Title: Exploring Ezra Pound’s Melopoeia, Phanopoeia and Logopoeia in His English Translation of Shijing

Abstract: The melopoeia, phanopoeia and logopoeia, as proposed by Ezra Pound, constitute an important theory of translation. Yet due to a lack of elaboration, a close examination of Pound’s translation practice is required to attain a better understanding of this theory and its use. Currently, most studies focus on a theoretical perspective, while few includes an analysis of his translation works. This research has made such an effort exploring his translational behavior and product, and identified some unique ways of translating melopoeia, phanopoeia and logopoeia in Shijing. As is shown, Pound’s translation theory should not be taken literally. On the one hand, Pound adopted a positive attitude towards the translation of melopoeia and a negative one towards logopoeia, though both are considered untranslatable. On the other hand, the way he renders phanopoeia, which “can be translated intact,” has a subjective dimension based on his unique understanding of Chinese characters. Pound’s translation theory and practice shed light on how to find some common ground and transcend heterogeneity between China and the West in classics translation.

Keywords: Shijing, Ezra Pound, melopoeia, phanopoeia, logopoeia

Author: Kun Wang, Lecturer, College of Foreign Languages, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin, China.

DOI: 10.19967/j.cnki.flc.2022.04.013