The English Translation of Confucian Classics from the Perspective of Knowledge Translation Studies: A Study of Roger T. Ames' Translation Practice
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines how Roger T. Ames renders core Confucian concept terms for Anglophone readers and what trade-offs those choices entail. Working within a restrained Knowledge Translation Studies (KTS) framework, we operationalize the analysis in three steps: (i) identify the knowledge unit at stake (e.g., ren, yi, junzi as concept clusters rather than single glosses); (ii) record the operation performed by the translation (narrowing, broadening, or contextual anchoring through paraphrase and analogy); and (iii) track the role of paratext (prefaces, notes, and cross-references) in guiding interpretation. Drawing on representative passages from selected Confucian classics, we compare Amess solutions with earlier English renderings to show when his strategy increases accessibility for non Sinophone readers and when it compresses the semantic range. The study contributes a small, evidence-driven map of concept transfer, clarifying how annotation and explanatory definition function as scaffolds in the international reception of Confucian thought and offering a transparent procedure that can be replicated in other concept-heavy traditions.
Authors: Jiaxin Liu, Runze Han, Jiaxing Tang
Institution: Guangdong University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4409543378