Ku Hungming’s Subjectivity In His Translation Of Zhongyong

Zhongyong is a representative book of the Chinese Confucian classics. It still has agreat influence on the Chinese thoughts and behavior. Ku Hungming, a noteddiplomat and translator during the time of the Qing Dynasty and the early Republicof China, is the first Chinese scholar to have translated Confucian classics TheAnalects and Zhongyong into English, and his translations enjoy high popularity inthe Western society. As a great master versed in both Chinese and Western learning,he made great contributions to the dissemination of Chinese culture in the Westernworld. In order to make his translations better understood by Western readers andmore easily accepted by the target culture, Ku quoted very much from Westernwriters and scholars and made a subtle comparison between Western and Chinesecultures, pointing out the similarities and highlighting the good qualities of Chineseculture. By analyzing the features of Ku’s translating of Zhongyong, based onBassnett and Lefevere’s rewriting theory, this thesis aims to explore Ku’ssubjectivity reflected at linguistic and cultural level.In the perspective of ideology and poetics of rewriting theory, this thesis explores KuHungming’s re-creation in diction, quotations, and annotations while translating. Hisunique life experiences, talents and individual aesthetic preference are well shown inhis translation. As the subject of the translation, Ku played a very important andactive part. His subjectivity was undeniable and could be seen in every process of histranslating activity. Under the influence of translation purpose, social settings, andideology, etc., initiative and creativity are the embodiment of a translator’ssubjectivity, whose display renders the re-creation of translation. It is hoped that thisthesis will shed some light on the research into Ku’s translation thus betteringpeople’s comprehension of the translator’s subjectivity. Therefore, more people willbe inspired to pursue the translation of Chinese classic works, which will do somegood to C-E translation practice and theory, and also will be beneficial to the spread of Chinese culture to the world.