The Construction of Historical Discourse in the English Translation of Classical Chinese Poetry: A Case Study of Selected Poems from Hunan

PENG Tianxiao, LIU Ming

National University of Defense Technology

Page 111-127

Abstract: Classical Chinese poetry is the crystallization of traditional Chinese culture and carries the time-honored Chinese civilization. The global spread of classical Chinese poetry will promote the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture, which is of positive significance for “telling Chinese stories well and spreading Chinese voices effectively.” Focusing on the historical narrative and identity shaping functions of classical poetry, this paper proposes that the English translation of classical Chinese poetry is a cross-cultural process of historical discourse construction. Taking Selected Poems from Hunan as a case study, this paper analyzes three types of subjects (historians, poets, and translators) and three types of objects (historical facts, historical life, and historical spirit) behind the construction of historical discourse in poetic creation and translation. It also expounds the translation concept of “integration while preserving differences” and the translation strategies of “upholding cultural subjectivity, aesthetic reproduction, and empathetic communication” adopted in the translation process, with a view to offering references for the practice of translating classical Chinese poetry into English.

Keywords: classical Chinese poems, English translation, historical discourse, construction

DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202601009

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