A Study on the Translation Strategy by Comparing the Translation of Reduplications and Image Words: Three English Versions of Sheng Sheng Man as the Case Study

Abstract

The study is based on the translators’ respective cultural identities, and compares, evaluates and validates the translation strategies of the three translations in terms of dealing with reduplications and image words in the translations. This study proves that Lin Yutang believes that the most important thing in translating poetry is considering the context, and finally translate the beauty of poetry through the techniques of “using words to convey the spirit” and “using words to condense the poetry”. Xu Yuanchong insists on his own translation ideas: the “Three Beauties Theory”, which contains beauty in sound, beauty in form and beauty in sense. As a result, Xu’s translations have a high degree of unity of “loose in form but not in spirit”, and his translation versions are even more remarkable in terms of “conveying the spirit” of the image in the text. Yang Xianyi & Gladys Yang attach great importance to “fidelity” in translation, giving priority to the strategy of “foreignization” in all matters relating to national cultural characteristics, and translating poetry by means of literal translation, transliteration and paraphrase.