User:Yang Yue2

Literature: Xu Yuanchong: The Literary Ferryman Bridging Chinese and Western Cultures through Poetry Translation into English and French

Yang Yue 202470081647

Abstract

Xu Yuanchong, a translator from Nanchang, Jiangxi, and a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication of Peking University, is known as the "only person who translates poetry into English and French". His study experience in the National Southwestern Associated University laid the foundation for his life. Spiritual of "perseverance and integrity" in this university shaped his sense of mission and cultural confidence in spreading Chinese cultural quintessence to the world. Xu Yuanchong focused on translating Chinese classical poetry, literary masterpieces and French literary masterpieces, and put forward the "Three Beauties Theory" and the "Superiority Competition Theory". He believed that translation is a "competition to create excellence", emphasizing the subjectivity and creativity of translators. In his later years, he won the "Aurora Borealis" Outstanding Literary Translation Award, becoming the first and only Asian winner of the award. His translation career has built a bridge for cultural exchange between China and the West, and made important contributions to the spread of Chinese culture.

Translation Works of Xu

After launching his translation career, Xu Yuanchong made a directional choice with distinct personal characteristics. He dedicated his entire life mainly to the translation and introduction of Chinese classical poetry and literary masterpieces, especially to spreading the treasures of Chinese culture to the Western world. "A new translation should be as different as possible from old translations and should also be as superior as possible to old translations" (Xu Yuanchong 1996,56). His translation objects covered the most brilliant pearls in the history of Chinese literature, such as The Book of Songs, The Songs of Chu, poetry of the Tang and Song dynasties , and dramatic classics such as The Western Chamber and The Peony Pavilion. Xu Yuanchong (2021,105) believed that whether to pursue truth or beauty in poetry translation is the main contradiction in poetry translation, and solving this contradiction solves the main problem of literary translation. At the same time, he also translated French literary masterpieces such as Le Rouge et le Noir, Madame Bovary, and In Search of Lost Time into Chinese, demonstrating the grand vision of two-way cultural exchange. The back cover of the Zhejiang University Press edition of Xu Yuanchong's Translation of Shakespeare's Plays prints the translator's summary of the characteristics of his translations: "If a translation is to be unlike a translation and like the original author's creation, that is precisely what makes my translation of Shakespeare's plays unique" (Xu Yuanchong 2020). After comparing five translations of "to be or not to be, that is the question" in Hamlet, Xu Yuanchong (2017,6-8) pointed out that the translation used in performances is "To live or not to live", and the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press's translation "To die, or to live, that is the fundamental question" does not sound like it is performed on stage but like philosophy being discussed on a podium. It can be seen that performability is one of the purposes of Xu Yuanchong's translation of Shakespeare's plays. Particularly, he focused on the mutual translation between English and French, building a solid bridge between Chinese literature and the world in these two language families, and was known as "the only person who translates poetry into English and French".

Translation Theories of Xu

In the long-term translation practice, Xu Yuanchong's translation concepts experienced continuous germination and development. In his early practice, he constantly explored how to find the best way to transform between the two languages and cultures. Gradually, he broke through the constraints of traditional "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" or strict "equivalence", forming a translation proposition with distinct personal characteristics, whose core is the famous "Three Beauties Theory" and "Superiority Competition Theory". The "Three Beauties Theory" includes "beauty in sense", "beauty in sound", and "beauty in form", forming the core of Xu Yuanchong's translation theory. (Zhu Yishu 2019,84) To achieve beauty in sense, Xu Yuanchong mainly used free translation in English translation of poetry, not be limited in the structure and form of the original poem, and attached importance to the conveyance of the artistic conception and emotional expression of the poem (Yang Yi 2025). In Literature and Translation, Xu Yuanchong believed that the three characters "信、达、雅" can be understood as "faithfulness, expressiveness, and superiority", where "superiority" means giving play to the advantages of the target language, using the best expressions of the target language, and using words full of beauty in sense, sound, and form. In other words, "superiority" is "beauty" (Gao Wei et al. 2012).In addition, Xu Yuanchong's "Three Beauties" theory also bears similarities to Susan Bassnett's perspective. In her work, Bassnett mentions two key terms: "textual features" and "extratextual features" (Bassnett & Lefevere 2001). The former refers to the linguistic characteristics of the text itself, such as vocabulary, grammar, or form, which correspond to Xu's "beauty in sound" and "beauty in form." The latter pertains to features beyond the literal text, such as local customs and historical culture, aligning with the concept of "beauty in meaning." In The Art of Translation, Xu Yuanchong mentioned and affirmed what Lu Xun said in From Words to Articles: "The Chinese language has three major advantages: beauty in sense, beauty in sound, and beauty in form" (Lu Xun 2021). He also believed that translation is "a competition to create superiority". "Creation" refers to "creative translation" as ontology; "superiority" refers to "giving play to the advantages of the target language" and "the translation must be superior", which is the methodology; "similarity" refers to "resemblance" and "spiritual similarity", which is the teleology; "competition", competing with oneself and with others, is the epistemology. (Xu Yuanchong 1999,9) This theoretical system emphasizes the subjectivity and creativity of the translator, becoming the soul of his translation practice.

