Abstract:

When Chinese philosophy goes into the world, the translation of philosophy and the philosophy of translation becomes more and more pressing. The skill of the foreign language, professional knowledge and the capacity of the mother language—all these three elements are essential to successful translation. Regarding translating Chinese philosophy into English, it is not necessary to coin new words or use difficult words, while the primary task is to grasp the exact connotations of words and texts to be translated. Successful translation relies on a translator’s careful arrangement to establish a medium between two languages and two kinds of thought. What is difficult for a translator is to make a balance between seeking for similarities and respecting differences. The loss of meaning in the translation of philosophy is not only understandable, but even inevitable in some cases. An ideal translation not only remains loyal towards the real intention of an original text, but participates in and interprets its inexhaustible meanings. The tension between the original meaning and the translated meaning lies in the translation of Chinese philosophy, especially the works of modern Chinese thinkers. In translating modern Chinese thought, a translator shall not ignore the pressure from the readers. In order to effectively introduce Chinese thought to Anglo American philosophers, who prejudice non Western traditions, a translator must try his or her best to translate attractive works. Last but not the least, we must be cautious that in the context of the “linguistic turn”, the dilemma of translating or interpreting philosophy may be counted as a result of “linguistic relativism”, or even “linguistic determinism”.