Yanshu
13 Apr 2024
Translated by Mr Xu Yuanchong, the beauty of poetry across language barriers
This translation includes works by Yu Shinan, Kong Shaoan, Wang Ji, Hanshan, Shangguan Yi, Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Luo Binwang, Song Zhibei, He Zhizhang, Chen Zi'ang, Zhang Zhan, and Zhang Xu. The contents of Tang poems are wide-ranging, some of them sing of the beauty of mountains and rivers, some express beautiful emotions between people, some describe the hardships of the people and their aspirations, some express personal aspirations, and some write about the heroism of soldiers on the border. ...... For thousands of years, Chinese people have enjoyed reciting Tang poems for many generations, to learn nutrients from them, to cultivate their sentiments, and to improve their quality of life.
The translator is Mr Xu Yuanchong, who has been engaged in translation work for 70 years. In December 2010, he was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award of Chinese Translation Culture"; in August 2014, he was awarded the "Northern Lights" Award for Outstanding Literary Translation, the first Asian translator to receive this award. "In August 2014, he was awarded the Northern Lights Award for Outstanding Literary Translation by the International Federation of Translators (FIT), becoming the first Asian translator to receive the award. Through Mr Xu's skillful hands, many classic Chinese poems have been translated into excellent English rhymes. These works are not only the cultural ties that connect the thoughts and feelings of all Chinese people, but also an important bridge for Chinese culture to the world. Because we live in an internationalised environment that requires fruitful communication, Professor Xu Yuanchong has always been committed to building bridges between people who speak Chinese, English and French. He has translated a great deal of Chinese literature into English and French, and has translated a number of important works from English and French into Chinese. In addition, he has published works on translation theory. His translations express the charm of Chinese culture in its entirety, cross the language barrier, and bring the beauty of Chinese meaning to the world.
