Abstract：Poetry is the oldest and most literary form of literature. China has not only created many poetry works, but also introduced lots of them to other countries in the world. In this process, translation plays an important role. Throughout this historical period, people have made a comprehensive and systematic research on various aspects of poetry translation from different angles and with different theories. This paper studies the English translations of Chinese poetry applying Skopos theory, and verifies the importance of purpose in poetry translation. Skopos theory holds that translation is a purposeful intercultural communication, and its purpose is to create a translation that meets the needs of target readers. Different versions of Chinese poetry satisfy the needs of different reading groups and achieve different purposes.

Five chapters altogether are comprised in this thesis. The first chapter at the beginning is an overall introduction. Second part is the literary review on Skopos theory. The third chapter is an overall introduction to Chinese poetry and its translation. Chapter four is the comparative study of various English translations of Chinese Poetry. The last chapter aims to sum up the whole thesis and present the outcome, which is Chinese poetry should be translated to achieve different purposes.

Key Words: Chinese Poetry, English translation, Skopos theory

摘要：诗歌是文学中最古老也是纯粹的形式。中国不仅创造了很多诗歌作品，还引进出口了很多诗歌作品。在这个过程中，翻译起着重要的作用。纵观这一历史时期，人们从不同的角度，运用不同的理论，对诗歌翻译的各个方面进行了全面而系统的研究。本文运用目的论理论对中国诗歌的英译进行了研究，力求验证目的在诗歌翻译中的重要性。目的论认为翻译是一种有目的的跨文化交际，其目的是创造一种符合目标读者需要的翻译。不同版本的汉语诗歌满足了不同阅读群体的需要，达到了不同的目的。

本文共分五章。第一章是引言。第二部分是目的论的文献综述。第三章是对中国诗歌及其翻译的总体介绍。第四章是汉诗英译的比较研究。最后一章是对全文的总结，并提出了诗歌翻译应有目的地进行。

关键词： 中文诗词，英译，目的论

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments...... i

Abstract. ii

摘要 iii

1 Introduction 1

2 Literature review on Skopos theory... 3

2.1 Definition of Skopos Theory... 3

2.2 Development Review of Skopos Theory 3

2.3 Application of Skopos Theory in Translation. 4

3 Chinese Poetry And Translation ... 6

3.1 Brief Introduction To Chinese Poetry 6

3.2 The Development and Characteristics of Chinese Poetry.. 6

3.3 The Research on Chinese Poetry Translation  10

4 Comparative Study of Various English Translations of Chinese Poetry. 12

4.1 From the Perspective of Intercultural Communication... 12

4.2 From the Perspective of Diplomatic Needs. 13

4.3 From the Perspective of Different Participants... 15

5 Conclusion...  17

Bibliography...  18

1 Introduction

Before going on with the topic of poetry, the question what poetry should be answered. Wikipedia define it like this: “Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language—such as phon aesthetics, sound symbolism and metre—to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning” (Net.1). Poetry, in its technical sense, is the “art of languages”.

Poetry is one of the core elements of culture created by human beings. As Scottish philosopher, writer, and translator Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) once said, “Poetry, therefore, we will call Musical Thought.” It is the best form of expression of the best speeches and thoughts in the world. Poetry has an irreplaceable position in the history of Chinese culture. Chinese poetry is a treasure of China’s brilliant cultural heritage, and a rich resource of education and language learning. In the vast river of Chinese literature, poetry is a bright pearl, which inherits the essence of the Chinese people. In sharing the brilliance of the fascinating Chinese poetry to the world, proper translation theories and translation strategies are needed.