Study Of The Compilation And Translation Of Western Learning By Timothy Richard

Timothy Richard(1845-1919) lived in China for 45 years. He was a pious and kind missionary, an active and important statesman, and a learned and prolific scholar. On the one hand, he hugged an ambition of salvation and therefore went around preaching and offered disaster-relief in the Great Famine(1877-1878). On the other hand, he got involved in worldly affairs, such as intervening in politics, advocating reformation and establishing Shanxi University, etc. More importantly, he promoted the cultural adaption route of “Preaching with Help of Learning”. He actively compiled and translated western learning, which spread into China western scientific knowledge and social culture, such as ideas of political innovation, economic development and educational reform. Ironically, he could not make progress in his basic mission of preaching as expected but went along fruitfully with introducing western learning. He had a rational insight into the society as an outsider and his suggestions in writing were reasonable to a certain degree despite several religious misunderstanding and colonizational misleading. Therefore, he had a great influence on the historical process of the Late Qing dynasty and the communication between the east and the west.Based on material collection and literature review, this dissertation will comprehensively utilize the academic knowledge and research methods of such disciplines as history, translation, communication and religion to explore the historical background, phase and process, general achievements, strategic mode, linguistic characteristics, social impacts, local responses, and evaluation of the compilation and translation of western learning by Timothy Richard. Hence the reemergence of this important communication history between the east and the west is expected to be achieved. Except for introduction and conclusion, this dissertation consists of five main chapters.Chapter One introduces the historical background of the compilation and translation of western learning by Timothy Richard. Protestantism was born to the Religious Reformation in the 16 th century. It held critical awareness and skepticism and supported respect to rationalism, which helped to reconcile itself with modern science. It laid emphasis on humanism instead of theocentrism and attached more and more importance to worldly affairs. Moreover, Religious Revival Movement in the 17 th century provided Protestantism with volunteerism and enthusiasm of preaching oversees. As a result, a lot of missionaries went to the east, including China. Many of them are called liberal missionaries who advocated the cultural adaptation route of “Preaching with Help of Learning”. Meanwhile, China during the Late Qing period was confronted with outside shame imposed on by western superpowers and inside suffering caused by uprising rebels. All of Westernization Group, Reformist Group and Revolutionary Group tried their best one after another to explore “Good Ways of Saving Nation”. At the same time, missionaries in China represented by Timothy Richard also participated in this exploration. They compiled and translated western learning into Chinese and introduced into China advanced western culture while criticizing the dross of Chinese conventional feudal culture, through which they came up with new ideas for Chinese future.Chapter Two sorts out the phases and process of the compilation and translation of western learning by Timothy Richard. In the light of the ignorance of Chinese masses in the Great Famine, Timothy Richard decided to give them scientific enlightenment through conducting experiments and delivering lectures. After that he wrote Urgent Business of the Present and New Methods of enriching Shanxi Province. During the period of editing Times in Tianjin city, he reformed this newspaper and gave priority to the introduction of western science and technology, western arts and western political system. This input information supported the Westernization Movement, introduced new studies and encouraged learning from the west. Finally, he combined some important articles into New Studies of Current Affairs. During the period of presiding over The Christian Literature Society, Timothy Richard organized actively compilation and translation of books, donating and selling books, soliciting articles with award, which expanded the influence of preachers in China. Besides, he led in the issue of Global Magazine, in which articles mainly discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Chinese conventional culture with aims at awakening China and prospering China. All of these helped to create a new situation of compilation and translation of western learning.Chapter Three expounds the subject contents of the compilation and translation of western learning by Timothy Richard. His achievements in this field are fruitful and extensive, in which there are three main subjects that have a great impact on the social transformation and historical progress of the Late Qing dynasty, namely the new ideas of political innovation, economic development and educational reform. As for politics, Prosperity of Countries after their Reformation clarifies the difference between accommodation and fogyism and accordingly puts forward social reform. Looking backward, 2000-1887 designs the blueprint of the future ideal society. As for economy, Four Policies of the East and the West and New Policies introduce many concrete methods of nourishing people. Difference between Gaining and Sharing Interests probes into the relationship between labor and work and into the product distribution system. As for education, Key Points of New Studies of Seven Countries puts forward the Doctrine of Comprehensive Integration of Chinese education development. Regulations of Speeding New Studies gives publicity preparation and theoretical support to the establishment of Shanxi University.Chapter Four analyzes the strategic mode and linguistic features of the compilation and translation of western learning by Timothy Richard. He followed the mode of Translated by Westerners and Narrated by Chinese in the process of such compiling and translating, with his partner mainly being Cai Erkang. In this mode, westerners are in charge of interpreting the main idea while Chinese partners are in charge of the written language. Although this mode is likely to result in semantic distortion but it solved the problem of lacking professional translators in those days. By borrowing, remolding or inventing, the compilation and translation of western learning brought about a wide range of new words. They were gradually unified and standardized in the process of acculturation and thus enriched modern Chinese vocabulary. In addition, the complicated Europeanized syntax of source languages added preciseness and logic to Chinese language, which led to the later Vernacular Movement promoted consciously by Chinese intellectuals. At last, this chapter takes History of the Nineteenth Century for a case study from the perspective of Text Being Expected to Express Truth, to discuss the reconstruction of text, the transcendence of truth and the connectivity of transferring in the mode of Translated by Westerners and Narrated by Chinese.Chapter Five evaluates the influence of the compilation and translation of western learning by Timothy Richard. His early introduction of western natural science and global history and geography is beneficial to contemporaries' Opening Eyes to the World. Except for criticism of the dross of Chinese feudal culture, he explores from western learning for China the methods of becoming wealthy and powerful. Many of his suggestions and proposals of reformation are full of modernity, advancement and foresight, which echo with statecraft ideological trend, innovation ideas and consciousness of humanity at that time. However, as a missionary, Timothy Richard came to China along with colonial expansion and military invasion. This limit of subject of compilation and translation naturally results in the partiality of relevant objects. Many times he gives religious misunderstanding of original texts by means of rewriting or adding. Moreover, he also gives colonizational misleading in the process of compilation and translation in attempt to whitewash the invasion wars against China and to expand the rights and interests in China for the UK and the USA through advocating some so-called new policies.