Chapter One INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research Background
Chinese classical poetry is widely recognized as a gem of Chinese literature, and image is the soul of poetry appreciation. To a great extent, the English translation of classical poetry is the transmission of the image. So whether image can be appropriately conveyed and interpreted serves as a key to embodying the flavor of poetry in English translation of Chinese classical poetry.
China is the birthplace of the world sericulture. Sericulture has penetrated into all aspects of people’s production and life. It has accumulated cultural elements related to silkworm and mulberry such as poetry, myths, customs, etiquette, costumes, art and trade, and gradually formed a unique sericulture. Since Zhang Qian’s diplomatic mission to the western regions in the Han Dynasty, sericulture has been regarded as the source and solid foundation of the Silk Road culture, which was the earliest carrier of cultural exchanges between China and Western countries. These can be fully reflected in the Chinese classical poetry related to sericulture. There are numerous Chinese poetries associated with sericulture and the images of “silkworm” and “mulberry” in these poetries carry rich connotations of Chinese traditional culture, which are not only an important material for us to study the ancient social life but also major characteristics of literary works. At the same time, it has a positive significance to the construction, development and evolution of Chinese classical poetry and even the whole Chinese literature and culture. In addition, with the construction of the present “Belt and Road” strategy, sericulture has shone in the implementation of the strategy, which has a very important practical significance to set up and enhance cultural self-confidence, promote China’s traditional culture of “going out” and build a harmonious and win-win regional cultural environment.
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1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Study
This thesis, by analyzing different translation versions of the “silkworm” and “mulberry” images in Chinese classical poetry, attempts to provide some suggestions on how to actualize the “silkworm” and “mulberry” images mentally and linguistically during the process of translating poetry, possibly by analyzing the translator’s active operation and studying the translation strategies applied in the image-G actualization of “silkworm” and “mulberry” images in the English translation of Chinese classical poetry.
On the whole, the significance of this study is mainly reflected in three aspects.
Firstly, as far as the collection of the published and opened written materials is concerned, great achievements have been made in the studies on images in the translation of Chinese classical poetry; however, there are few systematic studies on a specific image in the English translation of Chinese classical poetry. Therefore, this study may make up for the deficiencies in this area.
Secondly, given that using a Gestalt framework to analyze the “silkworm” and “mulberry” images is still not mature, and translators cannot get enough guidance on image transmission from previous studies, it is of great significance to explore some instructions with practical use in the conveyance of image in translation of Chinese classical poetry. This research can provide some inspiration for future researchers and some reference for future translation studies and creation.
Thirdly, since the sericulture is long standing and well established, and the images of “silkworm” and “mulberry” in Chinese classical poetry contain rich connotations of Chinese traditional culture, this study on image transmission is also helpful to promote Chinese traditional culture to Western countries and make foreigners know more about Chinese culture.
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Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Previous Studies of Image in the Chinese Classical Poetry Translation
This section is pided into two parts. It reviews the domestic and foreign-related research of image in the Chinese classical poetry translation.
In recent decades, there have emerged lots of English versions of Chinese classical poetry which are well received in English countries, and those Chinese scholars also obtained fruitful achievements in the image of Chinese classical poetry translation. In what follows, some conclusions can be drawn below through the analysis and classification.
Firstly, there is an emphasis on the importance of translating images in the poems.
Wen Xianliang (1982) proposed that image and the rhythm that strengthen artistic effects are the ways to maintain the true color of the English translation of Chinese poetry. He stressed that the charm of poetry lies in the image. This had an important influence on the Chinese translation circles. Professor Xu Yuanchong (1993) put forward “Three Beauty” and “Three Transformations”, which provided some guidance to deal with the images in the English translations of poetry. Xie Tianzheng (1999) pointed out that as far as literary translation is concerned, we should try to keep the cultural images in the original text. Of course, the loss and distortion of cultural images is inevitable.
Secondly, some studies are partially or totally concerned with the concept of image translation. Lin Ying (2006) did the research on the loss and retrieval of image. From the reason and philosophical basis of image loss, the interpretation of “primary image”, “secondary image” and “aesthetic image” were made. Hu Dongming (2009) discussed the image equivalence in the translation of Chines poetry. Jia Hongxia (2014) dealt withthe cultural image in the English translation of Chinese poetry based on the frame semantics.
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2.2 Previous Studies of “Silkworm” and “Mulberry” Images in the Chinese Classical Poetry
The research on “silkworm” and “mulberry”images in the Chinese classical poetry mainly focuses on the cultural meaning.
