A Comparative Study of Chinese Translations of Tagore's Stray Birds From the Perspective of the "Three Beauties Theory"

For more than 60 years, Mr. Xu Yuanchong has been devoted to education. He has not only made remarkable achievements in translating from and into Chinese, English, French and other languages, but has also developed his own unique concept of translation. Since 1950, he has always adhered to the “Three Beauties Theory”, believing that translation should not only rely on the original text, but also realize the “beauty of meaning”, “beauty of sound”, and “beauty of form”. Based on Xu Yuanchong’s “Three Beauties Theory”, this paper takes Zheng Zhenduo’s and Feng Tang’s Chinese translations of Stray Birds as an example to explore in depth the specifics of poetry translation theory. The study summarizes the similarities and differences between these two translations in embodying the “three beauties”, providing insights into the Chinese translation techniques of philosophical prose poems. This endeavor seeks to offer valuable insights for the comparative study of Stray Birds translations

Chen, F. K. (1991). Preface to “A draft history of Chinese translation studies”. Journal of Foreign Languages, 14(2), 51-53.

Giri, A. (2020). The dissemination and influence of Tagore’s thought and works in modern China (Doctoral dissertation, Liaoning Normal University).

Guo, M. R. (1922). Critique of the translation of “The open door of poetry” by Yimenhu and others. Creation Quarterly, 1(2), 28.

Jin, D. F. (2013). The “Rogue-style” youth of writer Feng Tang. Journal of Luoyang Normal University, 32(9), 60-62.

Xu, Y. C. (1984). The art of translation: Collected essays. Beijing: China Translation & Publishing Corporation.

Xu, Y. C. (1987). Three discussions on “Beauty of Meaning, Sound, and Form”. Journal of Shenzhen University (Humanities and Social Sciences), 4(2), 70-77.

Xu, Y. C. (2006). The art of translation (Revised and Enlarged Edition). Beijing: Five Continents Communication Press.

Yang, J. M. (2015). Zheng Zhenduo’s “Flying Bird” and “New Moon”. World Culture, 36(5), 40-43.