Beyond the text --a study of the translation of cultural-loaded words in The Book of Changes : a case analysis of Idioms and line statements

The Book of Changes, a renowned Chinese classic, contains profound and long-term Confucian and Taoist cultural thoughts. It is regarded as the source of traditional Chinese culture. The expressions in The Book of Changes are concise and meaningful, especially cultural-loaded words carrying cultural images that are strictly related to specific historical, social and cultural backgrounds. A significant number of cultural-loaded words are still used in modern Chinese contexts. But the form and the implication have created an insurmountable language barrier for westerners to understand. Cultural images in this classic are so irreplaceable to Chinese that their equivalents are rarely identified in the Western world. This dissertation intends to analyze two influential English versions of nine four-character idioms that are familiar to contemporary people and line statements they are in to find out translation differences, merits, demerits, considerations as well as values related to translators’ backgrounds. Although translations transfer the literal meanings of the cultural-bond words in English with various presentations, target audiences still suffer the cultural loss of Chinese images and implications hidden behind the words. This phenomenon is the result of natural cultural differences, diverse translation strategies impacted by particular social and historical factors. Therefore, in terms of the translation of cultural-loaded words from Chinese classics, the interpretation and transference of the unspoken implications are still challenges for translators. This comparative study will provide a new and unique way to consider ‘Chinese culture go global’ from the viewpoint of the translations produced by individual Western sinologists. Key Words: Cultural-loaded word, translation orientation, implication, imageMaster of Arts (Translation and Interpretation