A Study Of The English Translation Of The Classic Of Filial Piety From The Exegetic Perspective

Exegetics is a traditional Chinese discipline, not only studying on the lexical meaning, but also the sentence meaning, the previous commentaries, the regulations and culture, which has close relation to the translation of the Chinese classics. In the translation of the Chinese classics, the translator should follow the exegetic principles and methods, tracing the original meaning of the Chinese character and the cultural background so as to present faithful and effective translations. In a sense, the translation itself is a way of making exegesis. As for the form of the exegesis, the exegetic books of The Classic of Filial Piety can be classified as the exegetic materials attached to the original. The exegetic method adopted in these exegetic books is primarily the clarification of meanings based on the context. The translation of The Classic of Filial Piety should also have the two properties mentioned above. The meanings should be explained closely to the original. Meanwhile, the translator should refer to the previous commentaries extensively and adopt various exegetic methods to make exegeses on abundant contents, oriented to the cultural exchanges and communication. Therefore, the readability and the communication value of the translation can be increased as required.Based on the exegetics, through the analysis of the seven English versions, especially Jame Legge’s translation, the exegetic methods applied in the translation of The Classic of Filial Piety can be divided into three categories, that is, the demonstration of the exegetic materials in the introduction, annotation by footnotes, exegesis within the translation of the text. For the analysis of the contents of the exegesis, by taking the versions of James Legge and Bridgman as examples, there are mainly six aspects, that is, the translation of the ancient meanings of Chinese characters, the meanings of sentences, the rules of propriety, the laws and regulations, the traditional Chinese customs, the official system. Through the description and analysis, such a conclusion can be drawn that as a missionary with rigorous attitude toward the translation of Chinese classics, James Legge paid more attention to exegesis and followed the exegetic principles and approaches, referred to many exegetic materials and the previous translations of the classic, and also made detailed annotations in his translation. His translation could better convey the thought and culture in The Classic of Filial Piety, which was not only helpful to his missionary work and the dissemination of Chinese culture, but also significant in modern translation circle. As a matter of fact, besides The Classic of Filial Piety, exegetics is also essential to the translation of the other Chinese classics. The translators of the Chinese classics should spare no exegetic efforts and obey the exegetic principles and methods in their translation, so that we could present translations in better expression of the spirit and quintessence of Chinese culture. Finally, we can improve our cultural soft power while maintaining our cultural identity and enhancing cultural exchanges with other countries.