ISSN 1923-1555[Print] Studies in Literature and Language ISSN 1923-1563[Online] Vol. 16, No. 2, 2018, pp. 58-62 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/10308 www.cscanada.org Comparative Analysis of the Two English Versions of Qiangjinjiu Based on Translation Aesthetics GAO Yaping[a],*; LI Yuying[a] [a]Foreign Language College, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, He has created a large number of poems among which China. Qiangjinjiu is one of the masterpieces of Li Po on wine *Corresponding author. chant, and there are many different English versions of it. Received 2 February 2018; accepted 7 April 2018 It is of necessity and significance to make a comparison Published online 26 April 2018 of the English versions of Qiangjinjiu so as to better understand the poem and the art of poetry translation. Abstract Meanwhile, since translation aesthetics is closely related Poetry is the creation of beauty and thus aesthetics is to poetry translation, the thesis will mainly analyze the an important translation criterion for poetry. By fully poem Qiangjinjiu from the perspective. It intends to get understanding the two English translated versions of more familiar with translation aesthetics and the approach Qiangjinjiu respectively by Xu Yuanchong and Burton to poetry translation. Watson, the thesis will make a comparative analysis of the two versions from the perspective of translation aesthetics. 1. TRANSLATION AESTHETICS AND In order to better illustrate the connotation of poetry translation and translation aesthetics, the essay will mainly POETRY TRANSLATION compare the poetic representation of the two English 1.1 Translation Aesthetics versions from the aspects of rhythm, form, image, culture and content, targeting to present the differences between Aesthetics is regarded as a branch of philosophy and the two English versions and offer some suggestions on art (Hornby, 2002). Fang (2004) defined translation poetry translation. aesthetics as revealing the origins and special significance of aesthetics of translation studies and applying basic Key words: Poetry translation; Translation aesthetics; principles of aesthetics to put forward different aesthetic Qiangjinjiu standards of different texts. By amply comprehending the basic properties of the aesthetic object and aesthetic Gao, Y. P., & Li, Y. Y. (2018). Comparative Analysis of the Two English Versions of Qiangjinjiu Based on Translation Aesthetics. subject, translation aesthetics analyzes the relationship Studies in Literature and Language, 16(2), 58-62. Available from: between them and aims to provide translation types and http://www.cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/view/10308 means to guide the practice of aesthetic reproduction. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/10308 In both the Chinese and Western history, translation aesthetic principles were put forward in an early time. Liu (2005), a synthesizer of translation aesthetics, made a systematic analysis of the theory, thus promoting the INTRODUCTION perfection of translation aesthetics. Aesthetics has an In China, poetry has developed for a long time and impact on various branches of translation, guiding various formed its profound cultural connotation. As the heyday forms of translation activities, especially in literary of classical Chinese poetry, the Tang Dynasty produced translation. Although in poetry translation, there are some many famous and outstanding poets such as Li Po, Tu different translation theories, which include the principle Fu and Bai Juyi. As a romantic poet, Li Po has been of “three beauties” put forward by Xu Yuanchong, most enjoying a high reputation in the poetic history of China. of them put great emphasis on the unity of poetic beauty. Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 58 GAO Yaping; LI Yuying (2018). Studies in Literature and Language, 16(2), 58-62 Translation aesthetics is closely related to many linguistic character actively: On one hand, he is self-confident, aloof subjects such as stylistics, lexicology, rhetoric, semantics and pride; on the other hand, he turns to indulge in the etc. They require the translator to discover the aesthetic pleasures of enjoyment after a political failure. In general, features and values as well as to reproduce the beauty of the poem is bold, effusive, fluent and it has a strong appeal. the original text at utmost. Therefore, it is important to set 2.1.1 Xu Yuanchong and His Version up a correct translation principle to guide the translation Xu Yuanchong is one of the most famous and excellent behavior. translators in China. As a translation master, Xu Yuanchong has a very deep understanding of the poetry 1.2 Poetry Translation and Translation Aesthetics translation. His translation principle of “three beauties” According to Li (2001), the aesthetics of poetry can be originated from Lu Xun’s article about “three beauties”, described as visual beauty, rhythmic beauty, stylistic which is now an important standard for poetry translation. beauty, and imagery