Xu Yuanchong

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In this
Xu
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Xu Yuanchong
Native name
许渊冲
Born(1921-04-18)18 April 1921
People's Republic of China
OccupationTranslator, Professor, Scholar
LanguageChinese, English, French
Alma materNational Southwestern Associated University
University of Paris
Period1948 - 2021
GenreNovel, poetry
Notable worksThe Red and the Black
SpouseZhao Jun
ChildrenXu Ming

Xu Yuanchong (simplified Chinese: 许渊冲; traditional Chinese: 許淵沖; pinyin: Xǔ Yuānchōng; 18 April 1921 – 17 June 2021) was a Chinese translator, best known for translating Chinese ancient poems[1] into English and French.[2] He was a professor at Peking University since 1983.

Early career

Xu Yuanchong was born in

National Southwest Associated University.[3] In 1939, as a freshman, he translated his first work, Lin Huiyin's poem "Do not throw away" into English, which was published in the "Literary Translation News" (文学翻译报).[3]

Style

His translation style is characterized by favouring domesticating translation.[4] Xu introduced the Creation for Loss[5] and the three beauties-concept to translation theory: the idea that a translation should be as beautiful as the original in three ways:[6][7]

  • semantically (the -deeper- meaning)
  • phonologically (the style like rhyme and rhythm)
  • logically (amongst others: length)

According to Gao, "he advocates that the versions of poems should combine visual and aural beauties together, and they should reproduce the fusion of pictorial composition and musical arrangement."[8]

Achievements

His 30 Poetries were selected as teaching materials by foreign universities. After reading his English translation "Selected Poems of Li Bai" (1987), Qian Zhongshu said: If you live in the same age with Li Bai, you'll become good friends. The British Press,[9] "Romance of The Western Bower", which is thought as great as "Romeo and Juliet" in terms of artistic and attractiveness. British publishing company Penguin has published Xu Yuanchong's "300 China's immortal poems" (1994), which was launched in Britain, USA, Canada, Australia and other countries. That's the first time that the publishing company published a Chinese translation. Apart from translating the classical Chinese poetry into foreign languages, Xu Yuanchong also translated many of the British and French classics into Chinese. In his seventies, he was still involved in translating

Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" (1992), Stendhal's "Red" (1993). At the age of 78 years, Xu also published a voluminous long masterpiece, the translation of Romain Rolland's "John Kristof" (1999). Xu was awarded the "Lifetime achievements in translation" from the Translators Association of China (TAC) in 2010.[10]
On August 2, 2014, at the 20th World Conference of the Federation of International Translators (FIT), FIT conferred The "Aurora Borealis" Prize on Xu Yuanchong, who is the first Chinese winner of the award.[11]

Works

Awards

  • Chinese Translation Association
    - Competent Translator (2004)
  • Chinese translation Culture Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)

Personal life

Xu married Zhao Jun (照君) in 1959 in Beijing, they have a son, Xu Ming (许明), also a translator. His wife died in 2018, aged 85.

He turned 100 on 18 April 2021[29] and died just under two months later, on 17 June in Beijing.[30][31]

References

  1. ^ Zhang Zhi-zhong (2005). "A Close Study on the Revision of Poetry Translation by Prof. Xu Yuanchong". Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University (Social Sciences) (4). Retrieved 21 December 2011. abstract
  2. ^ "Xu Yuanchong". China Book International. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  3. ^
    ISSN 1007-2616
    .
  4. doi:10.4304/jltr.1.1.77-80
    . Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  5. ^ Wang Feng-xia (2008). "The Representation of Cultural Genes in Poetry Translation—A Case Study of Excursion on Eastern Fields Cheerless by Xu Yuanchong". Journal of Xihua University (Philosophy & Social Sciences (2). Retrieved 21 December 2011. (abstract)
  6. ISBN 9789629963552
    .
  7. ^ Dai Kai-hong (2006). "Translation of Poetry Approached by the Principle of "Beauty"—A Review of X.Y.Z.'s Translation of Grief beyond Belief". Journal of Huaihai Institute of Technology (Social Sciences Edition). abstract
  8. doi:10.4304/jltr.1.1.84-89
    .
  9. ^ name of the website
  10. ^ Chen Meng (translation) (20 May 2010). "Lifetime Achievement in Translation". EveryChina.com. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  11. ^ Liu Wenjia (5 August 2014). "The first Chinese winner of 'Aurora Borealis' Prize: Translation changes the world". english.peopledaily.com.cn/. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  12. ISBN 9787508508467
    .
  13. ^ "Your Store".
  14. ISBN 9787500120209
    .
  15. ISBN 9787500112006
    .
  16. ISBN 9787040186116
    .
  17. ISBN 9787500122678
    .
  18. ISBN 9787500122685
    .
  19. ISBN 9787500122890
    .
  20. ISBN 9787500122692
    .
  21. ISBN 9787543850019
    .
  22. ISBN 9787508521916
    .
  23. ISBN 9787500118114
    .
  24. ISBN 9787508508474
    .
  25. ISBN 9787544727761
    .
  26. ISBN 9787511706867
    .
  27. ISBN 9787544722360
    .
  28. ISBN 9787513506106
    .
  29. ^ 翻译家许渊冲：一生"诗舟"播美，百岁仍是少年. sohu.com. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  30. ^ 翻译泰斗许渊冲逝世，享年100岁 (in Chinese)
  31. ^ "翻譯泰斗許淵沖逝世 享年100歲 被譽「詩譯英法唯一人」" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Ming Pao. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Xu Yuanchong.
Scholia has an author profile for Xu Yuanchong.
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