A Corpus-Based Comparative Analysis of Three Translations of "When You Are Old": A Study of the Translational Approaches of Yuan Kejia, Bing Xin, and Yu Guangzhong

Authors

  • Yu Li Nanjing University of Information science and Technology, Nanjing, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/pxw36h10

Keywords:

Poetry translation; corpus-based comparative analysis; translation strategies.

Abstract

Yeats's poem "When You're Old" is deeply loved by readers around the world for its strong emotional, concise but rhythmic language. The poem has many Chinese translations, among which the translations of Yuan Kejia, Bingxin and Yu Guangzhong are the most representative. On the basis of the corpus method, this article systematically compares these three translations from the four aspects of language style, image reproduction, rhythm and cultural connotation through the method of "original text first, translation comparison later", explores their respective translation strategies and the aesthetic tendencies reflected behind them, and analyzes their communication in combination with the characteristics of the text. The gains and losses of poetry, in order to provide theoretical reference for the practice of literary translation.

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References

[1] Zhang, G. F., & Wang, S. M. (2025). A corpus-based comparative study of the translation styles of Du Fu’s poems into English. Foreign Language Education Research, 13(2), 36–42.

[2] Ding, L. F., & Tang, J. (2025). A corpus-based comparative study of translators’ styles in the translation of Huainanzi · Yuandao Xun. Journal of Anhui University of Science and Technology (Social Science Edition), 27(2), 76–84.

[3] Gao, T. T. (2021). A comparison of Chinese and Western love poetry: Taking Yeats’s “When you are old” and Xu Zhimo’s “Chance” as examples. Masterpieces Review, (17), 139–140.

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Published

2026-10-12

Issue

Section

Articles