A Report On The Translation Of Academy Spirit And Confucian Education(Excerpt)

As the pace of Chinese traditional culture "going out" continues to accelerate,the importance of foreign translation of Chinese Confucian culture is self-evident.This is a Chinese-English translation practice report.The source text is selected from the fifth section of the second volume of "Academy Spirit and Confucian Education " written by Zhu Hanmin,the dean of Yuelu Academy in 2013,and discusses the mission and characteristics of Confucian humanistic education.Besides,the characteristics of "Tao," "Learning," and "Art" in the Confucian educational tradition and their interrelationship are also mainly illustrated.The English translation of this work is in line with China’s strategy of moving to the center of the world stage,and the summary of the translation skills,methods and experiences is of great referential value for texts of the same type.The translation material selected by this report is classified in the field of philosophy.Therefore,it contains many philosophical terms with abstract and condensed language,rigorous and complex sentence structure with many run-on sentences,meticulous logic,and strong speculativeness,those typical language features of philosophical texts.At the same time,the source text also cites a number of ancient documents.Most of them are quoted from ancient Chinese philosophical texts,including the Four Books and Five Classics,Confucius,Mencius,Laozi and Zhuangzi,Cheng Yi,Cheng Hao,Zhu Xi,Lu Jiuyuan and Wang Yangming,which endows the source text with profound philosophical thoughts and cultural connotations.This practice report is guided by the "Comprehension,Expression,Adaptation"(CEA)framework proposed by Li Changshuan.By analyzing a large number of translation examples,the characteristics and difficulties of translation are sorted out,and the translation strategies and methods of philosophical texts are summarized.In terms of "Comprehension," textual logic is combined,and internal and external tools are used to understand the philosophical concepts and the sentence structure of the ancient texts quoted in the source text.In terms of"Expression" accurately translating philosophical terms,avoiding Chinglish and ensuring cohesion and coherence should be considered to make sure that the translation is fluent and natural at lexical,syntactic,and discourse levels.In terms of "Adaptation," translation skills such as adjustment of the original order,amplification and omission are used to adjust the expression of the translation,while language issues that are unsuitable for the use of translation skills can be handled flexibly in a reader-oriented way.It is an innovative attempt to use the CEA framework to guide the English translation of philosophical texts.After this translation practice,the writer further understands the typical features of Chinese philosophical texts.While searching for philosophical source language equivalents under the guidance of the CEA framework,the writer can internalize and interpret the text with philosophical background knowledge,and solve the difficulties in the translation process with logical thinking,critical thinking and research abilities.Moreover,various translation techniques are used to ensure the accuracy and readability of translation.It is hoped that this report will serve as a reference for similar translation reports guided by the CEA framework and provide some reference for translators of classics.