A Comparative Study Of Six Versions Of The Analects From The Perspective Of Hermeneutics

The Analects of Confucius which loaded massive cultural heritage is one of themost famous traditional Confucian classics, widely read and learned by Chinese people.It was honored as “the linchpin of the Five Classics and the command of the Six Skills”.(see Zhao Qi’s Preface to the Works of Mencius) The Analects of Confucius containingvarieties of values systems has a deep and wide influence on Chinese society, cultureand even nation’s psychology. With increasingly close exchange and cooperationbetween modern Chinese and foreign countries, as well as the wide spread of differentEnglish versions of the Analects of Confucius, it has also become a world classic. Theemphasis on moral and ethical communication between people in Confucianismcompensates the deficiency of western theories, which focused on ration and rulesrather than emotions and ethics. This embodies the profound Eastern Confucian cultureand infinite wisdom, which has a great influence on the world thought and culture.At present, there are varieties of English versions of the Analects of Confucius, andalso lots of studies from different perspectives. The thesis puts Heidegger andGadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics and Gorge Steiner’s translation hermeneutics asits theoretical basis, and selects six excellent English versions of the Analects indifferent periods as the research object, namely the translations of James Legge, KuHung-ming, Arthur Waley, D.C. Lau, R. Ames&H. Rosemont, and Chichung Huang’s.Through comparative study of different translators’ different understanding for thecultural elements, such as different life experiences, cultural attainment, social andhistorical environment, value orientation as well as the purposes and motivations oftranslation, the thesis analyzes multivariate interpretations and significance constructionof the cultural elements in translation from the perspectives of four steps of the texttranslation (trust, aggression, incorporation, compensation) and language philosophy. The thesis wants to take pluralistic interpretation and cultural construction of theAnalects so as to search for the reasons to cause different versions for the same text andthe nature and significance of the translation of Chinese classics. The thesis also aims toprovide a multi-dimensional perspective for the translation of ancient traditional classicslike the Analects which illustrates profound thoughts with laconic words. Thediversification of English translation to Chinese classics is in favor of excavating anddisseminating Chinese culture from different angles, which is beneficial to make thetarget language readers fully understand the charm and value of Chinese traditionalculture so as to promote the communication and fusion between Chinese culture that isin a relatively weak position and Western culture that is in a relatively strong position.There are five chapters in this thesis. Chapter One is the introduction of TheAnalects of Confucius and its English versions. Chapter Two is a review ofphilosophical hermeneutics and translation hermeneutics. And Chapter Three and Fourare the theory innovation which includes the comparative analysis to different versionsof the Analects from four translation steps as well as the inquiry into cultural values andsocial influences of the Analects of Confucius. The last chapter is the summary.Without doubt, as a new translation theory, the translation study from perspectiveof hermeneutics is still in the infant stage so that controversies on it can hardly beavoided. But its enlightenment to the comparative study of disparate English versions ofThe Analects is obvious.