Translation Strategies of Culture-loaded Words in Light of Thick Translation Theory: An Analysis on Two English Translations of Lunyu

Abstract

Lunyu is one of the most translated Chinese texts. It has profound philosophical thoughts and is written in a pithy style. It is essential to present its cultural, social, and historical contexts to target readers for a deep understanding of Lunyu translations. Thick translation, which aims to produce thick contextualized texts, had been adopted by Gu Hongming and Roger T. Ames & Henry Rosemont, Jr. in Lunyu translations. This qualitative study compares text-close thick translations in these two English versions in an attempt to reveal how text-close thick translations support to achieve thick contextualization. This comparison identifies similarities and differences of notes and commentaries. The findings show that notes are translators' favorite maneuvers in supplying contextual information. However, due to the translators' different backgrounds, attention is paid to different aspects. In conclusion, translators can employ different means of text-close thick translations to construct thick contexts, thereby enhancing target readers' understanding.