A Study On Xu Yuanchong’s English Translation Of Mao Zedong Poems From The Perspective Of Eco-translatology

In spite of a plentiful research on Mao Zedong’s poems and their translated versions, little has been done about the translation of Mao Zedong’s poems from the perspective of eco-translatology. Xu Yuanchong has made great accomplishments in poetry translation and his translation is very popular. This thesis attempts to find out whether Xu’s English translation of Mao Zedong’s poems is a process of adaptation and selection and how, if so, he succeeds in the process.The methods of literature research, qualitative research and descriptive research constitute the main methodology adopted in this thesis. Based on them, the definition and core concepts of eco-translatology are first given. Then, translator’s internal and external needs are discussed to show his selective adaptation. With regard to the translator’s adaptive selection, the research is made from three dimensions: linguistic,cultural and communicative.From the analysis, a conclusion can be drawn that Xu’s English translation of Mao Zedong’s poems is the result of his adaptation and selection. Driven by his internal needs and his external needs, Xu translates Mao Zedong’s poems. The former mainly concentrates on such respects as good education he received, his enthusiasm for translation, and his will to transmit Chinese culture to the west. Besides, he is competent to translate Mao Zedong’s poems for his outstanding bilingual and bicultural proficiency. The latter is about the domestic political environment, the westerners’ curiosity about Chinese culture and their acceptance of Chinese literature.As for the translating process, a case study is conducted to discuss Xu’s adaptive selection to achieve transformation on linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions. For the linguistic transformation, Xu mainly resorts to the aspects of sound, poetic diction and language form. For the cultural transformation, Xu mainly resorts to image, name, allusion, and religion. For the communicative transformation,Xu delivers the original intention to the target readers by modal particles, rhetorical questions and imperative sentences. Furthermore, this study offers a new angle of view to survey the role of a translator in the translation practice. For adaptation and selection, the translator is the sole subject, which defines the translator’s dominant status in the translation practice.The study offers some insights for the translated versions of Mao Zedong’s poems and demonstrates the elucidative power and practicality of eco-translatology.