On The Excerpts Of Analects Of Confucius Alluded In Three English Translations Of Hongloumeng:A Comparative Study From The Perspective Of Hermeneutics

As one of the "Four Great Classical Novels", Hongloumeng represents the pinnacle of the novels of the Ming- and Qing-Dynasties. It contains rich elements of Chinese language and culture, including many allusions originating from the Analects of Confucius, which is worth exploring. Along with the more and more prospering translation activities of Hongloumeng in the world, traditional Chinese Confucian ideology and culture, implied in the Analects of Confucius, have been spread worldwide. Thus, a comparative analysis on the English translations of these allusions has certain significance. This thesis takes Legge’s translation of the Analects of Confucius as reference, attempts to conduct a comparative study on the three complete English translations of Hongloumeng (translated respectively by B. S. Bonsall, Hawkes & Minford, Yang Hsien-yi & Gladys Yang) in the translation of Analects excerpts, and to explore the reasons for different translations from the perspective of hermeneutics.This research collects altogether 25 allusions of Analects of Confucius from Hongloumeng, and compares their corresponding translation in the three complete English translations of Hongloumeng with Legge’s canonical English translation of Analects. Then, the 25 excerpted texts are divided into several categories in accordance with their form in Hongloumeng. Comparison is made in each category and the possible reasons for those differences are explained from the perspective of hermeneutics. Finally, conclusions are drawn as follows:Bonsall’s translation adopts the word for word translation. In his translation, sentence structure is consistent with that of the source texts, rigid as well as stiff. Hawkes and Minford’s translation pays more attention to conveying the gist of the text rather than the equivalence in language. Their translation introduces some similar elements in western culture and apply those in this domesticating translation. Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang’s translation maintains the Chinese elements of traditional culture, and keeps the sentence relatively smooth at the same time, which is more flexible. The differences in translations are not only caused by the "prejudice" of translators due to historicity, but also influenced by the impact of their own identity and culture cultivation, namely the influence of "horizon".This thesis applies hermeneutic theory into translation study, which provides a new perspective for the study of literature translation, thus it is another case study that has new findings. The author also attempts to make certain supplement to the translation study of Hongloumeng through this research.