On Two English Versions of the Poem "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River" from the Perspective of Functional Equivalent Theory

Abstract

The poem “A Moonlit Night on the Spring River†written by Zhang Ruoxu is a brilliant pearl of Chinese culture, which is famous for its neat and balanced form, melodious and harmonious sound and profound meaning. Based on Nida’s Functional Equivalence Theory, this paper intends to explore the English translation of “A Moonlit Night on the Spring River†by Xu Yuanchong and W. J. B. Fletcher from three aspects and tries to conclude which version is more acceptable through prudent comparison under the guidance of Functional Equivalence Theory.