The Tension and Reconciliation Between the Pursuit of Truth and the Pursuit of Beauty: A Study of Xu Yuanchong’s Philosophy of Poetry Translation

Abstract

The pursuit of truth and the pursuit of beauty are central concerns in literary translation, particularly in poetry translation. Xu Yuanchong’s translation philosophy has received both praise and criticism. Scholars have acknowledged his theory of the Three Beauties, his advocacy of rhymed translation, and his emphasis on translator subjectivity. At the same time, they have questioned whether his strong preference for rhyme, form, and fluency in the target language may lead to semantic embellishment and cultural domestication. Drawing on Xu’s writings on translation and relevant scholarship, and supported by analyses of specific examples, this study examines the theoretical meanings of truth and beauty in his translation philosophy, the tensions between them, and the mechanisms through which he attempts to reconcile the two. It argues that Xu does not replace truth with beauty. Rather, he expands truth beyond literal accuracy to include semantic, emotional, artistic, and cultural truth, while defining beauty as an integration of beauty in meaning, sound, and form, together with stylistic beauty in the target language and aesthetic appeal to target readers. His strategies of translating poetry as poetry, making full use of the strengths of the target language, equalization, simplification, and intensification, and grasping the meaning while transcending the form constitute his principal means of reconciling truth and beauty. This reconciliation nevertheless has its limitations. When a translator relies excessively on target-language rhythm, rhetoric, or stylistic effect, the cultural imagery, suggestiveness, and semantic complexity of the source text may still be weakened. Xu therefore does not eliminate the conflict between truth and beauty. Instead, he achieves an effective reconciliation centered on fidelity to poetic meaning, realized through translator creativity, and oriented toward reader reception.