention to general readers`effect of the translation version, andinterposes in the translation progress as a “critic-translator”, which forms one triuneterms`translation theory that can provide the reference and guidance for Chinesemainland translators who are interested in the translation and introduction ofChinese ancient literary theory works, then promote the modern transformation andoversea dissemination of Chinese ancient literary theory.