The Comparative Study on the Two English Versions of Three-Character Classic in the Light of Skopos Theory

Abstract

Throughout the history, more and more great Chinese classics have been translated into English, which has attracted a large number of readers in the West. Three-Character Classic is one of the most well-known Chinese classic, cultivating billions of Chinese as a canon and greatly affecting the Chinese culture. Many translators are devoted to translating it into English. Among those translations, the most famous two versions are Herbert Giles’s and Zhao Yanchun’s. Since translation is a subjective activity, the two translators employ different translation approaches, thus producing different translations. This thesis exemplifies these two English representative versions, comparing several aspects in detail, such as diction, syntax, rhetorical device and cultural element in the light of the three principles of Skopos theory. Herbert Giles aims at inspiring foreigners to learn Chinese culture, while Zhao Yanchun intends to promote the beauty of Chinese classics. Zhao Yanchun reproduces the content and makes several creative modifications to preserve the charm of the original text. Through a contrastive study, the author concludes that: the translators’ different translation purposes decide their adoption of different translation strategies. Meanwhile, the difference in cultural and social background also exert certain effects on their translation. In light of Skopos theory, the English versions of both Zhao Yanchun and Herbert Giles achieve their purposes of translating, justifying the applicability of Skopos theory in the translation of Chinese classic.