An Exploration of Gary Snyder’s English Translation of Han Shan’s Poems from the Perspective of Manipulation Theory
Abstract
This essay delves into Gary Snyder’s English translation of Han Shan’s poems from lens of the manipulation theory. The manipulation theory, originated in the field of translation studies, argues that translations are not mere reproductions of the original texts but are shaped by various ideological, cultural and historical factors. From the perspective of Lefevere’s manipulation theory, translators and their translation activities are inevitably manipulated by three elements: ideology, poetics and patronage. Han Shan, a Tang Dynasty poet renowned for his Zen Buddhist-influenced works, has gained significant attention from translators including Snyder, a leading figure in the American Beat Generation and a profound student of Zen Buddhism. In examining Snyder’s translation, the essay explores the embodiment and influence of ideology, poetics and patronage. By employing Manipulation of Translation, this essay aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Snyder’s translation and sheds new light on how translators, like Snyder, can serve as cultural mediators, shaping our understanding and appreciation of foreign literary works.
References
- Bassnet & Lefevere. Constructing Cultures Essays on Literary Translation[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001
- Hermans. Translation in Systems: Descriptive and System--oriented Approaches Explained[M].London: St. Jerome Publishing, 2009
- Hermans. The Manipulation of Literature [M].New York: St.Martin’s Press, 1985.
- Lefevere. Translation, Rewriting and the Manipulation of Literary Fame[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2004.
- Joyce Johnson. Minor Characters: A Beat Memoir[M]. Columbus: Penguin Books, 1999.
- Michael Syrotinski. Deconstruction Today: Literature, Postcolonialism and the Secret[M]. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007.
- Bob Steuding. Gary Snyder[M]. Boston: Tawyne Publishers, 1976.
- Gary Snyder. Riprap and Cold Mountain Poems[M].California: Counterpoin, 1965.
- Gary Snyder. A Place in Space: Ethics, Aesthetics, and Watersheds[M]. Washington D.C.: Counterpoint, 1995
- Hong XiuPing. Chan-Buddhist Philosophy: Its Formation and Development[M]. Switzerland: Braun Verlag, 2019.
- Akihiko Masuda & William.T. O’Donohue. Handbook of Zen, Mindfulness, and Behavioral Health[M]. New York: Springer, 2017.
- Gary Snyder. The Gary Snyder Reader: Prose, Poetry and Translations 1952-1998[M].Berkeley: Counterpoint, 1999
- Jack Kerouac. The Dharma Bums[M]. Columbus: Penguin Classics, 2000.
- Burton Watson. One Hundred Poems by Han Shan[M].New York: New York Jungle Press, 1962.
- James P. Lenfestey. A Cartload of Scrolls: 100 Poems in the Manner of T’ang Dynasty Poet Han-shan[M]. Minnesota: Holy Cow! Press, 2007.