A Brief Analysis of the Influence of Sound and Rhyme on Content Expression in Xu Yuanchong's English Translations of Poetry Works - A Case Study of "The Book of Songs"

Abstract

The Book of Songs, known as the Shijing in Chinese, holds a lofty position and exerts a profound influence in the history of Chinese literature, establishing a fine tradition for Chinese poetry. Xu Yuanchong, a renowned translator in China, has translated The Book of Songs into the most widely circulated version in Chinese. In his translation practice, there is a theory called the "Three Aesthetics Theory" that governs the overall process, namely the aesthetics of content, phonetics and form. Currently, most of the research in the field of translation studies focuses on the "aesthetics of content" in Xu's translation, considering it more important than the "aesthetics of phonetics" and the "aesthetics of form," and playing a decisive role in the translation. However, the authors have noticed the countervailing effects of sound and rhyme on content and connotation, and therefore, conducted a related research on the effect of phonetics on the expression of content in the translated version of The Book of Songs (Shijing). After further study and researches, the authors have discovered that the role of sound and rhyme in poetry is not limited to the experience of beauty; the variations in sound and rhyme also affect the emotions conveyed in the poem, expressing the ups and downs of emotions. At the same time, there may be instances where excessive pursuit of sound and rhyme sacrifices the expression of content.