Transknowtology and Historical-Orientation: A Study on Burton Watson's Translations of Lu You's Poetry

Burton Watson’s translation of Lu You’s poetry and literature, notably “The Old Man Who Does as He Pleases”, symbolizes a critical turning point in the global dissemination of Lu You’s creative output, liberating the translation of his masterworks from the constraints of academic research. This paper scrutinizes Burton Watson’s translation of Lu You’s poems through the perspective of selection, translational strategies, para-text, and reception, while also considering the backdrop of nativism during the counter-culture movement. The study finds that Watson’s translation maintains the characteristics of Transknowletology and historical orientation. The Chinese and Western differences in the translation of Lu You’s poems continue to fade in the collision of Chinese and Western cultures and the compromise between the two languages, which expands the scope of the study of Lu You’s poem translations in the United States and deepens its analysis. Examining Watson’s translation of Lu You’s poems encourages readers to consider English translation techniques from a variety of angles, expands their understanding of the interplay between language, culture, and knowledge, and supports the comprehensive translation of Chinese writings into other languages in the modern era. Additionally, it advances the conversion of Chinese traditional culture from local to global knowledge.