A Reflector Of Modern Civilization

Analects School was an important literary school in the history of China.During its prosperity from year 1932 to 1949,its editors and translators not only introduced literary styles such as humor,familiar essays and western magazine articles into China,but also translated a variety of works.Academic research on the translation activities of Analects School is deficient in sorting out first-hand materials.In terms of using materials,previous researches were mostly limited to the traditional research themes such as humor,etc.,and paid insufficient attention to the large amount of first-hand materials left by translators of Analects School and the journals published by Analects School.This study attempts to make an in-depth study of the translation activities of Analects School and try to summarize the translation themes.In view of the shortcomings of previous studies,this study would further analyze the translated texts of Analects School.This study finds that one of the themes of the translation activities of Analects School was the reflection and criticism of modern civilization.This is a translation theme of Analects School which has not been put forward before.This study finds that the aim of Analects School lay in showing the ills of modern civilization,so that China could avoid those problems.This study attempts to examine the translation activities of Analects School magazines,including Analects fortnightly,this Human Life,Cosmic Wind and Cosmic Wind.This study will first re-define the members of Analects School and Analects School magazines.After that,this study raises and answers the following questions: 1.What did Analects School translate? How did they reflect modern civilization through translation? How did they seek proper materials after they build up such theme? 2.Did the Analects editors and translators make any changes when they discovered and established this translation theme? If so,what is the purpose of these changes? 3.What translation themes did Analects School choose?Did they put forward solutions? 4.What does this translation theme of Analects School have in common with the theory of aesthetic modernity? What are the deficiencies?The major findings of this study are as follows.First of all,translation played a very important role in Analects School’s discovery and establishment of the theme of reflection and criticism of modern civilization.By means of translation,Analects School connected their skepticism of modern civilization with the western world.On the one hand,Analects School could focus on the dilemma of the coexistence of enlightenment and national salvation of China.On the other hand,they could appeal to readers to keep alert on modern civilization.Analects School divided this theme into three aspects: analysis of the ills of modern industrial civilization,sympathy for the oppression of individual life,and criticism of modern war and its forces behind it.These three aspects,combined with various literary genres of Analects School’s translation,embodied the transcendental understanding of Analects School.Analects School believed that free expression of individuals and humanism could fight the ills of modern civilization.They put them into practice by translation.Their translation themes were familiar to those of aesthetic modernity.These themes inspired them to ponder whether modern civilization should be introduced into China without any changes.The translation theme of Analects School reflected Analects School’s relentless pursuit of enlightenment and their compassionate desire to contribute to Chinese society.Although Analects School could not develop a perfect solution,they still tried to see beyond the time to find a better way for Chinese development.