A Report On The Translation Of James Legge's Letters On Missionary Work

James Legge(1815-1897)was an English sinologist,missionary,and scholar,best known as an early and prolific translator of Classical Chinese texts into English.In his early years,James came to China as a missionary and most of his missionary work was recorded in his letters.This report is based on James Legge's letters on his missionary work to the London Missionary Society,his families,other pastors and officers in the 19 th century.Through comparative analysis and case studies,the key and difficult points met in the process of translation are discussed in this report from three aspects,namely back translation of proper names,the handling of religious terms and registers.To be specific,it covers the back translation of local and personal names in Romanized Cantonese forms and ancient Chinese official titles,the translation of expressions in religious field and different language styles.By reading James Legge's letters on missionary work,the translator deeply feels James Legge's religious piety,which is manifested in the translation.Through the study and translation of these letters,it aims to present James Legge's mission experience and his inner world in detail,and provide references for those scholars who studied James Legge and those translators who engage in the translation of letters.