Achievements of Xu

In his last years, Xu Yuanchong entered a period of fruitful translation achievements and the peak of honors. Due to various reasons, his translation achievements were not many in the 30 years after the founding of New China. After reaching the age of 60, he devoted himself to translation, tirelessly writing, and achieved fruitful results, publishing nearly 100 translated works (Li Zhengsuan, Lü Xin 2024). In 2014, he won the Aurora Borealis Translation Award. He systematically presented the essence of Chinese classical literature to readers worldwide. His outstanding contributions have been highly recognized at home and abroad. In 2010, Xu Yuanchong was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the China Translators Association (now the Translators Association of China). Most notably, in 2014, at the age of 93, he won the highest award of the International Federation of Translators (FIT) - the "Aurora Borealis" Outstanding Literary Translation Award, becoming the first and so far the only Asian winner of this award. This is not only the highest affirmation of his personal translation artistic achievements but also an important international recognition of China's literary translation circle and even the strategy of "introducing Chinese culture to the world". His legendary experience has been widely reported (such as the The Reader program), and his social influence and cultural status have been continuously improved. From a scholar who worked silently, he has become a respected cultural messenger and a spiritual symbol in the translation field.

Terms and Expressions

Three Beauties Theory：三美论

Superiority Competition Theory：优势竞赛论

faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance：信达雅

beauty in sense：意美

beauty in sound：音美

beauty in form：形美

translator's subjectivity：译者主体性

spiritual similarity：神似

Aurora Borealis Translation Award：北极光翻译奖

Lifetime Achievement Award：终身成就奖

performability：可表演性

translation ontology：翻译本体论

translation epistemology：翻译认识论

two-way cultural exchange：双向文化交流

translation concept：翻译观

Skopos Theory：翻译目的论

faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance：信达雅

Questions

1. What are the three beauties specifically referred to in Xu Yuanchong's "Three Beauties Theory", and what is its core connotation?

2. What important principle did Xu Yuanchong emphasize in translating Shakespeare's plays?

3. How did Xu Yuanchong's study experience at the Southwest Associated University influence his translation concepts and cultural mission?

Answers

1. The specific contents of the "Three Beauties" are beauty in sense, beauty in sound, and beauty in form. The specific connotations are as follows: "Beauty in sense" emphasizes that in the English translation of poetry, free translation should be the main approach, not sticking to the structure and form of the original poem, and focuses on conveying the artistic conception and emotions of the poetry. "Beauty in sound" and "beauty in form" are committed to making the translation close to the rhythm and form of the original poem, forming a translation that combines the beauty of content and form.

2. Performability is an important principle emphasized by Xu Yuanchong in translating Shakespeare's plays. He believed that the translation should meet the needs of stage performances rather than being only suitable for academic discussions.

3. At the National Southwestern Associated University, Xu Yuanchong studied under academic masters such as Qian Zhongshu, Wen Yiduo, Feng Youlan, and Ye Gongchao, receiving a profound education in Chinese and Western cultures, which laid a solid knowledge foundation for his translation practice and theoretical construction. The national crisis during the War of Resistance against Japan and the spirit of "perseverance and integrity" of the National Southwestern Associated University made him form a strong sense of mission and cultural confidence in "spreading the essence of Chinese culture to the world". This sense of mission became the core driving force for him to focus on the translation of Chinese classical literature and promote cultural exchange between China and the West in the future, and also prompted him to always adhere to the value orientation of spreading Chinese culture in his translations.

