3。1 Contrast in Titles 4
3。2 Contrast in Imageries 4
3。3 Contrast in Understandings about Chinese Culture in Translations 5
4。 Reasons for the Translation Differences from Cultural Perspective 7
4。1 Influence of Historic Culture on Selection of Changganxing 7
4。2 Meanings of Language Expressions in Different Cultures 7
4。3 Different Ways of Thinking in Translation about Changganxing 8
4。4 Family Status of Couples in Different Cultures 9
5。 Conclusion 10
References 11
1。 Introduction
1。1 The Background of the Study
Ezra Pound was regarded by great American poet T。 S。 Eliot as “ the inventor and creator of Chinese poem in our time”。 He was a talented poet, influencing the western literary world a great deal to some degree, and translated a great number of Chinese poems。 Pound praised highly for Chinese culture and he was devoted himself to studying Chinese poem all his life。 When the first time I read Pound’s translation about Li Bai’s Changganxing, which is one of the masterpieces of our renowned Chinese poet, I realized that there were some inaccurate translations in Pound’s version。 If transferring this version into Chinese, it is quite different in expressions and the connotation of the Chinese poem cannot be delivered exactly。 Therefore, Pound’s translation may bring about some misunderstandings and confusion about the poem for English-speaking readers。 Actually, Pound translated Changganxing without referring the original Chinese version。 He just made his adaptation from the Japanese paraphrases。 That’s one of the reasons for his inaccuracy in translations。
Another famous translation about Li Bai’s Changganxing is Xu Yuanchong’s version。 He is proficient in translations among several languages, especially in ancient Chinese poem translation。 Mr。 Xu’s achievement in translation is incomparable with others。 His contribution to Chinese-western cultural communication in literary arena makes great effects on the development of Chinese culture in foreign countries。 As a highly professional Chinese translator, Xu Yuanchong masters the connotation of Chinese poems, as well as superior skills in transferring Chinese poem into English。 Thus, his translation about Li Bai’s Changganxing does manifest the exact meaning of this poem and the words and expressions make the English version more acceptable and understandable for westerners to know this Chinese poem well。 文献综述
It is undeniable that these two translations about Li Bai’s Changganxing are really influential in cultural communication and literary sharing。 The different ways of adaptation present the different understandings about the same poem。 Meanwhile, cultural differences appear in these two versions。 How do these different translation ways unfold and why do they take place? These two core questions arouse my interest and curiosity。
1。2 The Purpose and Significance of the Study
Ezra Pound’s great achievements in translations about ancient Chinese poems help Chinese culture spread in western countries。 But his translation still causes some argumentation by virtue of different opinions from other scholars。 They just utilize their fixed standards to measure Pound’s translation rather than consider the influence from cultural differences。 Maybe some of judgments or comments are not that neutral to his adaptation。