Interpretation Of Parables From Nature’s Translation

Donald Mac Gillivray, a priest of Canadian Presbyterian Church, translated the second works of Parables from Nature into Chinese, which was written by Mrs. Margaret S. Gatty(1809-1837), who was a famous children’s literature writer in England. The translator keeps the vitality of original text, and also conveyed a timely Christian doctrine. The missionaries, coming into china, has their own uniqueness, because they have same language and culture system, which help them show author’s words correctly. Meanwhile, they have accumulated a wealth of Chinese culture and Chinese assistants can help them to finish the translation. In order to achieve the purpose of spreading religions, they continually seek all ways to finish a blend of Christianity and Chinese culture, and reduce their barriers and exclusion.In this paper, with the translation and original of Parables from Nature as the main body, we explore how the missionaries translate and interpret western works for Chinese reader. In one side, they increase, decrease and change the original’s words, sentences and paragraph. And in other side, the Christian doctrines try their best to mix traditional Chinese culture and Christianity, and hope to realize interpretation of each other. In the first part, writings find the differences between translation and the original, including additions, deletions and changes during two parts. At last, the reasons about these differences’ arising are classified. The authors preserve the original form of the original article as much as possible, and also avoid "distortions." However, the translation has color of creation itself. After all, translators come across different geographical and cultural environment and their training and knowledge of different cultures makes the translation and the original reserves vary. The second part analyzed the associated translation and Chinese traditional literature in detail, as well as the combination of Christian thoughts and Chinese traditional culture. In order to preach their religion, translators need to discover the similar point in traditional Chinese culture, and support their religious thought enough. The traditional thoughts and receiving psychological of chinese people were also reflected on it. The last part summarizes the translator’s attempts and efforts in introducing western literature into China as a missionary. They catered to Chinese readers’ traditionally cultural habits, understand and use traditional Chinese culture freely, and we then get the overall direction of the missionaries’ path of cultural transmission.