beauty. The visual beauty of poetry The principle of “three beauties”. Xu Yuanchong has can be achieved by the arrangement of characters, choice translated many classical Chinese literature, among which of words and diversity of sentences. The rhythmic beauty includes the Analects of Confucius and The Songs of the refers to the beauty of sound and rhythm. The stylistic Chu. The translation of Qiangjinjiu by Xu Yuanchong is one of his works in Three Hundred Poems of the Tang beauty is related to the personal writing style of poets Dynasty. It also reflects Xu’s translation principle and his while the imagery beauty is about the artistic conception processing techniques. and the image that contain the author’s emotion. To 2.1.2 Burton Watson and His Version be more specific, the aesthetics of poetry is closely Burton Watson is also a famous translator of the Chinese associated with phoneme, lexis, rhetoric, syntax and poetry. Burton Watson has translated many Chinese discourse. Poetry pays much attention to rhythm and it poems such as those of Po Chu-i: Selected Poems and An often follows special rhythmic patterns. Moreover, the Introduction to Sung Poetry. His aim to translate Chinese rhythm of poetry is constructed by lexis. Rhetoric is also literary works is to popularize the Chinese culture to an important element in poetry, and there are dozens of common readers instead of making academic research. rhetoric devices such as metaphor, symbolism, alliteration, Therefore, the basic features of his translation are fluency, parallelism, antithesis, hyperbole and so on. As for the smoothness, readability and understand-ability. He is syntax and discourse, they offer us an overall impression extremely interested in Chinese culture and hopes to on the features and style of poetry. Anyway, the form of retain to the hilt the characteristics of Chinese culture in poetic beauty would always update with the development his translation. The translation of Qiangjinjiu by Watson of times, but its contents seldom make change. is also very typical and deserves of appreciating. Mao (2005) believed that the combination of To be fair, both the two English versions of Qiangjinjiu aesthetics and translation is perfect and a heaven-made have their own features and style. Also, there are two match, which is particularly true of poetry translation different kinds of beauty contained in the two versions. Thus it is meaningful to have an overall analysis of them that attaches great importance to aesthetic beauty and from the perspective of translation aesthetics. aesthetic representation. Translation aesthetics is of great benefits for us to fully understand the nature of poetry. In 2.2 Comparative Analysis of the Two English general, there are two principal approaches to translate Versions poetry: metrical translation and non-metrical translation. 2.2.1 Aesthetic Representation in Form and Rhythm The former lays stress on the beauty of form and the later The form of poetry serve the content, and the content and prefers to express the artistic conception of the original form of poetry are inseparable (Bassnett &Andre, 2001). poem in prose. The representatives of metrical translation In Qiangjinjiu, most of the sentences are seven-character- include Giles and Xu Yuanchong while the representatives based, and others are three, five and ten-character of non-metrical translation include Robert Frost, Sussan sentences. Besides, the length of them is alternated with Bassnet, Ezra Pound and Burton Watson. They all long and short, and the rhythm changes with the emotion. embody different aesthetic principles and ideas in poetry In form, Xu’s translation accords more with the original translation. Although putting emphasis on various aspects poem than Watson’s. The translation of Watson is more and styles, the core of their advocation is to achieve a kind prose-like, and the length of sentences is various and uneven while Xu’s appears to be more neat and orderly, of beauty. being closer to the writing style of the original. However, both of the two translations have their own levels of aesthetic representation in form. 2. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE Just as Simpson (1975) viewed that the ideas and TWO ENGLISH VERSIONS thoughts of poetry were expressed by rhythm. The beauty of rhythm or sound is also an indispensable factor for 2.1 Introduction About the Two English Versions people to make a judgment on a poem. In Xu’s translation, Qiangjinjiu is a topic of Yuefu songs before the Tang the rhythm is more obvious than Watson’s. As mentioned dynasty. The poem Qiangjinjiu shows Li Po’s rebellious above, the form of Xu’s version is closer to the original 59 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture Comparative Analysis of the Two English Versions of Qiangjinjiu Based on Translation Aesthetics poem, so is the sound. In order to reproduce the sound while Xu’s does not have this kind of effect as it cannot beauty of the original poem, Xu makes full use of his show people the transience from morning to evening.