Three Central Orientations In English Translation Of Chinese Classics

The translation of Chinese classics has a long history with its own unique theoryand practice. This thesis studies the three central orientations in English translation ofChinese classics based on both the overview and summary of English translation ofclassics at home and abroad. Traditional thoughts and modern ideas, Westernknowledge and Eastern culture are integrated in this thesis for demonstrating the threecentral orientations with the English translation of Xunzi as a case study. The Englishversions of John Knoblock, Burton Watson, and Homer Hasenpflug Dubs areanalyzed in this thesis. The study has combined macroscopic discussion andmicroscopic study as well as theoretical discussion and practical research to probeinto different orientations in the process of translation.In chapter one, the significance，methodology and structure of this thesis areintroduced. Chapter two illustrates some English translation activities and someprevalent translation principles in English translation of classics at home and abroad,brief introduction to Xunzi and its English translations, which lays the ground workfor detailed discussion of three central orientations in English translation of Chineseclassics in chapter three. In the process of translation, the three orientations,translation fidelity, readability and creativity, form an organic whole. Chapter fourdemonstrates different translators’ central orientations in translation by analyzingthree English versions of Xunzi. John Knoblock pays much attention to fidelity,Burton Watson to readability, and Homer H. Dubs attaches importance to creativity.Although translators tend to focus on certain orientation, these three centralorientations are inter-relative and inter-influenced in the whole process of translation.Chapter five is the conclusion, briefly reviewing the studies made in this thesis,summarizing the findings made in the studies and putting forward some suggestionsfor further study.