A Contrastive Study On English Versions Of Mao Zedong’s Poems From The Perspective Of Translation Norms

Mao Zedong’s poems are unique treasures in Chinese literature. They are created by inheriting and promoting the excellent tradition of Chinese classic poetry. There were abundant people appreciated his work because of the natural and majestic style. At the same time, the charm of his poems has been projected to foreign countries and appraised highly reputation by the foreign researchers and readers. So far, Mao Zedong’s poems have been translated into numerous languages in which more than twenty English translations texts have been published and widely distributed throughout the world. With the increase of translation versions, Mao Zedong’s poems have been the topic research among translation scholars. The study reports and dissertations have also sprung up. The single English translation text studies and the comparative studies of several translation texts all have reached a certain width and depth. Based on the summary and generalization of previous studies, it is obviously that the previous researches mainly focused on words and rhetoric translation, and the evaluation from micro-level analysis in translation texts instead of standing in the angle of macro level to objectively describe every period characteristic of the different translations texts.Therefore, from the perspective of translation norm theory, this research will emphatically analyze and compare the different English translation texts of Mao Zedong’s poems. Firstly, to summarize the research status and development of Mao Zedonng’s poems from a single word, phrase, sentence research to the comparative study among different translations texts at home and abroad. Secondly, to conduct a brief overview of the research status of translation norm theory and the significance of combining this theory into translation texts to better express their particular features. Thirdly, this research will mainly focus on analyzing different translation features and strategies in the translation of allusions, tune names and cultural image under the perspective of preliminary norms, initial norms and operational norms. By contrasting different translation versions to objectively present each translation feature of the English translation texts.It is concluded through the profound in-depth study that the whole translation activity of Mao Zedong’s poems is constrained by the specific norms. As the main body of translation, the translators have made choices from the selection of original texts, translation orientation and background to the specific translation strategies under the restriction of translation norms. During the choosing process, the translators were also influenced by source culture, target culture and self personalities which result in the various features of each version. Therefore, in translation practice, as long as the translators penetrate into the conflict between two cultural societies and exclude their own emotional factors would help them to pursue the state of relative balance. Generally speaking, there is no absolutely perfect translation text but there are different translation features under the particular restriction of translation norms. With the aid of research results, this research expect to make a contribution and reference for future research of Mao Zedong’s poems and the study of Chinese classical poetry.