A Study On English Translation Strategies Of The Analects Of Confucius From The Perspective Of Gadamer’s Hermeneutics

The Analects of Confucius,regarded as a quintessential work of Confucianism and ancient Chinese culture,has made an enduring contribution over the course of more than 2000 years in shaping traditional Chinese values.While new Chinese annotations emerged in every dynasty,it was the English translations that played a vital role in disseminating Confucian philosophy worldwide,thus propagating the allure of Chinese culture.Interpreting and translating the Analects of Confucius into English poses substantial challenges due to the archaic nature of classical Chinese language,which often perplexes modern translators.Even with numerous annotations available,reaching consensus on certain divergent points remains a impossible task.Consequently,English translations of the Analects of Confucius have exceeded 60 versions,which,elegant or popular,have been noticeably influenced by the ambiguity of the original text.Therefore,this thesis,on the basis of a profound understanding the Analects of Confucius,attempts to explore its English translation strategies from the perspective of Gadamer’s hermeneutics.The thesis begins by giving a comprehensive interpretation of Gadamer’s hermeneutics and its basic concepts,such as prejudice,fusion of horizons,the hermeneutical circle,and the effective history.Then,on the basis of in-depth analysis of the linguistic features of the Analects of Confucius,through a series of case studies,the English translation strategies of the Analects of Confucius are completerly explored.This study gets the following findings: translators must discern between legitimate prejudices that aid comprehension and illegitimate ones that lead to misunderstandings;translators should acknowledge the limitations of their own perspective and strive to fuse their horizons with that of the text’s;translators should verify interpretations through the principle of the hermeneutical circle which ensures coherence between individual parts and the overarching whole;translators should be aware the historicity of the text,particularly in the case of classical Chinese writings,which differ from both modern Chinese and English,as,without grasping the unique features of classical Chinese,such as causative verbs,notional references,and auxiliary words,translators will be bound to make misinterpretation and mistranslation of the historical text.The research findings presented in this paper can provide some new ideas for the English translation of the Analects of Confucius,demonstrate the feasibility of Gadamer’s hermeneutics,guide English translations of the Analects of Confucius and then provide an important reference for the translation and research of classical Chinese books,promoting Chinese culture internationally.