An Overview of Ku Hungming's Translation Thought -- A Case Study of the Ideas Embodied in the Translation of Analects of Confucius

Abstract

Analects of Confucius, a classic work of Confucius, is the most direct manifestation of Chinese civilization and is highly sought after and widely circulated even today. In the process, the interpretation of Confucius's ideas in it, the translation has also become an important study. A good translation can better interpret Analects of Confucius. In the midst of the cultural storm in Europe at that time, Ku Hungming took on the cultural mission of spreading Chinese culture and translated the Confucian classic Analects of Confucius into English for the first time, alone and completely. Ku Hungming's conservative ideas were mainly influenced by Western Romantic thinkers such as Carlyle, Ruskin, and Arnold[1]. And thus the translation of Analects of Confucius is heavily influenced by Western Romantic ideas. There are many similarities between Western Romantic thought and Confucianism, and Ku Hungming completes the entire translation with such an ideological background. Therefore, this paper will focus on the ideological background of translation, including social and cultural backgrounds, that Ku Hungming wants to reflect in the translation of Analects of Confucius.