Abstract
A classical work of traditional Chinese literature, The Tale of Shangri-La, has received extensive attention among Chinese and Western translators, which is written by Tao Yuanming, an influential writer during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In this work, Tao Yuanming depicted an ideal society where people’s life is simple, quiet and harmonious, far away from hustle and bustle. A. R. Davis, Herbert A. Giles, James Robert Hightower, Rick Davis and David Steelman, Lin Yutang, Luo Jingguo, Roland C. Fang, Sun Dayu, Xie Baikui, Yang Xianyi, and other translators all show great interest in this work and are eager to push it into the English world, due to which, The Tale of Shangri-La, has entered the study of foreign researchers and writers. In order to discuss how to successfully translate the titles of Chinese classics into English, this paper selects ten translated English titles of The Tale of Shangri-La, and analyzes different strategies and methods used in them. It is concluded that translators should take cultural factors into consideration, and adopt the strategy of foreignization as much as possible in order to better carry forward Chinese traditional culture and promote cross-cultural communication in the process of translating the titles of Chinese classics into English.
Highlights
Culture, is a concept with broad implication
As so, translating Chinese classics full of the essence of Chinese traditional culture into English is conducive to letting the world know about China, and it can enhance communication between China and other countries
This paper puts forward that during the process of translating Chinese classics into English, taking the dissemination of Chinese traditional culture as the goal, it is a good choice to adopt the strategy of foreignization as much as possible to show the cultural connotation within Chinese classics
Summary
Culture, is a concept with broad implication. Edward Burnett Tylor (1871) proposed in Primitive Culture that culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” [1]. As so, translating Chinese classics full of the essence of Chinese traditional culture into English is conducive to letting the world know about China, and it can enhance communication between China and other countries. Guo Jianzhong (1998) believed that domestication and foreignization in translation are not contradictory, and complementary to each other His analysis leads to the conclusion that both methods may be justified in their own right if translators take into consideration the differences in the purpose of translation, the type of texts, the intention of the author and the readership [4]. This paper puts forward that during the process of translating Chinese classics into English, taking the dissemination of Chinese traditional culture as the goal, it is a good choice to adopt the strategy of foreignization as much as possible to show the cultural connotation within Chinese classics.
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