Analysis Of Lin Yutang’s Translation Of The Analects In Light Of Skopostheorie

The Analects, a record of the daily conversations between Confucius and his disciples, has profound value in terms of both thought and art. Prominent in representing Chinese culture, it is recognized as the most influential classic of Confucianism and is even reputed to be the "Eastern Bible." Since late16th century, The Analects has been frequently translated into foreign languages. Among the various English versions, the one by Lin Yutang, renamed The Wisdom of Confucius, is quite creative; it can even be called "treason." This paper analyzes Lin Yutang’s "creative treason" in translating The Analects in light of Skopostheorie.Through a comparative study between Lin Yutang’s version and the one by Arthur Waley, which is known for its faithfulness, the author finds that Lin Yutang is quite creative in translating The Analects, and his creativity can be called "treason" to a certain extent. In terms of structure, Lin Yutang selects203sections from the existing492sections and rearranges them according to a more logical relationship, grouping relevant sections under a unifying title. As a result, the whole text reads more systematic and logical. Furthermore, Lin Yutang is quite creative in translating major contents, courtesy titles and selective sections. Confucius, under his rendering, is not a mere Chinese sage but a real man with real desires and emotions.As for the reasons, Lin Yutang wants to break the stereotyped impression of both Confucius and the Chinese people. Apart from that, Lin’s translation theory, ideology and life philosophy can also be applied to account for this "creative treason." The author hopes that this paper can arouse more attention to researches on the translation of Chinese classics and that people can better appreciate The Wisdom of Confucius and comprehend Skopostheorie.