New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation

Xiao Ma; Lili Dang

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11

| Peer-Reviewed

New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation

Xiao Ma, Lili Dang

Published in International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 6, Issue 1)

Received: 16 January 2020 Accepted: 12 February 2020 Published: 21 February 2020

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

Foreignization helps to inspire investigations into the translator’s invisibility, cultural hegemony in translation, and translation ethics on the one hand. On the other hand, it shows an ethical dilemma in translation that has already attracted a lot of attention throughout the world. And although existing studies have already uncovered some reasons of the ethical dilemma and put forward some solutions, the question has not been fully addressed especially when translation direction, which is an important but largely ignored factor in translation, is taken into consideration. Developments in contemporary Cosmopolitanism make new interpretation of Cosmopolitanism ethics possible and thus provide a useful theoretical tool. From a new Cosmopolitanism perspective, a Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, which take the self and the other in translation as equal and enable them negotiate about their difference more effectively, are then proposed to examine foreignization and ethics of difference through a comparative study of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s classical Chinese poetry translation. The findings indicate that although foreignization morally treats the self and the other in translation as equal, it has the defect of valuing the self’s values above that of the other. A new Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, however, can overcome the defect, therefore provide a way out of the ethical dilemma in foreignization and ethics of difference.

Published in	International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 6, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11
Page(s)	1-11
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cosmopolitanism, Translation Ethics, Foreignization, Ezra Pound, Yuanchong Xu

