The Promise and Pitfalls of LLMs in Poetry Translation: A Case Study of Li Bai's "Invitation to Wine"
Journal: Journal of Higher Education Research DOI: 10.32629/jher.v7i1.4951
Abstract
The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the practice of poetry translation. Using Li Bai's "Invitation to Wine" as a case study, this research compares an English translation generated by ChatGPT with the classic version by Xu Yuanchong. Through close reading across the dimensions of structure, culture-loaded terms, and rhythm, the study finds that while LLMs can produce grammatically correct and semantically coherent translations proficiently, significant gaps remain compared to human artistry. ChatGPT's output tends to be prosaic in form, literal in handling cultural imagery, and deficient in conscious rhythmic design.
Keywords
large language models; poetry translation; Theory of Three Beauties; "Invitation to Wine"
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[2] Liu Xiajuan. A Comparative Study on English Translations of the Poem "Invitation to Wine" from the Perspective of Deconstructive Translation[J]. Language and Culture Research, 2025, 33(05): 191-194.
[3] Zhong Hua. On the Three Standards of Translation: Taking "Invitation to Wine" as an Example[J]. Language Planning, 2013, (08): 9-10.
[4] Xu Yuanchong. Literature and Translation[M]. Beijing: Peking University Press, 2003.
[5] M. A. K. Raiaan et al., "A Review on Large Language Models: Architectures, Applications, Taxonomies, Open Issues and Challenges", in IEEE Access, vol. 12, pp. 26839-26874, 2024
[6] Kang Wanqing, Liao Guiyu. A Brief Analysis of Xu Yuanchong's English Translation of Poetry from the Perspective of the "Three Beauties Principle": Examples from Li Bai's Poems[J]. Modern English, 2023, (22): 63-66.
[7] Liao Qiyi. Explorations in Contemporary Western Translation Theories[M]. Nanjing: Yilin Press, 2000.
[8] Luo Zhufeng. Comprehensive Chinese Dictionary[Z]. Shanghai: Chinese Dictionary Publishing House, 1993.
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