Abstract: The Dream in Peony Pavilion, written by Tang Xianzu in Ming Dynasty is a shining pearl in the history of Chinese literature. The refined and exquisite language made this work famous and immortal. Like other Chinese poems and ancient literature, aesthetic images and lyrical languages are the core of Dream in Peony Pavilion. For a long while, many translators, overseas or domestic, have been working for translating this Chinese masterpiece. However, the different history background and culture diversities made this work hard and complicated. Professor Xu Yuanchong is an outstanding translator and has made contributions to the translation of ancient Chinese poetry. In the thesis, author will analyse the version produced by Professor Xu Yuanchong, from the aspects of story, characters and languages. The author will analyse how the ancient Chinese librettos be translated into English, how he employs his “three beauties” principle — “aesthetic in sense, aesthetic in sound and aesthetic in form” into translating beautiful languages and beautiful images in Dream in Pony Pavilion.

Key Words: Xu Yuanchong; Dream in Peony Pavilion ; “three beauties” principle; translation theory; translation practice.

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction  1

2. Xu Yuanchong’s Three Beauty Principle . 2

  2.1 Introduction 

  2.2 Pros and Cons

3. Introduction of Dream in Peony Pavilion. 3

  3.1 Story

  3.2 Characters

  3.3 Language 

4. Delivery of “Three Beauties”. 5

  4.1 Representation of Aesthetic in Sense

  4.2 Representation of Aesthetic in Sound

  4.3 Representation of Aesthetic in Form

5. Conclusion

Bibliography

Acknowledgments