A Report On The Translation Of The Great Learning & The Mean-in-action (Chapter One)

The translation material is selected from The Great Learning and The Mean-in-action.The author of the book is Ernest Richard Hughes,who is a professor in Chinese Philosophy and Religion in Oxford University.The translation touches upon Confucianism.The author of the source text not only shows remarkable insight into the similarities between Chinese and Western culture,but also reveals the unique characteristics of Confucianism.As a Western scholar,the author further explicates Confucian thought,trying to promote the communication between Chinese and Western culture and to provide insightful observations for later scholars.The paper consists of five chapters.Chapter 1 introduces the original text,the translated text and the significance of the translation.Chapter 2 discusses the translating process.In Chapter 3,some examples are selected from the translation and analyzed carefully from two aspects under the guidance of Thick Translation theory.Chapter 4 summarizes the qualities a good translator should possess,including a proper attitude towards translation,adequate knowledge about the two languages and the two cultures,specialized knowledge about the subject,etc.Chapter 5 brings the report to a close,stating the limitations of the work.The important and difficult points are as follows.First,it is difficult for the translator to understand the source text.Second,the translator needs to consult many reference books to comprehend the philosophical thinking of Western philosophers in the original text and to clarify the logical connections of the sentences.Third,the translator has to split some complex sentences in the original text and use appropriate words and structures to express the meaning of the sentences.Although some questions appeared during the translation process,they were resolved carefully and the project was completed before the deadline.