Blues Lyrics Translation From The Perspective Of Liu Miqing's Aesthetics Of Translation

Chinese translation theorist Liu Miqing holds that aesthetic elements which constitute the feature of aesthetic object(source text)can be classified into two types.The first type consists of linguistic factors which appeal to the reader's audio-visual perception,such as diction,syntax,sentence pattern,and rhetorical device,etc.The second type inclines to be indefinite and non-quantitative,such as style,image,spirit,and nuance of emotions.Blues is one of the most quintessential African American music.It stands out not only for its verbal characteristics,but also for its distinctive style and themes.Blues translation should firstly seek to reenact its words,sentences,verses and other linguistic arrangements;the translation should also probe into ways of representing the culture,sentiments and artistic vision behind the lyrics.Moreover,with musical restraints such as rhyme,tempo,and pitch,a translator of blues lyrics should take extra efforts to make sure that the translation can be sung with the melody.Therefore,Liu Miqing's aesthetics of translation provides a helpful guidance for blues translation,which covers both linguistic and non-linguistic translating propositions.Besides,the Chinese lyrics translation theorist Xue Fan has set down some principles for lyrics translation from the perspective of musical theory.These principles complement Liu's aesthetics of translation as a practical guide to singable lyrics translation.As a critical commentary on translating Robert Palmer's music writings Deep Blues,this thesis explores blues translation under the guidance of Liu Miqing's aesthetics of translation.Firstly,Liu's theory emphasizes a linguistic equivalence.At the phonetic level,it suggests a harmony of sound,rhythm,and tone of translated songs;at the lexical level,it advocates employing reduplicated words,idioms,and the conversion of syntactical forms of words to improve the readability of lyrics for target readers;at the sentential level,it argues that parallel or repetitive syntax pattern andadjusted sentence structure can create a sense of vigor and momentum.Secondly,Liu's aesthetics of translation can guide the reproduction of non-linguistic aesthetic information.The translation of single negative words helps manifest the melancholic keynote of blues;certain alien aesthetic factors can be reproduced through replacement by or transformation into cultural and artistic elements which are more common to target readers.By such means,the aesthetic value of the original lyrics in sound,form,meaning,and emotion is realized in translation.The present study concludes that Liu Miqing's aesthetics of translation effectively helps this translator to analyze the aesthetic information of blues from both linguistic and non-linguistic perspectives,so that the beauty and spirit of blues can be reproduced in the translation process.