References

[1]Bassnett Susan& Andre lefevere.Constructing Cultures Essays on Literary Translation[C]. Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.

[2] Gao Wei, Huang Jin. A Brief Discussion on the Re-creation of Beauty in Xu Yuanchong's Poetry Translation [J]. Overseas English, 2012(15): 1-3.

[3] Lu Xun. Outline of the History of Chinese Literature [M]. Xiamen: Xiamen University Press, 2021.

[4] Li Zhengsuan, Lü Xin. A Study on the Translator's Behavior in Xu Yuanchong's English Translation of Mao Zedong's Poems [J]. Shanghai Journal of Translators, 2024, (02): 55-60.

[5] Xu Yuanchong. Translation Studies Should Dare to Be the First in the World [J]. Chinese Translators Journal, 1999(2): 4-9.

[6] Xu Yuanchong. On the English Translation of Poetry [J]. Chinese Translators Journal, 2021(2): 102-108.

[7] Xu Yuanchong (Translator). Xu Yuanchong's Translation of Shakespeare's Plays [M]. Hangzhou: Zhejiang University Press, 2020.

[8] Xu Yuanchong. On Retranslation - and a Comment on Xu Jun [J]. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 1996,(6): 56-59.

[9] Xu Yuanchong (Translator). Four New Translations of Shakespeare's Plays: Xu Yuanchong's Handwriting (Volume I) Macbeth [M]. Shenzhen: Haitian Press, 2017.

[10] Yang Yi. Xu Yuanchong's Strategies for English Translation of Classical Poetry [J]. Appreciation of Masterpieces, 2025,(08): 11-13.

[11] Zhu Yishu. On the Characteristics of Xu Yuanchong's Translation Thoughts [J]. Shanghai Journal of Translators, 2019(5): 83-87, 95.

AI Statement

To help me to write my final paper, I have used the following AI chatbot: DeepSeek-V3.

I have prompted the chatbot with the following prompt:

Prompt 1: I'm about to write an introductory paper about Xu Yuanchong. What aspects can I cover?

DS Output 1:

Core Identity and Outstanding Achievements

Unique Translation Theories and Practices

Characteristics and Contributions of Translation Practice

Life Experiences and Spiritual Character

Influence, Evaluations, and Controversies

Prompt 2: What awards did Xu Yuanchong receive during his lifetime?

DS Output 2:

Domestic awards include:

Lifetime Achievement Award in Translation Culture (2010)

International Sinology Translation Daya Award (2014)

Aurora Borealis Prize for Outstanding Literary Translation (2014)

Special Contribution Award for Chinese Books (2015)

International awards include:

Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France, 1987)

FIT Honorary Award (1999)

Prompt 3: How to translate into English the following terms or proper nouns? 优势竞赛论，意美，北极光翻译奖，可表演性，翻译目的论...

DS Output 3:

Here are standard English translations with brief explanations:

优势竞赛论（Theory of Creative Competition in Translation）;意美（Beauty in Conception）;北极光翻译奖（Aurora Borealis Prize for Translation）;可表演性（Performability）;翻译目的论（translation teleology）

Prompt 4: Which renowned scholars have studied Xu Yuanchong's works and translation theories? Please categorize by domestic and international scholars.

DS Output 4:

Domestic Scholars:

Liu Miqing (Famous translation theorist, analyzed the connection between Xu's "Three Beauties Principle" and traditional Chinese aesthetics in Comparative Studies of Chinese and Western Translation Thoughts)

Wang Hongyin (Professor at Xi'an International Studies University, explored Xu's creative transformation of classical poetry translation in Classical Interpretations of Chinese Translation Theories)

Xie Tianzhen (Scholar of comparative literature and translation studies, evaluated Xu's "Cultural Competition Theory" from the perspective of medio-translatology)

Huang Guobin (Poetry translation researcher, compared Xu's strategies with Western translators in Tang poetry translation)

