A Comparative Study On The C-E Poetry Translation From The Perspective Of Intertextuality

Compiled around1763by Sun Zhu (1722-1778), a scholar in Qing Dynasty,TangShi Sanbai Shou has been still enjoying the reputation of the beloved in Chineseliterary history. Because of its literary value, various Chinese and English versions aremushrooming. Current researches into its English versions are mainly conducted fromthe perspective of descriptive studies, primarily concentrating on the qualitativeanalysis. However, a combination of a qualitative and quantitative study into thedifferent English versions can be rarely found both at home and abroad. With the helpof software tools of SPSS13.0and AntConc3.2.1, this graduation thesis answers thefollowing three research questions by studying both Xu Yuanchong’s and Tang Yihe’sEnglish versions of TangShi Sanbai Shou under the framework of the Intertextualitytheory put forward by scholars such as Julia Kristeva:1. At the vocabulary level, is there any Extra-intertexuality between XuYuanchong’s rhyme translation and the other English poem(s), betweenTang Yihe’s rhyme translation and the other English poem(s)? If there isany，what effects can the rhyme Intertextuality produce?2. At the phrasal level, is there any Extra-Intertextuality between XuYuanchong’s image translation and the other English poem(s), between TangYihe’s image translation and the other English poem(s)? If there is any，whateffects can the image Intertextuality produce?3. At the syntactical level, is there any Intertextuality between Xu Yuanchong’ssentence translation and the ST, between Tang’s sentence translation and theST? If there is any, what effects can the syntax Intertextuality produce?Scholars classify Intertextuality into three types, namely Intratextuality, Extratextuality and Contratextuality. Extratextuality means the relation of at least twotexts, which is the focus of this study. This thesis explores the translation of rhymes (atthe vocabulary level) and images (at the phrasal level), and short sentences and longsentences (at the syntactic level), aiming to testify whether there are any intertextualfeatures in Xu Yuanchong’s and Tang Yihe’s versions and what effects they canproduce.In terms of the first research question, SPSS13.0is used to canvass whether thetwo versions are significantly different in rhyme intertextuality. Rhyme schemes andend rhymes are selected to conduct a descriptive analysis between the two versionsunder the guidance of the Intertextuality theory. Xu’s version adheres more strictly tothe rhyme schemes than Tang’s, for the former’s schemes have been frequently used insome English poems. What’s more, Xu’s appropriate end rhymes, which can be tracedin many existing classical western poems and which have been interwoven with thethematic conveyances, are more successful than Tang’s. In this sense, Xu’s version hasbetter ignited readers’ intertextual associations and caused resonance with thebackground knowledge they have possessed.SPSS13.0is also employed to testify whether two versions are significantlydifferent in image translation. Both literal translation and free translation are underdiscussion to show whether they can demonstrate intertextual features. Xu’s versiongives preference to free translation whereas Tang’s to literal translation but there is nosignificant difference in which strategy to choose. On one hand, Xu’s version succeedsin conveying implications of both the target and source images, which contributes tostriking dialogues with readers and arousing intertextual associations with thealready-existing background knowledge. On the other, Tang’s literal translation provesto be information-loaded for readers; therefore, he fails to instill in the readers’ mindthe existing background knowledge.Whether short sentences or long sentences can bear intertextual features to thesource poems is studied with the help of AntConc3.2.1and Descriptive Statistics inSPSS13.0to answer the third question. The collected data resulting from the softwareAntConc3.2.1and Descriptive Statistics provided by SPSS13.0indicate that Xu prefers short sentences, thus achieving the Intertextuality in style or form. However, Tangdevelops a fascination for long sentences, thus fulfilling the interplay in meaning orinformation with the original poems but somewhat unable to convey the original poeticflavor.There is no doubt that this study is a new approach to the different Englishversions of TangShi Sanbai Shou, involving both qualitative and quantitative analysesand can thus avoid the incompleteness of pure qualitative analysis. Furthermore, it canshed light on the choice of translation strategies in rhymes, images, short and longsentences as well as give references to the retranslating of TangShi Sanbai Shou in thetwenty-first century.