| The thesis is mainly to study the spread and acceptance of two English versions of Shijing translatedby Legge and Xu Yuanzhong from the perspective of the translation ecological environment. Under thetranslation ecological environment, what factors mainly affect Legge’s and Xu Yuanzhong’s translation ofShijing? And how do Legge’s and Xu Yuanzhong’s English versions adapted to translation environment?This thesis is to contrast the two English versions of Shijing from the internal and external translationenvironmental.Firstly, viewing from the internal translation ecological environment, translators and readers of Shijingtranslated by Legge and Xu Yuanzhong are different. The motivation of the translation of Shijing by thetwo translators of Legge and Xu Yuanchong who are in two different countries, different times and havereceived different education is not the same. Moreover, in two different countries, different readers havedifferent expectations towards the different translators. In Legge’s era, the readers of the English translationof Shijing are mainly Western missionaries and sinologists, while in Xu Yuanzhong’s era, the readers of theEnglish translation of Shijing are not only the Western missionaries and sinologist, as well as lovers ofWestern Sinology and Chinese readers.Secondly, from the external translation environment, the environment of nature and economy, societyand policy, and language and culture where Legge and the Xu Yuanzhong translated Shijing is different. InLegge’s era, compared with China, the Western capitalist countries are rich in economy, stable in society,strong in policy, dominant in language and culture; in Xu Yuanzhong’s era, relatively speaking, although inmany areas, China has not kept up with the Western capitalist countries, China’s economy has beenrelatively wealthy, social stability and political independence, more and more exchanges in language andculture with the Western capitalist countries.Through the contrasting study, as a result of the different translation ecological environment in whichLegge and Xu Yuanzhong translated Shijing, the spread and acceptance of two English translations are notthe same. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this is because the pursuit of personality is in adifferent hierarchy of needs, so the pursuit of different countries as well, especially in different economicconditions. Only translators and readers had more absolute right to choose the translation at that time. Ofcourse they are better to adapt to the translation. Otherwise, the translation will be eliminated. This is atwo-way choice between subject and object. It means a translation of the ecological environment to chose the translator and readers who selected the translation ecological environment. So translation is a result ofthe translation process is a response to environmental and ecological process of adaptation.Therefore, translation is an activity of certain era. According to Reconciling Translation Thoughts,while translation has adapted to the translation ecological environment under reconciling language andpeople, time and place， such translation will be spread and accepted. |
