An Analysis Of Aesthetic Reproduction In The Translation Of Kunqu From The Perspective Of Translation Aesthetics

Lauded as "Ancestor to All Chinese Operas", Kunqu has achieved the supreme aesthetic accomplishments among Chinese traditional operas. It was listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in2011. The dramatic verse of Kunqu, a blend of music and poetry, is elegant, refined and rich in aesthetic value. But how to reproduce original beauty in the translation work is a major task for translators.Translation aesthetics which originates from China’s traditional translation theory explores the role of aesthetics in translation theory:it tries to reveal the scientific and artistic features of translation from the perspective of aesthetics. After decades’development, translation aesthetics has evolved into an independent discipline with distinct Chinese characteristics. It is a useful tool to guide the aesthetic reproduction in translation by shedding light on the aesthetic constituents in aesthetic subjects and the active role of aesthetic objective.This thesis takes Laughter and Tears as a case study to discuss the possibility of aesthetic reproduction in translation and effective translation strategies by analyzing aesthetic constituents in both original text and translation from the perspective of translation aesthetics. Due to huge differences between Chinese and English, many aesthetic constituents cannot be transplanted into the translation. But aesthetic reproduction is more about the overall coherent aesthetic effect than exact equivalent aesthetic constituents in translation. In this sense, aesthetic reproduction is possible and Wang Ban has successfully achieved that by employing multiple translation strategies.