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"There Is So Much You Can't Translate" : English Translation Of Chinese Classic Poetry In Twentieth Century America, Ahui Yu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Although the translation of Chinese texts by modernist poets has been acknowledged by critics, the implications of this cultural exchange between China and America has not generated substantial critical study. Using Ludwig Wittgenstein’s theory of language, this thesis examines this cultural dialogue through the work of Ernest Fenollosa, Ezra Pound and Kenneth Rexroth. Restoring Fenollosa’s pioneering role, a chapter of this thesis uncovers his unfinished project of a fusion of East and West, and exposes his imperialist and nationalist attitudes that later result in appropriation. Reexamining Pound’s engagement with Chinese texts throughout his career, another chapter of this thesis argues …