International Scholars:

André Lefevere (Representative of the "Manipulation School" in Western translation studies, mentioned Xu's domestication strategy in Translation, Rewriting, and the Manipulation of Literary Fame)

Susan Bassnett (Theorist of comparative literature and translation, examined how Xu balanced "faithfulness" and "recreation" in poetry translation)

Eugene Chen Eoyang (Chinese-American scholar, discussed Xu's "Beauty in Sense" theory in The Transparent Eye: Translation and Cross-Cultural Interpretation of Chinese Literature)

Lawrence Venuti (American translation theorist, analyzed the cultural stance in Xu's translations from the perspective of "foreignization/domestication")

AI mistakes and corrections made after verifying authoritative sources:

Translation Errors

"Beauty in Conception" → "Beauty in Sense"

"translation teleology" → "Skopos Theory"

Factual Errors

There is currently no direct evidence that Lawrence Venuti specifically researched or wrote monographs about Xu Yuanchong.

文学：许渊冲：诗译英法，沟通中西的文学摆渡人

杨悦 202470081647

摘要

许渊冲是江西南昌籍翻译家，生前为北京大学新闻与传播学院教授，被誉为 “诗译英法唯一人”。他在西南联合大学的求学经历奠定了一生根基，该校 “刚毅坚卓” 的精神塑造了他向世界传播中华文化精粹的使命感与文化自信。许渊冲专注于中国古典诗词、文学名著及法国文学名著的翻译，提出 “三美论”和 “优势竞赛论”。他认为翻译是 “创优似竞赛”，强调译者的主体性与创造性。晚年的他荣获 “北极光” 杰出文学翻译奖，成为首位且迄今为止唯一获此殊荣的亚洲人。其翻译生涯为中西文化交流架起桥梁，为中华文化传播作出重要贡献。

许渊冲的翻译作品

翻译生涯开启后，许渊冲做出了极具个人特色的方向性选择。他将毕生精力主要倾注于中国古典诗词和文学名著的译介工作，尤其是向西方世界传播中华文化瑰宝。“新译应该尽可能不同于旧译，还应该尽可能高于旧译”（许渊冲，1996：56)。其翻译对象涵盖了中国文学史上最璀璨的明珠，如《诗经》、《楚辞》、唐诗宋词，以及戏剧经典《西厢记》、《牡丹亭》等。许渊冲（2021:105）认为诗歌翻译最终求真还是求美是诗歌翻译的主要矛盾，解决了这一对矛盾就解决了文学翻译的主要问题。同时，他也将法国文学巨著如《红与黑》、《包法利夫人》、《追忆似水年华》等译成中文，展现了双向文化交流的宏愿。浙大版《许渊冲译莎士比亚戏剧集》的封底上印有译者对译作特色的总结：“如果译文要不像翻译，而像原作者的创作，那正是我译的莎剧与众不同之处”（许渊冲，2020)。在对比了《哈姆雷特》中“to be or not to be, that is the question”的五种译文之后，许渊冲(2017:6-8)指出“演出时用的是（之琳)译‘活下去还是不活’，外研社的译文‘死，还是生，这才是问题根本’不像是舞台上演出，而像是讲台上谈哲学…”。由此可见，可表演性是许渊冲的翻译莎剧的宗旨之一。尤为突出的是，他专注于英法两种语言的互译，在这两大语系之间架设起沟通中国文学与世界的坚实桥梁，被誉为“诗译英法唯一人”。

