Title: A Study on the English Translation of Mao Zedong’s Poems by Willis Barnstone

Abstract: The English translation and transmission of Mao Zedong’s poems has allowed the world to better understand Mao Zedong and his identity as a poet, which has a positive effect on the global dissemination of traditional Chinese culture, and has become an important part of the strategy of Chinese culture “going out.” Based on the analysis of Mao Zedong’s poems translated by Willis Barnstone, this article focuses on the translator’s thoughts the strategies and methods of poetry translation, and tries to analyze his three translation principles which can be concluded as follows word-for-word translation, literal translation with equivalence and the specific and diverse translation strategies for readers of different foreign language levels and experiences.

Keywords: Willis Barnstone, Mao Zedong’s poems, translation principles

Author: Qikun Hou, Lecturer, Foreign Studies College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.