The Reading, Translation, and Rewriting of Shakespeare’s Sonnets in China

Abstract

Shakespeare’s sonnets are widely loved and very popular in China, and major poet-translators such as Tu An and Liang Zongdai devoted a lifetime to their task of translation. The translation of the Bard’s sonnets involves cross-cultural understanding. In terms of poetic style, Shakespeare’s sonnets may be rendered in two styles, either modern or classical. Both styles have their pros and cons, but the general tendency leans toward the modern. In the course of over a century, the sonnet form has successfully been indigenized, and the Chinese sonnet has largely been developed from the reading and transplantation of Western sonneteers including Shakespeare and Milton. Among others, Shakespeare has exerted a significant impact on modern Chinese poetry by contributing new content and new form. This article aims to survey the reading, translation, and rewriting of Shakespeare’s sonnets in China and demonstrate how the Bard’s sonnets influenced the scene of modern Chinese poetry.