许渊冲的翻译理论

在漫长的翻译实践中，许渊冲的翻译理念经历了持续的萌芽与发展。早期实践中，他不断摸索如何在两种语言文化间找到最佳的转换方式。逐渐地，他突破了传统“信达雅”或严格“对等”的束缚，形成了极具鲜明个人特色的翻译主张，其核心便是著名的“三美论”和“优势竞赛论”。“三美论”包括“意美”“音美”和“形美”，构成许渊冲翻译理论的核心。（祝一舒，2019:84)为了达到意美，许渊冲在诗歌英译中以意译为主，不拘泥于原诗的结构与形式，重视诗歌的意境传达和情感表达(杨艺，2025)。《文学与翻译》中，许渊冲认为：“信、达、雅”三字可以理解为“信、达、优”，“优”就是发挥译语优势，就是用译语最好的表达方式，用富有意美、音美、形美的词语，换句话说，“优”就是“美”（高巍等，2012）。除此之外，许渊冲的三美论还与苏珊·巴斯内特相似。在苏珊·巴斯内特论文中提到两个重要术语:文本特征(textualfeatures)和超文本特征(extratextual features)（Bassnett&Lefevere，2001)。前者是语言本身的文本特征，如词汇、语法或形式等，对应许的“音美”和“形美”。后者是指超出语言文字以外的文本特征，如风土人情和历史文化等，对应“意美”。许渊冲在《翻译的艺术》中提到并肯定了鲁迅在《自文字至文章》中所说的“汉语具有意美、音美、形美三大优点”（鲁迅，2021）。”他还认为翻译是“创优似竞赛“创”是指“创造性翻译”是本体论；“优”是指“发挥译语优势”“译文必须优”，是方法论；“似”指“像”“神似”，是目的论；“竞赛”，与自己竞赛，与别人竞赛，是认识论。（许渊冲，1999:9)这一理论体系强调译者的主体性和创造性，成为其翻译实践的灵魂。

许渊冲的主要成就

晚年的许渊冲进入了翻译成果的丰硕期和荣誉的顶峰。由于种种原因，新中国成立后30年间其翻译成果并不多。至花甲之年后，才投身翻译，不知疲倦，笔耕不辍，成果丰硕，出版译著近百本（李正栓，吕欣，2024）。2014年，获北极光翻译奖。系统性地将中国古典文学精华呈现给世界读者。其卓越贡献获得了国内外高度认可。2010年，许渊冲获中国翻译工作者协会颁发的终身成就奖。最引人瞩目的是2014年，时年93岁的他荣获国际翻译家联盟（FIT）颁发的最高奖项——“北极光”杰出文学翻译奖，成为该奖项首位也是迄今唯一一位亚洲得主。这不仅是对他个人翻译艺术成就的至高肯定，也是对中国文学翻译界乃至中国文化“走出去”战略的重要国际认可。其传奇经历被广泛报道（如《朗读者》节目），社会影响力与文化地位不断提升，从一位默默耕耘的学者，成为受人敬仰的文化传播使者和翻译界的精神象征。

术语与表达

Three Beauties Theory：三美论

Superiority Competition Theory：优势竞赛论

faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance：信达雅

beauty in sense：意美

beauty in sound：音美

beauty in form：形美

translator's subjectivity：译者主体性

spiritual similarity：神似

Aurora Borealis Translation Award：北极光翻译奖

Lifetime Achievement Award：终身成就奖

performability：可表演性

translation ontology：翻译本体论

translation epistemology：翻译认识论

two-way cultural exchange：双向文化交流

translation concept：翻译观

Skopos Theory：翻译目的论

faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance：信达雅

问题

1. 许渊冲提出的 “三美论” 具体指哪三美？其核心内涵是什么？

2. 许渊冲在翻译莎士比亚戏剧时强调的重要原则是什么？

3. 西南联大的求学经历如何影响许渊冲的翻译观和文化使命感？

回答

1. “三美”的具体内容是意美、音美、形美。具体内涵分别是“意美”强调在诗歌英译中以意译为主，不拘泥于原诗的结构与形式，注重传达诗歌的意境和情感。“音美”和“形美”则致力于在译文韵律和形式上贴近原诗，形成兼具内容与形式美感的翻译。

2. 可表演性是许渊冲翻译莎剧的重要原则。他认为译文应符合舞台演出的需求，而非仅适用于学术讨论。

3.在西南联大，许渊冲师从钱钟书、闻一多、冯友兰、叶公超等学术大师，接受了深厚的中西文化教育，为其翻译实践和理论构建奠定了坚实的知识基础。抗战时期的民族危亡与西南联大“刚毅坚卓”的精神，使他形成了“向世界传播中华文化精粹”的强烈使命感和文化自信。这种使命感成为他日后专注于中国古典文学译介、推动中西文化交流的核心动力，也促使他在翻译中始终坚持传播中华文化的价值取向。

参考文献

[1]Bassnett Susan& Andre lefevere.Constructing Cultures Essays on Literary Translation[C]. Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.