Xu Zuoming and Sun Jingya (2011) classified the sericulture poetries according to their theme and explored their value. Qiu Kui (2008) made an analysis of the image of mulberry and its cultural connotations in Shijin·Wei Feng. Wang Ping (2008) systematically sorted out the mulberry imagery and symbolic meaning in the collection of mulberry poems in the past dynasties, and proposed that mulberry is no longer a mulberry in natural sense, but a symbol of ancient primeval life and fecundity, and sweet and sad love between men and women. Liang Gaoyan (2012) studied the cultural image of mulberry in Regional Songs from the Book of Poetry from the cultural ecology perspective and came to the conclusion that the mulberry cultural image is pregnant in meaning. She discussed the cultural annotations of mulberry image under the theoretical guidance of cultural ecology and explored the historical and dynamic process of how mulberry image has changed and developed.
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Chapter Three THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .............................. 15
3.1 Difference between Imagery and Image Gestalt .......................... 15
3.2 Three Principles in Mental Actualization ......................... 17
Chapter Four TRANSFERENCE OF “SILKWORM” AND “MULBERRY” IMAGES IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GESTALT THEORY ........................... 25
4.1 Introduction of “Silkworm” and “Mulberry” Images in Chinese Classical Poetry................25
4.2 Mental Actualization of “Silkworm” and “Mulberry” Images in Translation ... 27
Chapter Five CONCLUSION .......................... 53
5.1 Major Findings ........................ 53
5.2 Implications........................ 55
Chapter Four TRANSFERENCE OF “SILKWORM” AND “MULBERRY” IMAGES IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GESTALT THEORY
4.1 Introduction of “Silkworm” and “Mulberry” Images in Chinese Classical Poetry
Sericulture poetry is one of the treasures of ancient Chinese literature and art. China is an ancient agricultural country with rich sericulture. The combination of sericulture and Chinese classical poetry has formed distinctive sericulture poetry. Originating from people’s daily life which is closely related to people’s clothes, food, shelter and transportation, these sericulture poetries are concerned with people’s physiological and emotional needs, which is the basis of various themes of the sericulture poetries.
As the soul of the sericulture poetry, the “silkworm” and “ mulberry” images are rich in symbolic meanings. Firstly, it chants strong love. In classical poetry related to love, the “silkworm” and “mulberry” images are often associated with beauty. For example, 隰桑有阿，其叶有难。既见君子，其乐如何。隰桑有阿，其叶有沃。既见君子，云何不乐。隰桑有阿，其叶有幽。既见君子，德音孔胶。心乎爱矣，遐不谓矣？中心藏之，何论忘之！(《诗经·小雅·隰桑》) The heroine in the poetry was happy when she saw her favorite man. However, she was ashamed to express her admiration and had to miss him every day. The longing for love and the sweetness of love were reflected in the “mulberry” image. Secondly, it depicts the pastoral scenery. For example, 斜阳照墟落，穷巷牛羊归。野老念牧童，倚杖候荆扉。雉雊麦苗秀，蚕眠桑叶稀。田夫荷锄至，相见语依依。即此羡闲逸，怅然吟式微。（王维《渭川田家》）The poem described a series of peaceful and harmonious rural scenery in the evening of early summer: the return of cattle and sheep, the old man leaning on the stick, the puke of the wheat and the sparse mulberry leaves. The poet showed a peaceful and leisure life in the countryside by means of these images such as the “silkworm” and “mulberry”. Thirdly, it lashes out heavy feudal taxes. For example,春风吹蚕细如蚁，桑芽才努青鸦嘴。侵晨探采谁家女，手挽长条泪如雨。
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Chapter Five CONCLUSION
5.1 Major Findings
According to the above analysis in the previous chapters, some conclusions can be drawn as follows:
and “mulberry” image in an appropriate way of the target language.
In addition, the translators can overcome the constraints and obstacles by filling gaps and harmonizing the inconsistency through the operation of imagination. As we see, in the process of comprehension, translator acts as reader, elucidator and creator. At the first step he must have a subjective gestalt perception then secondly his pre-knowledge, emotional and social-cultural factors lead him into the image hermeneutic. According to hermeneutics, the uncertainty and vacancy characterize any literary text and determine the creative nature of translation tasks. Here, by means of imagination translator fill his own blanks spot inherent to the original text in his mental map.
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