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e, is often associated with parting, because “柳” has a similar pronunciation to “留”(means to stay) and it was a custom in the Tang dynasty to break off a willow twig to see off a good friend. Look at the following lines quoted from different literary works:

昔我往矣，杨柳依依。今我来思，雨雪霏霏。
――《诗经•小雅•采薇》
羌笛何须怨杨柳，春风不度玉门关。
――王之涣《凉州词》
曾栽杨柳江南岸，一别江南两度春。
遥忆青青江岸上，不知攀折是何人？
――白居易《忆江南》

Yet once the word “柳” loses its original sound in another language, the character of specific cultural implication means nothing in the translation. Faced with such an image, the translator has no choices, but to mention in a note that such an meaning exists. Ideally, the reader should automatically associate the willow with parting, but how could a western reader do so without being told of the connection between the two ---- that was an ancient Chinese custom to break a willow twig when seeing a friend off?

3.2 Aesthetic appreciation

People in different countries have different sense of beauty. What is beautiful in one country may be not common in another country. It may cause cultural barrier in translating the image of Chinese poetry. In general Chinese opinion, a traditional beauty is just like Lin Daiyu, who is faint and weak with fair complexion. She must be quiet and gentle. While in the opinions of western people, a beauty is sun-tanned and full of vigor. She is strong, healthy and open-minded. 

In the poem of “The Everlasting Regret”, Bai Juyi described a scene in which the king’s favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan (杨玉环) just finished bathing. The poet wanted to display how beautiful she was after bathing. He wrote a line of “侍儿扶起娇无力”, which showed that she was faint and delicate, Xu Yuanchong translated this line as “Up borne by her attendants, she rose too faint to move”. She is beautiful in the Chinese opinion, while the foreign readers may feel confused. Could a girl who is too weak to move be healthy and beautiful? It is hard for the western readers to appreciate this kind of beauty, so the translator failed to convey the image of a delicate beauty in the original poem. In this condition, the cultural barrier appears.

3.3 Life philosophy 

In speaking of the life philosophy, Chinese people are quite different from the western people. Many traditional Chinese poets enjoy the natural and primitive way of living, such as Tao Yuanming, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. His poetry always reflects his detached way of living, while the westerners enjoy freedom and stress the life with love.

For example, Liu Zongyuan, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty wrote a well-known poem《江雪》, which had a lofty and antique mood and was spread widely: 

千山鸟飞绝，万径人踪灭。
孤舟蓑立翁，独钓寒江雪。

This poem was written when the poet was banished from the court to Yong Zhou (永州). He outlined the scene of heavy snow: the rolling mountains were covered by snow. There seemed to have no sign of birds and human activities. But on the frozen river, there was a fisherman who wore Chinese alpine rush clothes and rain cape. His attentively fishing formed a clean, still and tranquil picture. This poem reflected the poet’s aloof and detached attitude toward life. Let us read the translation by Bynner: 

River-Snow
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