References

[1]	Liu, Yamen (2005). Venuit’s Perspective on Translation Ethics and Its Self-Deconstruction. Chinese Translators Journal, 5: 40-45.
[2]	Zhang, Jinhua (2009). Translation Ethics: An Investigation into Venuti’s Translation Theory. Shanghai: Shanghai Jiaotong University Press, 165, 205, 192-193.
[3]	Jiang, Tong (2012). The Genesis of Lawrence Venuti’s Translation Theory: A Chain of Terms. Journal of Foreign Languages, 1: 54-61.
[4]	Pym, Anthony (1996/2010). Venuti’s Visibility. Target, revised edition, 8 (2): 165-177.
[5]	Robinson, Douglas (1997a). What is translation?—Centrifugal Theories, Critical Interventions. London: The Kent University Press, 97-112.
[6]	Robinson, Douglas (1997b). Translation and Empire: Postcolonial Theory Explained. Manchester: St. Jerome, 109.
[7]	Tymoczko, Maria (2000). Translation and political engagement. The Translator, 6 (1): 23-47.
[8]	Gentzler, Edwin (2001). Contemporary Translation Theories (2nd edition). Clevedon, Buffalo, Toronto, Sydney: Multilingual Matters. Ltd., 36-43.
[9]	Munday, Jeremy (2001). Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications. London and New York: Routledge, 14, 153, 154.
[10]	Shamma, Tarek (2005). The Exotic Dimension of Foreignizing Strategies. The Translator, 11 (1): 51-67.
[11]	Snell-Hornby, Mary (2006). The Turns of Translation Studies: New Paradigms or Shifting Viewpoints? Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 145-148.
[12]	Zhou, Xuanfeng (2018). Deconstruction and Reconstruction of “Ethics of Difference” from a Cosmopolitanism Perspective. Contemporary Literary Criticism, 5: 164.
[13]	Venuti, Lawrence (1995/2018). The Translator’s Invisibility: A History of Translation. New York: Routledge, xiii, viii-xvi, 164-178.
[14]	Liu, Qing (2015). Reimagining the Global: From “Tianxia” to New Cosmopolitanism. Academic Monthly, 8: 5-15.
[15]	Li, Jianhua and Zhang, Yongyi (2010). On the Core Propositions of Cosmopolitanism Ethics. Philosophical Trends, 5: 55-60.
[16]	Zhang, Yongyi and Zhan, Mingzhang (2012). The Philosophical Bases of Cosmopolitanism Ethics. Theoretical Exploration, 4: 41-44.
[17]	Fang, Wei (2013). “Translation Ethics” or “Studies of Norms”? Some Tentative Reflections on the Norms-oriented Studies of Translation Ethics at Home. Foreign Languages Research, 4: 70-75, 112.
[18]	Dang, Lili (2006). Purposeful Selection of Translation Strategy—A Comparative Study of Xu Yuanchong’s and Ezra Pound’s Translation Strategies in Their Classical Chinese Poetry Translation. Northwest Normal University, 24-25, 50.
[19]	Pound, Ezra (1968). Literary Essays of Ezra Pound. Edited with an Introduction by T. S. Eliot. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 6th printing: 25.
[20]	Zhou, Jianxin (2012). A Probe into Ezra Pound’s Concept of “Three Kinds of Poetry”. Foreign Language Education, 1: 90.
[21]	Pound, Ezra (2003). Ezra Pound: Poems and Translations. New York: Literary Classics of the United States, Inc., 257, 249, 250, 258.
[22]	Xu, Yuanchong (2013), 300 Tang Poems. Beijing: Dolphin Books, 44, 65.
[23]	Yip, William (1969). Ezra Pound’s Cathay. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University, 22, 145, 136, 143.
[24]	Xu, Yuanchong (1984), An Art of Translation. Beijing: China International Translation and Publishing Corporation, iii, 60, 100.
[25]	Zhu, Chaowei (2005). Construction and Reflection: A Study of Ezra Pound’s Translation Theory. Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 220-222.
[26]	Xu, Yuanchong (2013). Book of Poetry. Beijing: Dolphin Books, 189.
[27]	Xu, Yuanchong (2013). Golden Treasure of Chinese Poetry in Han, Wei and Six Dynasties. Beijing: Dolphin Books, 61.
[28]	Kenner, Hugh (1972). The Pound Era. London: Faber and Faber, 194.
[29]	Yuan, Xingpei (1998). A Study of the Art of Chinese Poetry. Beijing: Peking University Press, 56, 60, 61, 95.
[30]	Xu, Yuanchong (2014), Selected Poems of Li Bai. Beijing: China Translation Corporation, 146.
[31]	Jiang, Hongxin (2014). A Study of Ezra Pound. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 163, 276.
[32]	Wang, Zhuo and Li, Quanwen (2010). A History of American Literature. Wuhan: Central China Normal University Press, 395.
[33]	Ma, Hongjun (2006). From Literature Translation to Translated literature: A Study of Xu Yuanchong’s Translation Theory and Practice. Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 207.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Xiao Ma, Lili Dang. (2020). New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 6(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Xiao Ma; Lili Dang. New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2020, 6(1), 1-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Xiao Ma, Lili Dang. New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2020;6(1):1-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11,
  author = {Xiao Ma and Lili Dang},
  title = {New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-11},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20200601.11},
  abstract = {Foreignization helps to inspire investigations into the translator’s invisibility, cultural hegemony in translation, and translation ethics on the one hand. On the other hand, it shows an ethical dilemma in translation that has already attracted a lot of attention throughout the world. And although existing studies have already uncovered some reasons of the ethical dilemma and put forward some solutions, the question has not been fully addressed especially when translation direction, which is an important but largely ignored factor in translation, is taken into consideration. Developments in contemporary Cosmopolitanism make new interpretation of Cosmopolitanism ethics possible and thus provide a useful theoretical tool. From a new Cosmopolitanism perspective, a Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, which take the self and the other in translation as equal and enable them negotiate about their difference more effectively, are then proposed to examine foreignization and ethics of difference through a comparative study of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s classical Chinese poetry translation. The findings indicate that although foreignization morally treats the self and the other in translation as equal, it has the defect of valuing the self’s values above that of the other. A new Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, however, can overcome the defect, therefore provide a way out of the ethical dilemma in foreignization and ethics of difference.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation
AU  - Xiao Ma
AU  - Lili Dang
Y1  - 2020/02/21
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 1
EP  - 11
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11
AB  - Foreignization helps to inspire investigations into the translator’s invisibility, cultural hegemony in translation, and translation ethics on the one hand. On the other hand, it shows an ethical dilemma in translation that has already attracted a lot of attention throughout the world. And although existing studies have already uncovered some reasons of the ethical dilemma and put forward some solutions, the question has not been fully addressed especially when translation direction, which is an important but largely ignored factor in translation, is taken into consideration. Developments in contemporary Cosmopolitanism make new interpretation of Cosmopolitanism ethics possible and thus provide a useful theoretical tool. From a new Cosmopolitanism perspective, a Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, which take the self and the other in translation as equal and enable them negotiate about their difference more effectively, are then proposed to examine foreignization and ethics of difference through a comparative study of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s classical Chinese poetry translation. The findings indicate that although foreignization morally treats the self and the other in translation as equal, it has the defect of valuing the self’s values above that of the other. A new Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, however, can overcome the defect, therefore provide a way out of the ethical dilemma in foreignization and ethics of difference.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Xiao Ma

