4.1 Beauty in sound 6

4.2 Beauty in form 8

4.3 Beauty in sense 10

5. Conclusion 12

References 13

1. Introduction

Since the publication of the Story of the Stone, the greatest critical realism work in the eighteenth century, numerous scholars at home and abroad have been attracted to the study of translation theories of it. Scholars have been spending most time on studying various English versions on translating the names of people and places, or the application of translation theories, such as domestication and foreignization. However, translation is not only a matter of technology, which emphasizes the precision and faithfulness, but also an art. It means that a satisfying translation should meet the following criterion, namely faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance. In recent years, scholars’ study focus on the Story of the Stone has been shifted gradually from translation science to translation art. In the literary work the Story of the Stone, a large number of evidence supporting Xu’ translation theory can be found, despite the fact that it is even not Xu’s translation work and is translated long before Xu’s translation theory comes into being. 

This paper is aiming at exploring the influence which the theory of beauty in three aspects has on translation and giving the practical suggestions on how to translate literary works through a case study of the Story of the Stone, translated by David Hawks from the perspective of beauty in three aspects.

The thesis contains five parts: 

The first chapter is the introduction, which introduces the status the Story of the Stone holds in the history of literary translation and the significances of the paper.

The second chapter introduces some present studies of David Hawks’ the Story of the Stone from Various Perspectives. 

The third chapter makes a detailed description and explanation of beauty in three aspects theory proposed by Xu Yuanzhong. 

The fourth chapter contains a case study of the Story of the Stone to manifest the beauty in three aspects theory used in practice.

In the end, conclusions are drawn from discussion and analysis, which concludes the basic law of literary translation.

2. Literature Review

After a detailed documentary search, it can be figured out that beauty in three aspects theory occupies a decisive position in translating literature work. Translation is a technology, which requires a basic knowledge of translation theory and strategy. Translation is an art, which requires a study of aesthetics. Because of this, the status of beauty in three aspects is more prominent than ever. Several standpoints found during the study are unfolded as follows.