A Study on the Translating Principles of Traditional Chinese Philosophical Classics

Abstract

The study, on the basis of the cultural position of traditional Chinese philosophical classics, deeply discusses the final principles in translating them into English: the principles of originality and autonomousness (本源性与自主性原则). The author holds that the necessity and indispensability of the principles are determined by the nature and purposes of their translation, the uniqueness of traditional Chinese philosophy and its differences from others, and the experience in the west of Chinese culture. On the other hand, the autonomousness, which is the pre-condition of maintaining the originality of translation texts, should be mainly embodied from three levels: theories of different academic schools, different views within an academic school, and text of a particular author.