Article published In:
Translation and Interpreting Studies: Online-First Articles

Reading Confucius in translation

An empirical study of western academic readers’ responses to English translations of The Analects

ORCID logo | Fudan University
ORCID logo | Fudan University
This article examines the communicative effectiveness of translated versions of The Analects from an Anglophone perspective using a questionnaire-based survey targeting English-speaking academics. Sinologists, translators, and readers specializing in East Asian philosophy provided insights about their preferences, reading expectations, and opinions regarding the translations’ influence. The findings indicate a preference for translations that they considered to be not entirely fluent, but rather more accurate and in an easily accessible and readable form. Other important considerations include the content of translations and the translations’ influence on their value systems and cultural orientations. The study also suggests that collaborative efforts in translating Chinese classics could enhance quality, meet readers’ needs more effectively, and promote East–West cultural exchange. Recommendations are made for translators and publishers to support a more balanced interaction among scholars, translators, and readers in China and the Anglophone world, enriching Confucian studies with a communicative approach.
Keywords: reader reception studies, The Analects , Confucius, communicative effectiveness, academic readers
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
  • Methodology
    • Ethical considerations
    • Questionnaire design
    • Respondents
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
Published online: 22 November 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.22030.tao
References (31)
References
Andringa, Els. 2006. “Penetrating the Dutch polysystem: The reception of Virginia Woolf, 1920–2000.” Poetics Today 27(3): 501–568. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Baer, Brian James. 2014. “Translated literature and the role of the reader.” In A companion to translation studies, ed. by Sandra Bermann and Catherine Porter, 333–345. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Banks, David. 2021. “Translating the English academic article for a French readership in 1686.” Language, Context and Text 3(1): 93–129. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bielsa, Esperança. 2013. “Translation and the international circulation of literature: A comparative analysis of the reception of Roberto Bolaño’s work in Spanish and English.” The Translator 19(2): 157–181. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Brems, Elke, and Sara Ramos Pinto. 2013. “Reception and translation.” In Handbook of Translation Studies, ed. by Yves Gambier and Luc van Doorslaer, 142–147. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chan, Leo Tak-hung. 2010. Readers, reading and reception of translated fiction in Chinese: Novel encounters. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2015. “Reader response and reception theory.” In Researching translation and interpreting, ed. by Claudia V. Angelelli and Brian James Baer, 146–154. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chen, Xuemei. 2022. “Interactive reception of online literary translation: the translator-readers dynamics in a discussion forum.” Perspectives 31(4): 690–704. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Delisle, Jean, and Judith Woodsworth. 2012. Translators through History. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dörnyei, Zoltán, and Tatsuya Taguchi. 2010. Questionnares in Second Language Research: Construction, Administration, and Processing. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Eber, Irene. 2019. “Reception of old testament ideas in 19th century China.” Journal of Chinese Philosophy 45(3–4): 150–156. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Eoyang, Eugene. 1993. The Transparent Eye: Reflections on Translation, Chinese Literature, and Comparative Poetics. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.Google Scholar
Schaberg, David. 2001. “‘Sell it! Sell it!’: Recent translations of Lunyu .” Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR) 231: 115–139. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fan, Min 范敏. 2019. “新时代《论语》翻译策略及其传播路径创新 [Translation strategies of The Analects of Confucius and innovation of its dissemination path in the new era].” Journal of Xi’an International Studies University 27(3): 94–98.Google Scholar
Gu, Huijuan 谷慧娟. 2019. “《论语》英译与中国文化 ‘走出去’ [English translations of The Analects and the “going global” strategy of Chinese culture].” Publishing Research 31: 77–81.Google Scholar
Gu, Ben 顾犇. 1999. “《论语》在海外的传播 [The Dissemination of The Analects Overseas].” Journal of the National Library of China 21: 101–106.Google Scholar
Jiang, Qian 姜倩. 2017. “On translating Chinese classics for general readership: Assessing eight overseas English versions of Lunyu .” Shanghai Journal of Translators 31: 69–75.Google Scholar
Kovačič, Irena. 1995. “Reception of subtitles: The non-existent ideal viewer.” Translatio (Nouvelles de la FIT/FIT Newsletter) 14 (3–4): 376–383.Google Scholar
Lu, Huijuan 陆惠娟. 2012. “接受美学视角下《论语》英译本的对比研究——以理雅各和韦利译本为例 [A comparative study of the English translations of The Analects from the perspective of receptive aesthetics: Translations of James Legge and Arthur Waley as examples].” Data of Culture and Education 351: 35–37.Google Scholar
Luo, Xuanmin 罗选民. “解读埃兹拉•庞德对中国作品翻译中的文化意识 [Interpreting Ezra Pound’s Cultural Awareness in the Translation of Chinese Literature].” Presentation at the International Summit Forum on Translation/Interpreting Studies: New Orientations, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, October 31 — November 1, 2015.
O’Neill, Patrick. 2005. Polyglot Joyce: Fictions of Translation. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pan, Wenguo 潘文国. 2012. “典籍英译心里要有读者 [Translating Chinese classics with readers in mind].” Journal of Jilin Normal University (Humanities & Social Science Edition) 40(1): 16–19.Google Scholar
Qin, Hongwu 秦洪武, Kong, Lei 孔蕾, and Xin Xu 徐欣. 2020. “A multidimensional data analysis of overseas dissemination of Chinese classics Lun Yu .” Foreign Language Teaching and Research (bimonthly) 52(4): 580–593.Google Scholar
Tao, Youlan 陶友兰. 2018. “From monologue to dialogue: Western translators’ perspectives on translating key cultural concepts in The Analects .” Translation Review 102(1): 46–66. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wang, Xing 王星. 2020. “齐鲁文化典籍译本的海外接受现状与推介策略 [Overseas reception of Qilu culture translated texts–Current reception and promotion strategies].” Journal of the Party School of C.P.C. Qingdao Municipal Committee (6): 86–93.Google Scholar
Wu, Chenlu 吴晨璐, and Xiaofei Ren 任晓霏. 2020. “《论语》在加拿大传播与影响的质性研究 [A qualitative study of the dissemination and influence of The Analects in Canada].” Data of Culture and Education 331: 67–69.Google Scholar
Yin, Qing 尹青. 2020. “On translation of Chinese classics and cultural extroversion from the perspective of the sales volume of the English versions of The Analects .” Shandong Foreign Language Teaching 41(5): 120–130.Google Scholar
Zhang, Defu 张德福. 2014. Four Stages with Diversified Approaches: A Study on Sinologists and Their English Translation of Lunyu. Shanghai: Fudan University.Google Scholar
Zhang, Xiaoxue 张晓雪. 2018. “Current situation of overseas transmission of English versions of The Analects and the corresponding promotion strategies — Based on analysis of statistic data from Amazon and Google Scholar.” Journal of Xiangtan University (Philosophy and Social Sciences) 42(2): 157–160.Google Scholar
Zhang, Xiaoman 张小曼, and Min, Qiang 闵强. 2021. “《论语》英译本国外出版分析——以亚马逊网站《论语》英译本的调查为例 [Analysis of overseas publication of English translation of The Analects — A survey of English translations of The Analects on Amazon as an example].” View on Publishing 61: 65–57.Google Scholar
Zhang, Yang 张阳. 2013. “Ecological interpretation and inspirations of overseas Reader market of ancient Chinese books — Take English versions of Analects of Confucius on Amazon for example.” Journal of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University 30(3): 410–414.Google Scholar