On Translator's Empathy--A Case Study Of Guomoruo's Translation Of English Poems

"Empathy" was originally proposed as a psychological theory by American psychologist Edward Titchnner. After the elaboration of German psychologist and aesthetics Theodore Lipps, it has then become an influential psychological theory of the twentieth century. The core meaning of "empathy" is that one part of the communication can feel into the experience and mental status, as well as understand the feeling and way of thinking of the other part. In the field of translation, the translator's empathy refers to the sympathetic response between the translator and the original writer. That is to say, based on the fully understanding of the personalities, interests, writing backgrounds and styles of the author, the translator can develop a close bond with the original writer and works, and then fully perceive the original beauty with emotions. As a result, the essence of the original works can be conveyed faithfully and the similarities in spirit can also be achieved.Guo Moruo is a great translator as well as a poet, scholar and archeologist. In his nearly-fifty-year's translation career, he has devoted a lot of energies and efforts into the translation of poetry, dramas, novels, science works and etc. His translation has a unique style and is influential in the cultural communication between China and other countries. The greatest contribution Guo Moruo made to poetry translation area is the proposal of "flavor translation". He holds the view that it is the flavor that makes a verse poetic and that the purpose of poetry translation is not to transmit the content of the original poems, but more importantly, to reproduce the style. Thereby, he advocates "flavor translation", which means that the translator should study thoroughly the background of the original works, as well as the personalities, experience and ideology of the writer. Only in this way, can a translator understand the spirit expressed in the original poem and in the end maintain the flavor in his version."Flavor translation" to a large extent relies on translator's empathy, Guo Moruo claims that there should be some common grounds between the emotions of the translator and his versions and that only when a translator has a sympathetic response with the writer, based on the profound understanding of the original works, can he or she render a successful version. In the process of translating, Guo Moruo himself has attached abundant attention to empathy. Therefore, this thesis discusses the importance of translator's empathy with Guo Moruo's translation of English poems as a case study. The first chapter is an introduction to both "empathy" and Guo Moruo. Then, from the aspects of phonology, lexis and syntax respectively, chapter two, three and four analyze Guo Moruo's translation skills of keeping the original flavor and the embodiment of translator's empathy in his translation of English poems. The last part is summary of Guo's translation strategies; the limitations of this thesis are also mentioned.Through the analysis we find that the success of Guo Moruo's poetry translation is inseparable with his empathy during the process of translating:after fully understanding the original works and their writers, he has imbued his own experience and emotion to the original poems. Thus, Moruo's translation to a large extent can reproduce the style and keep the flavor of the original works. The author believes that translation does not only involve an exchange of two different languages and cultures, but also the communication between the writer and translator. Translator's empathy is the bridge connecting the writer and his works on the one hand, as well as the translator and his version on the other. It plays a significant role in the conveying of the original flavor and should be given enough attention to by translators.