On James Legge’s Translation Of "Shi"（誓 Speeches） In Shangshu From The Perspective Of Translator Behavior Criticism

Shangshu（尚书）is the oldest classics of Chinese culture and also the source of Chinese literature.It is not only the origin of ancient Chinese prose,but also the source of ancient Chinese political documents.The various styles in Shangshu are the display of the rich cultural heritage of ancient China and have had a profound influence on the styles of later generations.The Chinese Classics of Legge,a famous Sinologist and translator in 19th century,has been regarded as the "standard translation”of Confucian classics by Western Sinologists.His translation of Shangshu in Volume III is also considered to be the best English version of Shangshu that cannot be replaced so far.Based on the above significance and value,this thesis will take Legge’s translation of "Shi" in as the research object.As one of the six styles in Shangshu,articles of "Shi"（誓 Speeches）account for a large number in Shangshu,which are featured by stylistic structure（文体结构）and style（风格）as well as rich artistic expression.How did Legge embody the stylistic features of "Shi"when translating?What kind of translator behavior is revealed in his translation?How is the rationality of the translation?What are the factors that affect his translator behavior?A careful study of these issues may provide reference for the better spread of Chinese culture.From the perspective of Translator Behavior Criticism,this study makes a specific analysis of the stylistic features of "Shi" in Shangshu and the translator behavior of Legge’s translation of "Shi".Firstly,this thesis discusses the stylistic features of "Shi" in Shangshu from three aspects:genre,system（internal and external structure,appearance and framework of the article）and linguistic form（language rhetoric and style of the article）."Shi",as the oath of war,has a unique quaint and serious language style.At the aspect of genre,"Shi" has the characteristics of"recording words"（记言）and "recording events"（记事）.And it has the characteristics of prose and the organizational structure of practical writing.In terms of system,"Shi" has the consistency of internal and external structure,which has similar "three-stage" structure and language logic.At the level of linguistic form,"Shi"has obvious colloquial characteristics（many interjections and modal particles are used）,and mainly uses the four-word sentence pattern,rhyme and rich rhetorical devices.On the basis of the above stylistic features of "Shi",this thesis makes a systematic analysis of Legge’s translator behavior by using the methods of literature analysis and qualitative analysis,including the translator behavior tendency,the factors affecting his translator behavior,the rationality of the translation,and the translation strategies used in the translation.The major findings are as follows:（1）Striving to be "truth-seeking" in translating Shangshu,Legge manages to preserve the stylistic features of "Shi";meanwhile,taking the readability into account,Legge achieves a certain "utility-attaining" effect in his translation.（2）Legge’s translator behavior tendency is mainly influenced by four factors:the translation motivation,the era,the readers and the translator himself.On the one hand,Legge respects Chinese culture and wants Western readers to understand the real thoughts of Chinese people,so he tends to seek truth of the original text when translating;On the other hand,considering that the western readers of the translation,he wants his translation to be read and accepted by his readers,so his translation is fit into the English expression habits and has a certain tendency of‘"utility-attaining".Generally speaking,the "utility-attaining" of Legge’s translation is based on the "truth-seeking",and his translator behavior is a rational choice under the influence of various factors.Hence,the translation shows a high rationality degree.（3）Legge mainly adopts the combination of "literal translation" with "free translation",the amplification method and the manifestation strategy in annotation,ancient translation restoration in the translation of "Shi".First,he uses the combination of "literal translation" with "free translation",which has achieved a high degree of truth-seeking and also a certain effect of utility-attaining.Second,he uses the amplification method and the manifestation strategy in annotation.It not only translates the literal meaning of the original text,but also conveys the cultural meaning behind the sentence.The translation thus exhibits a high degree of truth-seeking.But the heavy notes and the supplement of contexts are actually the chosen of being "utility-attaining" for the readers.Third,he uses antique expressions to restore the classical and elegant style of"Shi" and retain the charm of the ancient texts.It can be said that Legge’s translation has retained both form and spirit of the original text,and restored the stylistic features of "Shi" to the greatest extent.