A Comparative Study On Six English Versions Of Lunyu

Lunyu is a famous traditional Chinese classic, which has had great significance on Chinese philosophy, ethics, education and culture. It has been translated into more than ten languages and increasing attention has been paid to the study of the translated versions.The English versions of Lunyu chosen for this research are respectively translated by James Legge, Edward Soothill, Arthur Waley, Simon Leys, Roger T. Ames&Henry Rosemont Jr., and Edward Slingerland. Based on translational theories related with Schema, domestication and foreignization, this thesis is an analysis of six English versions from linguistic and cultural perspectives. The linguistic research includes three parts:monosyllabic Chinese characters, inverted sentences, and rhetorical devices. In order to deal with the difficulties of translating the linguistic items, it is advised to apply the theories of both domestication and foreignization and to make the readers understand the original meanings of those linguistic items. The cultural research covers two aspects: traditional Chinese characters and Confucius’ philosophical points. The target of this part is to find out the mistranslations, which might be caused by cultural differences, different backgrounds and purposes of translators. Transliterations with notes are suggested for translating the traditional cultural items.