On Translation Of Classical Chinese Landscape Poetry From The Perspective Of Classical Chinese Painting Theory

Translation of classical Chinese poetry plays an important role in literature translation. Classical Chinese landscape poetry is the category of classical Chinese poetry which treats landscape scenery as an independent aesthetic object and main image of a poem. This thesis tries to make an expatiation on the appreciation and translation of classical Chinese landscape poetry from the perspective of Chinese painting theories.Chinese poetry and painting works have long been connected with each other since ancient times of Chinese history. In the process of composing poems, Chinese poets are prone to express their moods and create aesthetic atmosphere by means of classical Chinese painting mode. The aesthetic value of classical Chinese landscape poetry should be highlighted and retained in the process of appreciation and translation of it. Started from the close relationship between classical Chinese landscape poetry and painting, this thesis makes an introduction in the first place on the philosophical bases and cultural roots of classical Chinese landscape poetry, and further analyses the influences of Chinese landscape painting theory on the classical landscape poetry. Both the classical Chinese landscape poetry and paintings had been originated in times around the Wei and Jin Dynasty, during which time the two art forms had been deeply influenced by the philosophy of Taoism and the thoughts of Zhuang Zi. Since Buddhism had been introduced into China, classical Chinese landscape poetry and painting also absorbed the essence of Buddhism philosophy in composition. Under joint influences of these classical philosophies, classical Chinese landscape poetry and painting share same aesthetic qualities, which can be deemed as the grounds of this thesis. Classical Chinese landscape poetry can be appreciated from the perspective of classical painting theory. Generally, the artistic mood of classical Chinese painting is a standard to evaluate the classical Chinese landscape poetry. Specifically, some techniques adopted in classical Chinese painting composition like the gaps and the cavalier perspective are also approaches for readers to a thorough understanding of Chinese landscape poetry.Appreciating classical Chinese landscape poetry from the perspective of classical Chinese painting theories can show some enlightenment on the translation of such poems. Thus, this thesis gives some suggestions on the translation strategies of landscape poetry with the reference to Chinese painting theories. The author of this thesis believes that as the essence of Chinese landscape poetry, the artistic mood of a poem is the prior principle for consideration in translation. Thus the translation of landscape poetry should take the "reproduction of artistic mood" as its principle to convey the essential meaning and verve of the original poetry and further reach the "acme of perfection". On the specific translation strategies, this thesis focuses on the appreciation of the beauty of blank and the cavalier perspective in the arrangement of classical Chinese landscape poetry. In translating, retaining the syntactic feature of the cavalier perspective and the original fuzzy beauty would be necessary in the construction of English version.In expounding the argumentation, the author starts with a concise illustration on the theme and significance of this thesis. In this part the argumentation and hypotheses have been introduced. And then some relative research works on classical Chinese landscape poetry made by scholars at home and abroad are summarized. Next a general chronological presentation of the origination and development classical Chinese landscape poetry is presented in the third part of this thesis. The close relationship between classical Chinese landscape poetry and classical painting is elaborated in this part, which is followed by the appreciation of classical Chinese landscape poetry from the perspective of classical Chinese painting theory, both macroscopically and microscopically. This thesis also proposes some suggestions on the translation principles and strategies of classical Chinese landscape poetry with the reference to aesthetic values in classical Chinese painting theories for illustration of the proposition that "stones from other hills may serve to polish the jade here". Finally, the author makes a conclusion to summarize the thesis. Some shortcomings are also listed in this part.