A Study On The English Translation Of Chinese Classics Of Science And Technology:a Hermeneutic Approach

Ancient Chinese science and technology played an important role in the course of human evolution.From the 1st Century BC to the 15 th Century AD,China took a lead in almost every field of science and technology around the globe and was particularly strong in mathematics,astronomy,geography,physics,etc.As a result,a large number of Chinese classics of science and technology were handed down and quite a few of them were translated and transmitted to other cultures.This dissertation is a study on the English translation of Chinese classics of science and technology from the perspective of hermeneutics.As is known to all,the advances in the philosophy of science,rhetoric of technology,hermeneutics of science,and hermeneutics of technology have demonstrated that science and technology,akin to humanities and social sciences,also call for researchers’ understanding and interpretation.Moreover,synonymous with translation,hermeneutics has greatly facilitated and stimulated translation studies.Yet,a systematic and holistic research into the English translation of Chinese classics of science and technology from a hermeneutic angle has been rare.Hence,the present study is theoretically,culturally and methodologically valuable.The author aims to describe and account for,from a hermeneutic perspective,the differences and similarities of different English translations of Chinese classics of science and technology in terms of ontology,epistemology and methodology.Besides,the hermeneutic strategies used by different translators are classified into different categories and analyzed accordingly.It is hoped that the author’s research findings shed light on the translation and transmission of Chinese classics of science and technology in the near future.The dissertation studies different English versions of four Chinese classics,i.e.,Plain Conversation in Huang Di Nei Jing,Mozi,Huai Nan Zi,Brush Talks from Dream Brook.Comparisons are made between ancient Chinese science and technology and modern science and technology in terms of ontological properties and root domains,text characteristics and research methods.Different English versions of ancient Chinese classics are compared,analyzed and described to explore the factors that influence the translation and interpretation of such works,and hermeneutic strategies utilized by different translators are described and summarized.The research methods include qualitative research method,comparative method and descriptive analysis method.The author uses qualitative research method to focus on ontological properties and root domains,characteristics of text types and research methods of Chinese classics of science and technology.As the translation of Chinese classics is cross-linguistic,cross-cultural and cross-sci-paradigmatic,comparative method is employed to compare differences between languages,cultures,scientific paradigms as well as differences between different translations.Moreover,descriptive analysis method is used to demonstrate what really happens in the process of translation and trace translators’ hermeneutic approaches.To be more specific,the present study is conducted in three layers,i.e.,those of ontology,epistemology and methodology.Firstly,the author explores how translators interpret Chinese classics according to the ontological root domains(“qi”,“yin yang”,“wuxing”,“dao”)and ontological properties(philosophical,humanistic and intuitive).It is found that the hermeneutic approaches employed by translators include self-verification hermeneutic approach,descriptive hermeneutic approach,and self-explanation hermeneutic approach.Besides,transliteration is used to interpret the ontological connotation of Chinese sci-tech classics.Thirdly,the epistemological research is carried out from two aspects,i.e.,those of objects(texts)and subjects(translators).The author finds that it is the textual features of Chinese classics of science and technology(such as polysemy and flowery rhetoric)that have given more power to translators,making translation more subjective.Meanwhile,translators’ interpretation is constrained by contexts.Therefore,there exists a hermeneutic process in which translators comprehend,interpret and reconstruct the source texts.And translators’ subjectivity is influenced by pre-understanding,inter-subjectivity(between translators and patrons,translators and writers,translators and readers),as well as fusion of horizons.It also shows that translators’ subjectivity is not arbitrary,but restricted by the properties of such works.Finally,the present study mainly explores the methods of xiang thinking,logical thinking and observation to research into the English translation of Chinese classics of science and technology and draw conclusions different from linguistic comparisons.The innovations of this dissertation are as follows:In terms of the translation works,most of the previous research takes only one text as an example and many of them are based on the translation of Huang Di Nei Jing.The present study is research into the English translation of Mozi,Huan Nan Zi,and Brush Talks of Dream Brook and an in-depth and detailed analysis of the four classics.In terms of subject areas,the previous studies often focus on one area,say,Chinese medicine or tea classics,making it difficult to provide a holistic picture of ancient Chinese science and technology.Taking Chinese classics of science and technology as an organic whole,the author of the present study researches into not only Huan Nan Zi and Brush Talks of Dream Brook,which are characterized by compound text types,but also Plain Conversation in Huang Di Nei Jing and Mozi.The former is a monograph on Chinese medicine while the latter is known for its logical feature of contemporary science.In terms of theory,the present study examines the English translation of the four Chinese classics from the perspective of hermeneutics and involves three theoretical layers,i.e.,those of ontology,epistemology and methodology.It is hoped that this research can cast light on theoretical studies of the translation of Chinese classics of science and technology.In terms of disciplinary construction,the present study is a tentative effort to apply hermeneutics in the study of the English translation of Chinese classics of science and technology,which is not only conducive to the theoretical construction of translation studies and hermeneutics,but also of great help to broaden and deepen our understanding about the hermeneutic nature of Chinese classics of science and technology.The author believes that the present study can shed light on the introduction,translation and interpretation of Chinese classics of science and technology,promote their overseas transmission,and strengthen cross-cultural interactions between China and other countries in the world.And the goal of “mutual translation,mutual interpretation,mutual communication and mutual benefits” will be achieved in the end.