摘 要

《论语》是中国儒家学派的经典之作，主要记录了孔子及其弟子的言行，较为集中地反映了孔子的思想，深刻影响了中华民族的精神和文化。《论语》是被诠释和翻译最多的中国典籍，其在世界范围内的影响力也是无可比拟的。作为中华文化的经典之一,《论语》在全球范围内的影响力与日俱增,其外译也正逐步成为一种文化需求。鉴于其原文晦涩不易懂,加之中西方在语言与文化方面存在着巨大差异,译者在《论语》外译的过程中呈现出较强的主体性。辜鸿铭与许渊冲的《论语》英译本在众多英译本中享有较高认可度。且两译本中间相隔百余年,译者又均为中国学者,既具时代代表性又具有相通之处,因此本文选取上述两译本作为研究对象。本文从语言层面和文化层面对两个译本进行比较研究，分析总结出两个译本的不同之处和各自的优缺点。辜鸿铭的译本优点在于译文西方化，缺点却也在于译文过分西方化，失了原著语言特色。许渊冲的译本文学性强，但对于中华文化初学者来说有一定理解难度。通过上述分析，可以得出结论：在典籍的翻译上，译者不仅要重视语言的转化，更要重视文化的交流。而且我们也有理由相信，有译界前辈摸索出的经验加上后辈不懈的努力，一定会有越来越好的译本面世。

关键词：《论语》；辜鸿铭译本 ；许渊冲译本；比较研究

Abstract

The Analects of Confucius is a classic work of the Chinese Confucian school. It mainly records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples. It reflects Confucius' thoughts and profoundly affects the spirit and culture of the Chinese nation. The Analects of Confucius is the most annotated and translated Chinese classics, and its influence over the world is incomparable. As one of the classics of Chinese culture, The Analects is becoming more and more influential all over the world, and its translation is becoming a cultural demand. In view of its obscure and incomprehensible original text, and the huge differences between Chinese and Western languages and cultures, the translator shows a strong subjectivity in the process of translating The Analects. The English versions of The Analects of Confucius by Gu Hongming and Xu Yuanchong enjoy high recognition in many English versions. And the two versions are separated by more than 100 years. The translators are both Chinese scholars, which are representative of the times and have similarities. Therefore, this paper chooses the two versions as the research object. This paper makes a comparative study of the two versions of the perspective of language and culture, and summarizes the and advantages and disadvantages of the two versions. The advantage of Gu Hongming's translation lies in the Westernization of the translation, but the disadvantage lies in the over westernization of the translation and the loss of the original language features. Xu Yuanchong's version is highly literary, but it is difficult for beginners of Chinese culture to understand it. Through the above analysis, we can draw a conclusion: in translation of ancient books, translators should not only attach importance to the transformation of language, but also to the exchange of culture. Moreover, we have reason to believe that a better translation will come to the world with the experience of the forerunners and the unremitting efforts of the younger generation.

Key words: The Analects of Confucius; translation by Gu Hongming; translation by Xu Yuanchong; comparative study

Contents

摘 要 I

Abstract II

1.Introduction 1

1.1 Research Background 1

1.2 Research Purpose and Significance 1

1.3 Layout of the Paper 1

2. Literature Review 3

2.1 On The Analects and Its English Versions 3

2.2 On Gu Hongming and Xu Yuanchong 4

2.3 Previous Research on the English Versions of The Analects 4

2.3.1Review of Comparative Studies 4

2.3.2 Limitations and Features of Previous Studies 5

2.4 Summary 5

3. Comparative Textual Analysis 6

3.1 Comparison on Linguistic Aspects 6

3.2 Comparison on Cultural Aspects 7

3.2.1 Culture Compliance 7

3.2.2 Culture Resistance 8

3.3 Comparison on Readability and Comprehensibility 8

3.3.1Readability 8

3.3.2 Comprehensibility 9

3.4 Summary 10

4. Conclusion 11

4.1 Major Findings 11

4.2 Limitations and Suggestions 11

References 12

Acknowledgements 13

1.Introduction

1.1 Research Background

The Analects of Confucius is one of the representative works of Chinese classical literature, which has a great influence on Chinese ancient ideology and culture. At the same time, it also provides important guidance for future generations in the aspects of national administration, education, learning and so on. With the internationalization of the world, The Analects has been translated into English by many translators and spread to the western world, becoming a kind of Ideological and behavioral guidance. The Analects of Confucius was once called China's Bible by western scholars. The English translation of The Analects plays an important role in the westerners' understanding of Chinese traditional culture. However, the existing versions of The Analects are of different quality, and few of them are accepted by most people. Whether the western translators' misunderstanding of the original works or the Chinese translators' ignorance of the reading habits of English readers are the major problems in the translation.Translation circles of home and abroad are also work hard to create better versions.

1.2 Research Purpose and Significance

As a representative work of ancient Chinese literature, The Analects of Confucius is loved and concerned by foreign scholars and even ordinary people. Because the original works of The Analects are written in classical Chinese, foreigners can only rely on the existing translations to learn The Analects. However, due to the differences in the Chinese and English language systems and the cultural backgrounds of the East and the west, as well as the differences in the translator's own educational background, religious beliefs and even personality, there are certain influences on the understanding of the contents of The Analects. In this study, two Chinese translators of different periods are selected to study The Analects translation, and their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages are compared, so as to find a more suitable translation method and direction for foreign readers, and to provide some help for the future work of classics translation.

The Analects of Confucius is the treasure of the traditional Chinese culture, which embodies the political ideas, ethical thoughts, moral concepts and educational principles of Confucianism, and plays a very important role in promoting Chinese culture. Only by translating the exact version of The Analects can foreigners better understand The Analects, learn The Analects, and understand the profound Chinese culture contained in The Analects. This will not only help the world better understand China and Chinese culture, but also promote cultural exchanges of China and foreign countries.

1.3 Layout of the Paper