文学翻译批评与欣赏

Appreciation of the Different Translations of Chinese

Literary Classics

姓名：温嘉茵

班级：英语09-02

学号：540908010220

Appreciation of the Different Translations of Chinese

Literary Classics

【Abstrac t】

The focus of the paper is to appreciate some good translation of Chinese literary classics, including 《椒聊》from The Book of Songs, Li Qingzhao‟s Ci---- 《声声慢》, Liu Zongyuan‟s poem----《江雪》and Zhang Ji‟s poem----《枫桥夜泊》. The translators who translate these works all are famous scholars, including Chinese translators, Xu Yuanchong, Wang Rongpei and Yang Xianyi couple and so on, and famous foreign Sinologists, James Legge, Waley, Ezra Pound and so on. These translators open a door for us to the world of translation and let foreigners read more good Chinese literary works.

Key words: appreciation, translations, Chinese literary classics

【Introduction】

The purpose of the paper is to let those people who like translating appreciate more good works of translation. The focus is to appreciate some good works of the classical literature. Although these works are not modern works, they are eternal cultural heritage that our ancestors leave to us.

Ⅰ. Appreciation of the translations of 《椒聊》from The Book of Songs In Scholarship of The Book of Songs, the view of the interpretation of poetry has a big important influence on the translation of The Book of Songs. To get “the meaning of poet” is almost the mainstream of the translation of The Book of Songs, so the theme of the translation presents diversification. James Legge supported some principles in his first version of translation----“不以言害辞，不以辞害志，以意逆志，是为得之”, which was the first time to put forward the view to getting “the meaning of poet”. Alien, C. F. R. improved this principle, using transcultural anthropology to understand the poetry. Other scholars put forward different principles of the translation of The Book of Songs. The following is to appreciate different translations of 《椒聊》.

《椒聊》

The original work as follows：

椒聊之实，蕃衍盈升。

彼其之子，硕大无朋。

椒聊且，远条且。

椒聊之实，蕃衍盈匊。

彼其之子，硕大且笃。

椒聊且，远条且。

The following is some translations of the poem from different translators.

①The clusters of the pepper plant,

Large and luxuriant, would fill a pint.

That hero there

Is large and peerless.

O the pepper plant!

How its shoots extend!

The clusters of the pepper plant,

Large and luxuriant, would fill both your hands.

That hero there

Is large and generous.

O the pepper plant!

How its shoots extend!

(James Legge) ②Mark ye the fruit of the pepper-plant-tree,

So fine, so full,-and a pint to the brim.-

Mark ye the Chief with the stalwart form;

Ne‟er will you meet with the like of him.

Then hail to the pepper-tree,

And its shoots that spread so free!

Mark ye the fruit of the pepper-tree,

So fine, so full, the two hands‟ twould fill.—

Mark ye the Chief with the stalwart form;

I‟faith, and a man of great goodwill.

Then hail to the pepper-tree,

And its shoots that spread so free!

(Jennings)

③He shall be like the tree that growth

Fast by the river side,

Which bringth forth most pleasant fruit,

In her due time and tide;

Whose leaf shall never fade nor fall,

But flourish and stand.

Even so all things shall prosper well

That this man takes in hand.

(Alien, C.F.R.)

④Oh, the pods keep a sprouting‟

upon the pepper tree,

the sprouts keep a risin‟

and the big pods hangin‟ down,

the pods keep a growin‟

for a strong man on his own.