On Stylistic Deviation Of English Versions Of Classical Chinese Poetry From The Perspective Of Translator’s Subjectivity

Classical Chinese poetry is the most beautiful flower in the treasury of Chinese literature. It is also the most precious one in the world of literature and the art. The translation of classical Chinese poetry is different from translator to translator; especially the stylistic transference has been a debated topic. The version style will inevitably deviate from the original one because of different translators and differences between two cultures, languages, and so on. The author starts this thesis from the place of translator, discusses how the version style of classical Chinese poetry is impacted by the translator’s subjectivity. The translator is not a passive receiver, but an active creator. The subjectivity of the translator will be definitely manifested consciously or unconsciously during the process of translation. With further understanding for the role of the translator, the importance of the subjective status is recognized. With the evolvement of theory, hermeneutics develops into an essential corroborating theory.The style of classical Chinese poetry is translatable. The version of classical Chinese poetry conveys the original style through linguistic form, namely "form", including figure of speech, diction and prosody. However, translation of classical Chinese poetry must be an integration of form and spirit, and form must be subject to spirit, thus, the translation of style can be realized. "Spirit" means the poetic world, Chinese flavor, and tone of classical Chinese poetry. But because of many influence factors, especially the intervening of translator’s subjective ingredients, such as translator subjectivity, it is inevitably that the version style of classical Chinese poetry deviates from the original one. Yet, without sufficient corroboration in theories, the issue of stylistic deviation in English version of classical Chinese poetry, especially the stylistic deviation originated from translator’s subjectivity has not been fundamentally studied in the field of translation.The translator’s subjectivity is under the framework of hermeneutics, especially with the aid of three important concepts in hermeneutics, namely, historicity of understanding, and fusion of horizons, effective history. On the basis of the three concepts, the style of the translation will deviate from its original version, and the deviation will occur among different translators, even for the same translator, the deviation will take place in different stages of his practice. Based on the three concepts on the translator’s subjectivity in hermeneutics, the thesis, according to the stylistic deviation of Xu Yuanchong’s English version from the original and of his retranslation in different stages of his practice from the previous, elaborates on the stylistic deviation of classical Chinese poetry resulted from the translator’s subjectivity. The thesis aims to elaborate on stylistic deviation of English version of classical Chinese poetry from the three dimensions of Hermeneutics, which makes a new perspective in studying the stylistic deviation of English version of classical Chinese poetry. Also, with the aid of the theories of Hermeneutics, systematic and scientific analysis has been made on the stylistic deviation originated from translator’s subjectivity. Restricted in the limited references, the author’s illustration can only concentrate on the case of Xu Yuanchong’s translation works so as to acquire some humble interpretation for the translation theories and practice.