A Comparative Study Of The Translations Of The “Li Sao”by Lim Boon Keng And Jerah Johnson Based On The Principle Of Three-dimensional Transformations In Eco-translatology

As the earliest collection of romantic poetry in China,the Chu ci,like the oldest collection of realistic poetry,The Book of Songs,is the origin and beginning of ancient Chinese poetry.It was created in the state of Chu during the Warring States period,with distinct cultural characteristics of Chu,magnificent rhetoric,and profound imagery.As an important Chinese classic,the translation and dissemination of the Chu ci is an important part of promoting Chinese culture.Therefore,the study on the English translation of the “Li sao” is of great practical significance to carrying forward the national culture and developing cultural exchanges between China and the West.Although the translation of the “Li sao”,a famous poem in the Chu ci,is fruitful,there are two problems: first,the research perspectives are relatively limited;second,the research depth needs to be strengthened.At the same time,few scholars have made a comparative analysis of the “Li sao” by Lim Boon Keng and Jerah Johnson with the principle of three-dimensional transformations in Eco-translatology.Therefore,this study can enrich the perspective and content of the study of the English translation of the Chu ci,and provide useful enlightenments for the English translation of classics.From the perspective of three-dimensional transformations of Eco-translatology,this thesis intends to make a comparative analysis of the English translations of the “Li sao” by the Chinese scholar Lim Boon Keng and the American sinologist Jerah Johnson by using the case study,text analysis and descriptive research methods,and investigate the adaptation of Lim’s and Johnson’s translations in linguistic,cultural and communicative dimensions.The research questions of this study are as follows:(1)based on the linguistic,cultural and communicative dimensions of three-dimensional transformations,what are the differences between Lim’s and Johnson’s versions?;(2)which translation has a higher degree of holistic adaptation and selection?;(3)what problems exist in the translation with a low degree of holistic adaptation and selection and how can we improve it?;(4)what are the implications of the research findings for the foreign translation of Chinese classics in the future? The thesis also makes use of Eco-translatology’s degree of holistic adaptation and selection in the approach to Translation as Adaptation and Selection to examine the adaptation of Lim’s and Johnson’s translations in the three dimensions.As far as the methodology is concerned,this study first takes the “Li sao” as a “macro-text” and divides it into three“micro-texts”,including expressive,informative and vocative texts.These three kinds of text have their own corresponding three-dimensional priority.Then,some typical examples in the translations are compared from the aspects of words,expressions,sentences,punctuation marks,mood,spelling,and so on.Finally,the adaptations of the two translations are summarized and their degree of holistic adaptation and selection is evaluated.This thesis consists of five chapters.The first chapter is the introduction which mainly introduces the research background,research questions,research methods and the basic structure of this thesis.The second chapter is the literature review.Firstly,it introduces the current situation of translation studies of the Chu ci,especially the “Li sao” at home and abroad,and then summarizes the research results of Eco-translatology studies,focusing on the research results of the three-dimensional transformations,and finally summarizes the limitations of existing researches.Chapter Three is the theoretical framework.Firstly,the origin and development of Eco-translatology is summarized,and then the three-dimensional transformations and the connotation of optimal degree of holistic adaptation and selection are introduced.Finally,an attempt is made to construct a research path for the translation of classics based on the relevant theories of Eco-translatology.This study has found that Lim’s version of the “Li sao” has a higher degree of holistic adaptation and selection from the perspective of three-dimensional transformations,while Johnson’s version has a lower degree of holistic adaptation and selection.In addition,some reasons for the low degree of holistic adaptation and selection in Johnson’s version are revealed,such as illogical addition and misspelling of words.It is suggested that future research on this topic can be enhanced via an exploration of the examples in the translations related to Chinese history,mythology and shamanic culture.