A Study Of Priority On Form And Content In Chinese Translation Theories

This thesis focuses on the priority between form and content in Chinese translationtheories. Translation theories have always been an important part of both the study andthe discipline construction of translation, and Chinese translation theories, broad andprofound, particularly have a long historical standing. Since the earliest translatingactivities appeared in Xia and Shang Dynasty, countless excellent translationpractitioners and theorists have been actively and untiringly continuing to explore anddevelop the practice and theoretical experience of translation. They have created “wen”and “zhi”,“good translation” theory,“faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance”,“faithfulness, expressiveness and closeness”, literal and free translation, similarity inform, similarity in spirit, sublimation theory, theory of equivalent effect, aesthetictranslation, dialectical translation thought, plural complementarism of translationstandards, etc., as a significant achievement and quintessence of Chinese splendidcivilization and excellent national traditional culture.The category of content and form is not only one of the basic propositions inphilosophy, but also a focus in translation studies and a core issue of stylistics. As aconversion of two languages and even two cultures and ideologies, translation, eversince its birth, has inevitably been involved with content and form. Thus, in order torealize a precise and perfect translation, the translator must deal with the relationshipbetween form and content properly. However, it is a pity that each theorist has adivergent view on how to deal with the relationship between form and content, so overquite a long time the translation world has either held an ambiguous attitude orquarreled with each other on the problem which one is prior, form or content. Therefore,it is necessary to sort out and analyze the concepts or thoughts of form and content inChinese translation theories, and clarify the priority between form and content, so as toaccurately and appropriately deal with their relationship during the translating process.This study aims to improve translating efficiency economically, saving both time andresources, and attempt to get academic innovations on the basis of theoretical summary.Adopting a scientific research method via an integration of induction and deduction, description and explanation, this thesis makes a collection of30famoustranslators’ authoritative theories by judgment sampling and stratified sampling. Basedon a quantitative and qualitative analysis, this thesis tentatively compares and analyzesthe elements and priority of form and content involved in these theories. As a result ofclassification and analysis, this thesis divides the30theories into four types accordingto the priority between form and content: first, priority on content with partial inferiorforms represented by Liang Qichao and Guo Moruo; second, priority on form forcontent is expressed based on form, represented by Jiang Feng’s “similarity-in-formpreceding similarity-in-content”; third, a neutral opinion such as Jin Yuelin’s idea; last,a dialectical balance between form and content, which is also supported by mosttheories.This thesis, first of all, points out the significance of this study–the necessity tofocus on the classification and summarization of Chinese translation theories, theimportance to study form and content in translation and the theoretical divergenceexisting all the time, and clarifies the research method, objective and basic framework.Then dating back to ancient Greek and Roman time and Chinese ancient time, thisstudy makes a clear and precise definition and connotation of form and content, andfurther understands their philosophic origins. Under the diachronic perspective startedfrom the period of Buddhist scripture translation, this thesis makes a detailed collectionand arrangement of the relevant descriptions or opinions on form and content inChinese translation theories. On this basis, it makes a specific comparison and analysison the priority between content and form, and between their elements, solving three keyresearch questions: firstly, which is of higher priority in translation, form or content;secondly, under what circumstances it is prior; thirdly, what degree of the priority is andhow about their elements. The conclusion made is regarded as the theoretical basis ofthe whole study. In addition, this thesis makes a brief cause analysis of the similaritiesand differences between the ideas on form and content in these translation theories fromthe aspect of social background, stylistic differences, translator’s subjectivity andreader’s demand. Due to the significance of form, it further puts forward correspondingstrategies–direct equivalence, indirect compensation and conventional form totranslate “form”. In the end, based on a case study of The Red Wheelbarrow, this papercomprehensively analyzes the elements of form and content involved in this poem andmakes an appropriate comment on Jiang Feng’s translation. According to the research findings, this thesis tentatively offers its own retranslation, with the purpose to test andapply the priority study between form and content into practice.As the research shows, for translation between two different languages, form andcontent remain neck and neck. They are in a dialectical unity in translation, so form andcontent can’t be separated from each other. The fidelity in content means the completeconveyance of meaning, emotion, spirit and thought, etc. Faithfulness to the form refersto either resemblance to the original form or substitution of corresponding targetlanguage form producing similar effect or function. The style, rhetoric devices, specialrhyme and rhythm, form of expression and structure take prior positions in form.Translators ought to do their utmost to achieve the best closeness in form and content tothe maximum extent. And only when form and content are in uncoordinated conflictsare they obliged to creatively use the corresponding target language form to expresssimilar effects of the original form by exploiting the advantages of the target language.Based on explicit opinions, innovative perspective and proper methods, this thesishas made an effective collection, classification and analysis on the form and contentthoughts involved in Chinese translation theories, and clarified the dialecticalrelationship between form and content, and between their elements. Consequently, it isbeneficial to promote the inheritance and development of Chinese translation historyand theories, as well as the prosperity of Chinese Classics and national traditionalculture. The discussion of the strategies to translate “form”, aiming to achieve a goodtranslation in both formal and spiritual resemblance, is also constructive to theimprovement of translating quality.This research has made some innovations so far: providing a new idea andperspective for the theoretical study of translation. First is the innovation of researchmethod. It combines documentary research with empirical research, with acomprehensive integration of qualitative and quantitative analysis, and presents theconclusions by various vivid tables and figures, to be more scientific, objective anddirect. Second, concentrating on Chinese local translation history and theories, it sortsout many classic and typical theories again, promoting the academic attention to localcultural resources and theoretical achievements. Moreover, this thesis makes a morereasonable and comprehensive analysis and dialectical classification of form, content and their priority, laying solid foundations for the effective translation united in formaland spiritual similarity.