Translation Strategies in Zhao Yanchun's Three Word Primer in English Rhyme

Abstract

Under the background of Chinese culture “going out”, the translation and introduction of classic books is of great significance for telling Chinese stories and disseminating Chinese culture. Based on the theory of domestication and foreignization of Venuti, the research analyzes the translation strategies applied by Zhao Yanchun in rendering the Sanzijing into Three Word Primer in English Rhyme from its form and content, and finds that the translation is almost completely foreignized in terms of form and is highly domesticated in terms of content, successfully reproducing the sound effect, rhyme and literariness of the Sanzijing. However, inevitably, the ideological content and cultural connotation in the source text are damaged, which goes against to the goal of cultural communication and may even cause misinterpretation. This paper affirms the necessity to consider literariness in the translation of classic books, but we should not pay too much attention to the foreignization of form and let the content to cater to the form, resulting in the loss of thoughts and culture embodied in classic books. Domestication and foreignization strategies are embodied in form and content, and the balance between them is worth considering in the translation process, so as to maximize the communication across cultures.