摘 要：文化适应是文化翻译的一个重要概念。在翻译过程中考虑文化适应问题尤为重要。诗歌，作为一种艺术语言，其多义性是以文化传统为基础的。英语诗歌在翻译过程中会失去一些原文化元素。因此，为达到文化信息传递的目的，英语诗歌翻译过程中必须考虑文化适应性原则，以使诗歌翻译更能接近原作，生动再现原作的意境和诗情。本文试图在不同地区的文化背景下从文化适应性原则的角度来探讨英语诗歌的翻译。首先，根据英语诗歌翻译的历史讨论诗歌翻译的创造性，英语诗歌翻译中的文化适应性和诗歌的翻译技巧。然后，讨论文化适应性原则以及东西方的文化差异。最后以同一首英语诗歌的不同翻译为例来阐释文化适应性原则的应用。因此，本文为促进东西方文学交流，特别是为诗歌翻译提供了应用性的方法与建议。

关键词：文化适应性；英语诗歌翻译; 翻译技巧

Abstract：Cultural compatibility is an important concept of cultural translation. It is of vital importance to take cultural compatibility into the translation process. Poetry, is an artistic language, whose multi-interpretation is based on cultural tradition. Some original and cultural elements are often neglected and deleted in the translation of English poetry. Accordingly, in order to transmit the cultural information, the principle of cultural compatibility should be taken into account in translating English poetry so as to make the translation get closer to the original version and recreate the aesthetic conception and poetic mind vividly. Based on a variety of cultural backgrounds, this paper explores the translation of English poetry from the principle of cultural compatibility. Firstly, the creativity, the  cultural compatibility and skills of English poetry translation are discussed in combination with the history of English poetry translation. Then, the principle of cultural compatibility and the cultural differences between the East and the West are presented. Finally, the paper illustrates the application of the principles of cultural compatibility by setting the different translation versions of one English poem as the example. Therefore, this paper is beneficial for promoting the East-West communication in literature, and offers some useful methods and suggestions for translating English poetry.

Key words: cultural adaptability; English poetry translation; translation techniques.

Contents

摘 要...i

Abstract...ii

I. Introduction..1

II. A Historical Retrospection of English Poetry Translation1

2.1 Creativity in Poetry Translation 1

2.2 Cultural Compatibility in the Translation of English Poetry 2

2.3 Poetry Translation Skills3

III. Cultural Compatibility4

3.1 Principle of Cultural Compatibility 4

3.2 The Difference Between Eastern and Western Culture6

3.3 Some Attempts to Improve Cultural Compatibility of Translation8

IV. Examples of English Poetry Translation11

4.1 The Translation of William Black’s Poetry ...11

4.2 The Contrast and Comparison of the Translation of When I Have Fears15

V. Conclusion18

Bibliography19

Acknowledgments 20  

On the English Poetry Translation Under the Principle of Cultural Adaptation

I. Introduction

Poetry is a kind of literary language, with the purpose of expanding people’s aesthetic experience, by way of form, sound and words to stimulate people to build up the internal imagery and bring people aesthetic pleasure. As a kind of artistic language, the multi-interpretation of poetry is based on cultural tradition. It is a kind of appealing  structure with free interpretation of the poetry. Readers should clarify the ambiguous  and blank language points in the poetry by way of imagination and association based on their respective life experience, cultural knowledge and aesthetic experience in the reading process so that the significance of poetry could be embodied. Translation is a process of transporting the cultural information by transforming language codes, characters and symbols. Eastern and Western poetry vary from each other due to the different cultural background, social customs, and language systems, with widely pergent styles. Therefore, it is obvious that translating poems means losing some of the original cultural elements. In order to achieve the purpose of transmitting the cultural information, the principle of cultural adaptation should be taken into account so as to make the translation similar to the original version and recreate the aesthetic conception and poetic minds vividly.