Translation and Interpreting Department, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
Lili Dang

Translation and Interpreting Department, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China; Translation and Interpreting Department, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, PR China

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Xiao Ma, Lili Dang. (2020). New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 6(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Xiao Ma; Lili Dang. New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2020, 6(1), 1-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Xiao Ma, Lili Dang. New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2020;6(1):1-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11,
  author = {Xiao Ma and Lili Dang},
  title = {New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-11},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20200601.11},
  abstract = {Foreignization helps to inspire investigations into the translator’s invisibility, cultural hegemony in translation, and translation ethics on the one hand. On the other hand, it shows an ethical dilemma in translation that has already attracted a lot of attention throughout the world. And although existing studies have already uncovered some reasons of the ethical dilemma and put forward some solutions, the question has not been fully addressed especially when translation direction, which is an important but largely ignored factor in translation, is taken into consideration. Developments in contemporary Cosmopolitanism make new interpretation of Cosmopolitanism ethics possible and thus provide a useful theoretical tool. From a new Cosmopolitanism perspective, a Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, which take the self and the other in translation as equal and enable them negotiate about their difference more effectively, are then proposed to examine foreignization and ethics of difference through a comparative study of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s classical Chinese poetry translation. The findings indicate that although foreignization morally treats the self and the other in translation as equal, it has the defect of valuing the self’s values above that of the other. A new Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, however, can overcome the defect, therefore provide a way out of the ethical dilemma in foreignization and ethics of difference.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - New Cosmopolitanism as a Way out of Ethical Dilemma in Foreignization: A Comparison of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s Classical Chinese Poetry Translation
AU  - Xiao Ma
AU  - Lili Dang
Y1  - 2020/02/21
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 1
EP  - 11
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20200601.11
AB  - Foreignization helps to inspire investigations into the translator’s invisibility, cultural hegemony in translation, and translation ethics on the one hand. On the other hand, it shows an ethical dilemma in translation that has already attracted a lot of attention throughout the world. And although existing studies have already uncovered some reasons of the ethical dilemma and put forward some solutions, the question has not been fully addressed especially when translation direction, which is an important but largely ignored factor in translation, is taken into consideration. Developments in contemporary Cosmopolitanism make new interpretation of Cosmopolitanism ethics possible and thus provide a useful theoretical tool. From a new Cosmopolitanism perspective, a Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, which take the self and the other in translation as equal and enable them negotiate about their difference more effectively, are then proposed to examine foreignization and ethics of difference through a comparative study of Ezra Pound’s and Yuanchong Xu’s classical Chinese poetry translation. The findings indicate that although foreignization morally treats the self and the other in translation as equal, it has the defect of valuing the self’s values above that of the other. A new Cosmopolitanism translation ethics and a strategy of negotiation, however, can overcome the defect, therefore provide a way out of the ethical dilemma in foreignization and ethics of difference.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download