On English Metrical Poetry And Its Form Translation With Reference To Quatrain

This dissertation begins with the defining, origin, classification, basic elements and characteristics of quatrain, which helps understand and analyze the internal structure of quatrain, especially its basic features of metrical form. It goes on with the introduction of the three stages of Chinese translated poetry especially quatrain, their translation representatives of different translation methods and their respective features. Different translators of different stages have various principles and methods on the translation of poetic metrical form. They even have conflicting opinions on the translatability of poetic metrical form. By enumerating various opinions, analyzing their background theories and putting forth the historical practice of poetry translation, it proves that poetry is translatable. The paper lays stress on the analysis and the argumentation of the translation principles to abide by and the translation methods in practice. By quantitating and analyzing the different faithful levels of the four aspects of poetic metrical form, and by comparing, analyzing and demonstrating a large number of examples of the nine frequently used methods, it comes to the conclusion that with the principle of being faithful to the original especially the original form, translators should try to enhance the faithful level of their translation in the form aspect as much as possible and hence be faithful to the original to the greatest extent, which stimulates the progress of the poetry translation art and the overall advance in the poetry translation quality.