Angela Jung Palandri(1980) in The Journal of Asian Studies, points out that it is the rich verbal texture in the book that makes this prose narrative border on poetry. But the poetry, according to Robert Frost, is what gets lost in translation. The translation is generally accurate and only rarely does it misinterpret the author's intention. Once in a while, however, it fails to capture the original nuance. Overall the translators have done an excellent job on an almost impossible task. For, besides the rich array of word plays, verbal paradoxes, historical references, literary allusions, and foreign idioms and proverbs, there are frequent inclusions of poetry, in both classical and modern style. Whenever cultural barriers or linguistic differences prevent literal translation, one of the translators, Nathan K. Mao, provides explanations or elucidations in his notes.

   3.2.4 The Role of Metaphor in Fortress Besieged

   Having discussing in the study on metaphor in China, it is more appropriate to describe features on biyu in Fortress Besieged than those on metaphor.  《读<拉奥孔>》 written by Ch’ien Chung-shu best shows his idea of biyu: a biyu is made up with two elements which are both contradictory and complementary to each other. An object and its corresponding image must share something which is comparable; or else it is impossible to make the comparison. Difference is also needed; or else the two are mistaken. The more obvious the difference seems, the more fascinating and interesting the comparison looks, and the more lasting the artistic flavor it tastes.(Ch’ien Chung-shu, 1985)  

   Fortress Besieged illustrates Ch’ien is endowed with the ability of sensitive observation and novel connections, so that there are abundant metaphors ranging from sophisticated world, such as philosophy, Western literature and religion, to daily life, like food, cloth and plants. Ch’ien introduces readers new connections between two seemingly unrelated objects through metaphor, which exposes them to a different perspective to see the world, and gives them a joyful experience. Moreover, Ch’ien instills his affection into the metaphor in Fortress Besieged, namely satiric biyu, in order to reflect his attitude toward characters in his works, particularly to mirror ugliness of those intellectuals.

二、研究的基本内容与主要特点、创新点

1. Research Content:

This paper first introduces the idea of functionalism, followed by four major figures with their own theories. It will select typical examples to categorize their solutions. The section is based on the three translational methods, literal translation, philological translation and exocizing translation. After all these efforts done, the paper will give practical suggestions on how to deal with different metaphors.

The Outline of the Paper

Chapter 1. Introduction  

     1.1 Introduction to Fortress Besieged

     1.2 Rationale and Significance of this Paper

Chapter 2. Literature Review

2.1 Metaphor and Metaphor Translation

2.2 Metaphor in Fortress Besieged

Chapter 3. An Analysis of Metaphor Translation in Fortress Besieged

         3.1 Literal Translation

         3.2 Philological Translation

         3.3 Exoticizing Translation

Chapter 4. Conclusion

         4.1 The effects of translation in different translation methods

2. Main Features and Originality

   This paper is aimed at analyzing the translation solution on German functionalism in the version of Fortress Besieged by Nathan K. Mao and Jeanne Kelly. By introducing the ideas of functional translation, with the focus of documentary translation of metaphors in Fortress Besieged, this paper will exemplify and categorize the translation solutions on particular metaphors in literal translation, philological translation and exoticizing translation. Through analyzing the translation of metaphors, what can be figured out is whether the intended function is realized, the Skopos achieved.