Metaphor has a long history and is one of the most commonly used rhetorical devices. The study of metaphor, from ancient times to the modern and contemporary days, from home to abroad, has never been interrupted and is of great academic value. As one of the four classical literary masterpieces in China, All men are brothers has attracted great attention in translation field because of its essential status in history and a great many English versions. Many critics have studied All men are brothers from different perspectives and in different ways and draw different conclusions.

There are many experts and translators who have done researches and work in this area. Pearl S. Buck is a famous American female writer. She translates All men are brothers with the purpose of showing this novel with its original traditional Chinese style both in form and meaning. She aims to convey Chinese culture by literal translation. Many people acclaim that she makes mistakes in some places during her translation process. However, she affirms that it is an inadvisable tendency to blindly follow the mainstream in translating field. Tang Yanfang (2009)

generally expounds that some relevant researches are confirmed to moral criticism. They hold that the literal translation of some words is a kind of mistake. She proposes that we should evaluate Pearl S. Buck’s translation in the terms of history and culture and the role that is played in the cultural exchange between east and west.

In this literary work, numerous applications of metaphor are utilized to describe or elaborate something more concisely or vividly. By comparing and analyzing the instances used in All men are brothers from the perspective of two different translating versions, this paper gives a classification that the two translators, Pearl S. Buck and S. Shapiro, have different views on the translating methods and strategies, which highlight their different translating styles on Chinese culture. What’s more, the paper focuses on analyzing the dealing methods of two distinguished translators on the cultural differences and conflicts. In addition, a research about the cultural exchange between China and the West from the perspective of the translation points out that translation is the combination of language, culture and the context, in which various factors plays a causal role on each other in the cultural exchange between China and the West , and ideology invariably determines the strategies and methods of translation the translators adopt. What’s more, another study gives an analysis of the nicknames of the characters in each translating versions, the expressions about religions and vulgarism, and proposes some improvements to perfect and innovate the mode of translation study of All men are brothers.

All men are brothers has exerted a great impact on Chinese history and it is of great historical significance. The significance of this research is shown in aesthetics and practice respectively:

In terms of aesthetic significance, it can help us to better appreciate this prominent masterpiece and even other Chinese ancient novels, fully understand

the foundation of the traditional Chinese aesthetics generated by the metaphorical expressions and exhaustively reveal the traditional and national characteristics.

In terms of practical significance, this paper expounds the translating principle and styles of the two outstanding translators and the writing styles of Shi Nai’an, who is the original author of this novel. In addition, it also plays an important part for readers to have a better understanding of this novel and have better dealing methods for translators when confronted with similar cultural differences.

2. 研究的基本内容与方案

This paper aims to analyze the two translating versions, namely All men are brothers and The Outlaws of the marsh , to discuss methods and strategies applied by two translators. Chapter one introduces work, two translating versions and the translators. In addition, relevant background culture will be talked about. Chapter two deals with the related literary views on the translation work. Chapter three is to illustrate the translating metaphors in two translation versions. In this chapter, there are several metaphorical instances as well as their features. Chapter four is about the translation strategies and methods. Chapter five is the conclusion, mainly including the findings.

Methodologies: