A Comparative Study Of Three English Translations Of Li Sao:from The Perspective Of Intertextuality

Chu Ci has a profound influence on Chinese literature and Chinese culture,and Li Sao,as the representative work of Chu Ci,holds a significant place in the history of Chinese literature.However,the English translation and English translation studies of Li Sao have lagged relatively behind those of other classical works.Many domestic and foreign translators have translated this work,but the rich cultural information and intertextual signs in the original work cannot be easily presented appropriately in the translation.Different translators often have their own understanding and translation strategies in the translating process of Li Sao.Intertextuality theory holds that no text exists in isolation,and the understanding of any text is always based on a correct understanding of its intertextual texts.Translation is the transformation of text at the levels of two languages,thinking and minds.In this thesis,the English versions of Li Sao by David Hawkes,Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang and Xu Yuanchong are studied from the perspective of intertextuality,which will play a certain role in broadening the vision the scholars of classics and poetry translation research and their translation practice.In this thesis,a detailed comparison and analysis between the original text and translations are made sentence by sentence from three aspects: sound system,image and classical allusion.The authoress aims to study the three translations of intertextual reference in Li Sao from the perspective of intertextuality.It is found that,each of the three translations has its own strengths and weaknesses from the view of intertextuality.In short,Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang tend to apply the strategy of foreignization,Xu Yuanchong’s version is more domesticated,and Hawkes put equal attention on domestication and foreignization in his translation.After the comparative analysis,it is concluded that intertextuality theory is a new perspective in translating classical Chinese poetry,which can broaden the scope of the original theory and practice of poetry translation.Readers can better understand the cultural information of the source language through the intertextual association evoked by the translation.Therefore,it is necessary to introduce intertextuality theory into poetry translation research,and intertextuality theory also plays a strong guiding role in poetry translation practice.