[2]高巍.黄瑾.浅谈许渊冲诗歌翻译中美的再造[J].海外英语，2012(15):1-3.

[3]鲁迅.汉文学史纲要[M]. 厦门：厦门大学出版社，2021.

[4]李正栓,吕欣.许渊冲英译毛泽东诗词译者行为研究[J].上海翻译,2024,(02):55-60.

[5]许渊冲.译学要敢为天下先[J].中国翻译，1999（2):4-9.

[6]许渊冲.谈诗歌英译[J]中国翻译，2021(2):102-108.

[7]许渊冲(译）.许渊冲译莎士比亚戏剧集[M]. 杭州：浙江大学出版社，2020.

[8]许渊冲.谈重译——兼评许钧[J].外语与外语教学，1996,(6):56-59.

[9]许渊冲(译).莎翁戏剧新译四种：许渊冲手迹（上卷)马克白[M]. 深圳：海天出版社，2017.

[10]杨艺.许渊冲古典诗歌英译策略[J].名作欣赏,2025,(08):11-13.

[11]祝一舒.试论许渊冲翻译思想的特质[J].上海翻译，2019(5):83-87,95.

AI 声明

为帮助撰写我的期末论文，我使用了以下生成式人工智能：DeepSeek - V3。

我向该生成式人工智能输入了以下指令内容：

指令 1：我即将写关于许渊冲的一篇介绍性论文，请问我能写一些什么方面的内容？

DS输出结果 1：一、 核心身份与卓越成就；二、 独特的翻译理论与实践；三、 翻译实践的特点与贡献；四、 生平经历与精神品格；五、 影响、评价与争议。

指令 2：许渊冲生前得过哪些奖项？

DS输出结果 2：国内奖项包括中国翻译文化终身成就奖（2010）、国际汉学翻译大雅奖（2014）、北极光杰出文学翻译奖（2014）、中华图书特殊贡献奖（2015）；国际奖项包括法国文学艺术骑士勋章（1987）、国际译联荣誉奖（1999）。

指令 3：以下词汇或专有名词如何翻译？优势竞赛论，意美，北极光翻译奖，可表演性，翻译目的论......

DS输出结果 3：以下是您提到的术语或专有名词的标准英译及简要解释，供参考：优势竞赛论（Theory of Creative Competition in Translation）;意美（Beauty in Conception）;北极光翻译奖（Aurora Borealis Prize for Translation）;可表演性（Performability）;翻译目的论（translation teleology）

指令 4：有哪些知名学者研究过许渊冲的作品及翻译理论？请按国内外分类回答。

DS输出结果 4：国内学者包括刘宓庆（著名翻译理论家，在《中西翻译思想比较》中分析许渊冲的“三美论”与中国传统美学的关联）、王宏印（西安外国语大学教授，在《中国传统译论经典诠释》中探讨许渊冲对古典诗歌翻译的创造性转化）、谢天振(比较文学与翻译研究学者，从译介学视角评价许渊冲的“文化竞赛论”对文学外译的启示)、黄国彬(诗歌翻译研究者，对比分析许渊冲与西方译者在唐诗英译中的策略差异)；国外学者包括André Lefevere(西方翻译研究“操纵学派”代表，在《翻译、改写与文学名声的制控》中提及许渊冲的归化策略对文化传播的影响)、Susan Bassnett(比较文学与翻译理论家，关注许渊冲的诗歌翻译如何平衡“忠实”与“再创造”)、Eugene Chen Eoyang(美籍华裔学者，在《透明的眼：翻译与中国文学的跨文化阐释》中讨论许渊冲的“意美”理论)、Lawrence Venuti(美国翻译理论家，从“异化/归化”角度分析许渊冲译作中的文化立场).

我在生成式人工智能的回答中找到了以下主要问题并在网上查询官方权威资料进行了纠正：

翻译错误

（意美）Beauty in Conception→Beauty in Sense

（翻译目的论）translation teleology→Skopos Theory

事实性错误

目前没有直接证据表明他专门研究或撰写过关于许渊冲的论文或专著。