A Comparative Study of English Translations of Caiwei from the Perspective of Bassnett’s Theory of Cultural Translation_英语论文

摘要

诗歌是我国历史文化的重要载体之一。而诗经，作为最早的诗集，有着深厚的文化内涵，而且诗经中的采薇可谓是古代战争诗的开篇之作。从巴斯内特的文化翻译观的角度，根据她的“文化功能对等理论”和“种子移植理论”，比较许渊冲和理雅各两人的采薇英文译本，从而比较出哪个译文更能达到文化功能对等。最后，无论从译本诗歌形式，译文的内容，既用词以及语法，还有读者的文化体验感上来看，许渊冲的译本都更胜一筹。文化是语言的重要组成部分，希望在以后的翻译中，文本背后的文化在翻译时也能受到重视。

关键词：文化翻译观  文化功能对等理论  种子移植理论  《诗经·采薇》  对比研究

Abstract

Poetry is one of the important carriers of Chinese history and culture. The Book of Songs, as the earliest collection of poems, has a profound cultural connotation. In addition, Caiwei in the Book of Songs can be regarded as the beginning of ancient war poetry. From the perspective of Bassnett's Theory of Cultural Translation, according to her “Equivalence of Cultural Function Theory” and “Seed Transplantation Theory”, this paper will compare Xu Yuanchong’s and Legge's English translations of Caiwei to find out which translation has better achieved equivalence of cultural function. In the end, from the perspective of the poetic form of the translations, the content of the translations—the use of words and grammar, and the reader's cultural experience, Xu Yuanchong's translation is even better. Culture is an important part of language, hoping that in the future, the culture behind the text can also be valued in translation.

Key words: Theory of Cultural Translation  Equivalence of Cultural Function Theory  Seed Transplantation Theory  Caiwei of The Book of Songs  Comparative Study

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction １

1.1  Purpose of This Thesis １

1.2  Significance of This Thesis １

1.3  Structure of This Thesis ２

1.4  Research Method of This Thesis ３

Chapter Two  Literature Review 4

2.1  Introduction 4

2.2  Previous Studies on Caiwei’s English translations 4

2.3  Application on Theory of Cultural Translation 5

2.4  Comment 7

Chapter Three   Theoretical Framework 8

3.1  Introduction 8

3.2  About Theory of Cultural Translation 8

3.3  Equivalence of Cultural Function 9

3.3.1 Language and Culture Are Inseparable 9

3.3.2 “Equivalence” does not Mean “Same” 10

3.3.3 Cultural Transformation 11

3.4  Transplanting the Seed: Poetry and Translation 12

3.4.1 The Confirmation of Seeds 13

3.4.2 The Regeneration of New Plants 13

Chapter Four   A Comparative Analysis of English Translation Versions of Caiwei 15

4.1  Introduction 15

4.2  About Caiwei 15

4.3  Comparative Analysis 16

4.3.1 The Poem Forms of the Translations 17

4.3.2 The Content of the Translations 19

4.3.3 The Readers’ Cultural Experience 23

Chapter Five   Conclusion 26

Bibliography

Appendices

Acknowledgements