The English Translation System and Construction of Chinese Classics in the Western World: Taking the English Translation of the Shangshu as an Example

Abstract

From the 19th century to the turn of the 20th century, influenced by scientific positivism, traditional Sinology in the Western world gradually modernized, and the English translation system also showed a trend of diversification. During this period, Chinese classics were translated into English and spread to the West. As one of the "Five Classics" in China, "Shangshu" has important historical significance and ideological value. Therefore, its English translations are widely disseminated in the Western world. With the continuous development of Western Sinology, the English translations of "Shangshu" exhibited diverse characteristics. The translations by British astrologer Walter Gom Old and Swedish sinologist Bernhard Karlgren were particularly prominent. Old mainly adopted a free translation strategy, which focused on transforming the meaning, spirit, and tone of the original text into a more free and fluent way of expression. This made the content of the book more easily accepted by readers, while maintaining the clarity and high consistency of the translation. Bernhard Karlgren tended to prefer literal translation, with a concise and straightforward translation style that adopted a word for word translation approach rather than literary translation. They each had their own strengths in translation, providing rich ideas for Western Sinology translation and making important contributions to the modernization of Western Sinology.