Imagery And Mood: English Chinese Quatrains

Imagery and imaginativeness are two very important concepts inChinese traditional aesthetics, which originated before Tang Dynasty andare wel1 demonstrated in the Chinese four-line epigrams (Tang Jue Ju).Western imagism and art symbolism also make argumentation aboutimagery which can be viewed as the necessary and importantcomplements to Chinese aesthetics. In the search for imagery someAnagism poets do achieve imaginativeness in their though limited practice.Therefore, theoretically, imagery and imaginativeness enjoy the firstprimacy in poetry composing.Translation theories see something similar to imagery orimaginativeness in poetry translation, but no further and thorough studyhas been made in this respect.Through a systematical investigation into imagery and imaginativeness,the author of this thesis holds that:l. The individual image should be the smallest aesthetic unit.2. Different Anages should be combined into an entire imageryaccording to the logic of poetry namely, the logic of emotions andthat of imaginations and associations, instead of the logic of grammar3. Imagery is the backbone of imaginativeness, which can be dividedinto material situation and immaterial situations (situation ofemotions and situation of imaginations and associations).4. All the componens of both imagery and imaginativeness shouldwork together to achieve the total effects in the process of which,some are in the foreground, some are in the background withdifferent functions.AIl these views find their vivid expressions in both the analyses andthe English translations of the Chinese four-line epigrams. Thus theconclusion is reached ntheally: imagery and imaginativeness should bethe principles in the English translation of the Chinese four-line epigrams.