A History of Western Appreciation of English-translated Tang Poetry

Description

This book examines the development of English-translated Tang poetry and its propagation to the Western world. It consists of two parts, the first of which addresses the initial stage of English-translated Tang poetry’s propagation, and the second exploring its further development. By analyzing the historical background and characteristics of these two stages, the book traces the trend back to its roots, discusses some well-known early sinologists and their contributions, and familiarizes readers with the general course of Tang poetry’s development. In addition, it presents the translated versions of many Tang poems. The dissemination of Tang poetry to the Western world is a significant event in the history of cross-cultural communication. From the simple imitation of poetic techniques to the acceptance and identification of key poetic concepts, the Tang poetry translators gradually constructed a classic “Chinese style” in modern American poetry. Hence, the traditional Chinese culture represented by Tang poetry spread more widely in the English-speaking world, producing a more lasting impact on societies and cultures outside China – and demonstrating the poetry’s ability to transcend the boundaries of time, region, nationality and culture. Due to different cultural backgrounds, the Tang poets or poems admired most by Western readers may not necessarily receive high acclaim in China. Sometimes language barriers and cultural differences make it impossible to represent certain allusions or cultural and ethnic concepts correctly during the translation process. However, in recent decades, the translation of Tang poetry has evolved considerably in both quantity and quality. As culture is manifested in language, and language is part of culture, the translation of Tang poetry has allowed Western scholars to gain an unprecedented understanding of China and Chinese culture. Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 An Overview of the Historical Background (Lan Jiang)....Pages 3-20 Research on the Early Significant Texts (Lan Jiang)....Pages 21-35 British Sinologist Herbert A. Giles and His Contributions (Lan Jiang)....Pages 37-50 Other Early Sinologists and Their Outstanding Contributions (Lan Jiang)....Pages 51-68 British Poet Launcelot A. Cranmer-Byng and Tang Poetry (Lan Jiang)....Pages 69-89 The British Sinologist and Poet Arthur Waley (Lan Jiang)....Pages 91-110 British Diplomat William J. B. Fletcher (Lan Jiang)....Pages 111-123 Front Matter ....Pages 125-125 The Propagation of Tang Poetry in the West: Historical Background and Characteristics of Its Developing Stage (Lan Jiang)....Pages 127-138 American Adaptation of Tang Poetry Translations from Europe (Lan Jiang)....Pages 139-149 Tang Poetry in Classical Chinese Poetry Anthologies (Lan Jiang)....Pages 151-160 Ezra Pound’s Cathay and the Transmission of Tang Poetry to the West (Lan Jiang)....Pages 161-171 The Beginning of Studies on Chinese Poetic Theories (Lan Jiang)....Pages 173-188 Fir-Flower Tablets and Its Authors (Lan Jiang)....Pages 189-205 Contributions by Chinese–American Scholars (Lan Jiang)....Pages 207-219 Development After the 1950s (Lan Jiang)....Pages 221-251 Back Matter ....Pages 253-265