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 (Zhi Lin's)"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 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 conception：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
translation teleology：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?
References
[1] 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.
[2] Lu Xun. Outline of the History of Chinese Literature [M]. Xiamen: Xiamen University Press, 2021.
[3] 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.
[4] Xu Yuanchong. Translation Studies Should Dare to Be the First in the World [J]. Chinese Translators Journal, 1999(2): 4-9.
[5] Xu Yuanchong. On the English Translation of Poetry [J]. Chinese Translators Journal, 2021(2): 102-108.
[6] Xu Yuanchong (Translator). Xu Yuanchong's Translation of Shakespeare's Plays [M]. Hangzhou: Zhejiang University Press, 2020.
[7] Xu Yuanchong. On Retranslation - and a Comment on Xu Jun [J]. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 1996, (6): 56-59.
[8] Xu Yuanchong (Translator). Four New Translations of Shakespeare's Plays: Xu Yuanchong's Handwriting (Volume I) Macbeth [M]. Shenzhen: Haitian Press, 2017.
[9] Yang Yi. Xu Yuanchong's Strategies for English Translation of Classical Poetry [J]. Appreciation of Masterpieces, 2025, (08): 11-13.
[10] Zhu Yishu. On the Characteristics of Xu Yuanchong's Translation Thoughts [J]. Shanghai Journal of Translators, 2019(5): 83-87, 95.
文学：许渊冲：诗译英法，沟通中西的文学摆渡人
许渊冲先生是江西南昌籍翻译家，生前是北京大学新闻与传播学院教授。其早年求学经历奠定了一生根基，尤以在西南联合大学的岁月最为关键。在这所战时中国顶尖学府，他师从钱钟书、闻一多、冯友兰、叶公超等学术巨擘，接受了深厚的中西文化熏陶。求学期间，他展现出非凡的语言天赋和对文学翻译的浓厚兴趣，早期即尝试翻译林徽因、徐志摩等人的诗歌。抗战时期的民族危亡与西南联大“刚毅坚卓”的精神，深刻塑造了他“向世界传播中华文化精粹”的使命感和文化自信，成为其日后翻译观形成的重要时代背景。
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）。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（今中国翻译协会）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 conception：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
translation teleology：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？
参考文献
[1]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.
[2]鲁迅.汉文学史纲要[M]. 厦门：厦门大学出版社，2021.
[3]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.
[4]许渊冲.译学要敢为天下先[J].中国翻译，1999（2):4-9.
[5]许渊冲.谈诗歌英译[J]中国翻译，2021(2):102-108.
[6]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.
[7]许渊冲.谈重译——兼评许钧[J].外语与外语教学，1996,(6):56-59.
[8]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.
[9]杨艺.许渊冲古典诗歌英译策略[J].名作欣赏,2025,(08):11-13.
[10]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.