A Comparative Study Of The English Translation Of Tao Te Ching From The Approach Of Eco-translatology

This thesis is a comparative translation study of two English versions of Tao Te Ching, which is the most popular translated traditional Chinese classic with extremely far-reaching influences.Researchers home and abroad have so far made a large number of excellent translation works, which provides translation researchers with a lot of research materials. Professor Hu Gengshen introduces Darwin’s evolution theory "adaptation and selection" into translation study and puts forward the translation theory of "adaptation and selection". As an eco-translatology study method with characteristics of interdisciplinary approach, eco-translatology theory uses ecological rationality and the angle of ecology to conduct the research throughout the overall study of translation. As a result, it is an ecological paradigm and research area of the theory "translation means adaptation and selection". The translation theory of "adaption and selection" is summed up as one that makes a new translation of the source text. It takes the basic principle and idea of Darwin’s "adaption" and "selection" theory as a guide, the theme of "translation means adaptation and selection" as the fundamental key and the concept of "translator as the center of translation" as the core (Hu Gengshen,2008b:11-15)."Adaptation" means that the translator adapts to the ecological environment, and "selection" refers to implementing the choice of translation in the ecological translation environment. Based on this theory, translation is described as the alternate cycle of translator’s adaption and selection. The internal relation of the alternate cycle is:the aim of adaption is surviving and pursuing effectiveness, and the method of adaption is optimal selection with adaptive method of "survival of the fittest"(Hu Gengshen,2008:11).According to UNESCO statistics, Tao Te Ching is the biggest publishing of culture classics which have been translated into foreign languages besides the Bible. Among hundreds of English versions of Tao Te Ching, the writer chooses James Legge’s version and Lin Yutang’s version for comparative study.The thesis briefly introduces the research background, questions, methods, purpose and structure. It discusses the influence and importance of Tao Te Ching and academic translation studies researches on it. In the part of theoretical framework, the writer expounds the background, definition and the main concepts of eco-translatology and related application researches. In the core part, the writer first introduces the original context and the two versions, and then analyzes the adaptation and selection two translators have made in the process of translation. As for the adaptive selection, the writer explains it from linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions by comparing translation examples of the two versions.The writer compares the two versions of Tao Te Ching by using eco-translatology theory, which is proved to be a forceful theoretical tool for the translation study of Tao Te Ching. Besides, we can draw a conclusion that the translator is influenced by translation ecological environment, and only by making successful adaption and selection can his translation survive, develop and be accepted by the public.