Abstract:Iconicity is an essential part of cognitive linguistics; it is a complement to Saussure’s arbitrariness of linguistic sign. Iconicity occurs in both ordinary language and literacy texts. In terms of literary types, poetry has the richest presence of iconicity. It is believed that an iconic approach to poetry translation is helpful for the transference of formal meaning, representation of the formal beauty and realization of communicative intention and rhetorical effect of the original poem. Tu Fu’s poetry enjoys a unique status in Chinese poetic circles. Nowadays in China few scholars have done researches of Tu Fu by taking him as the main clue, and not so much is to be expected in the areas of interdisplinary studies. The cognitive theory of the iconicity of linguistic signs, with qualities of scientific openness, prospective visions and academic specialty, bears a certain explanative force for the translation of Tu Fu’s poetry. From the iconic point of view, this thesis attempts to get a new trail in the translation of Tu Fu’s poetry by representing the formal beauty and realizing the communicative intention and rhetorical effect of the original poem. 

Keywords: Tu Fu  poetry  iconicity 

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 The Background of the Thesis-1

1.2 The Purpose of the Research-1

1.3 The Structure of This Paper-2

Chapter Two Literature Review-3

2.1 Previous Studies at Home and Abroad-3

2.1 Definition of Iconicity-3

2.3 Types of Iconicity-3

2.3.1 The Time Iconicity-3

2.3.2 The Space Iconicity-4

2.3.3 The Symmetry Iconicity-4

2.3.4 The Metaphorical Iconicity-5

Chapter Three An Iconic Approach to the Translation of Sound, Rhyme and Theme-6

3.1 An Iconic Approach to the Translation of Onomatopoeias-6

3.2 An Iconic Approach to the Translation of Sound Symbols-6

3.3 An Iconic Approach to the Translation of Rhymes-7

3.4 An Iconic Approach to the Translation of the Themes-7

3.4.1 Tu Fu’s Complaints against Social Injustice-8

3.4.2 Tu Fu’s Humanistic Considerations-8

Chapter Four Conclusion-10

References-11