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Laotse is a great philosopher in our ancient times and his master work Dao De Jing has been translated in more than 28 languages. Cultured-loaded terms in this book are worthwhile to make a research. The author will analyze the definition, category, significance, especially translation of culture-loaded terms by taking Dao De Jing as an example.
This paper will be pided into five parts: chapter one is an introduction which aims to provide background information about this paper and expound some research methods as well as the research contents. Not only that, the current research status will be introduced. Chapter two will discuss the main work studied in this paper, that is, Dao De Jing and the definition, classification and meaning of culture-loaded terms. In this chapter, the author will analyze the content and value as well as three different versions of Dao De Jing. In addition, something related to Laotse, a famous philosopher and the author of this production also will be mentioned here. Chapter three will introduce two main strategies applied in this paper, namely, foreignization and domestication as well as their application in the process of translating culture-loaded terms. Chapter four is the most essential part in this paper. In this part the author will illustrate the classification of five main categories of culture-loaded terns and their translation in Dao De Jing. Each classification in this part will have a further detailed explanation. Chapter five will be an independent part as a brief conclusion.
Until now, lots of scholars have studied the English translation of Dao De Jing. Among different versions, the author will adopt three main versions: Lin Yutang’s, Gu Zhengkun’s and Arthur Walely’s. The third one will be the template on which the author relies to have an analysis about the English translation of culture-loaded words in Dao De Jing. The purpose of this paper is to make people realize the significant role of culture-loaded words and have a clear mind that the English translation of culture-loaded terms is beneficial to the mutual communication and understanding of cultures in different countries. What’s more, they may have a deep understanding about the cultural value of the famous philosophy book Dao De Jing, which also provides a way to spread the Chinese special cultures.
II. Dao De Jing and Culture-loaded Terms
2.1 Dao De Jing
Dao De Jing, also called Laotse, is a classical work. According to legend, it was written by Lao Dan, who lived in the state of Chu in the late Spring and Autumn Period. There are 81 chapters in this book, with the first 37 chapters as the “Dao” part and the other 44 chapters as the “De” part. That’s why the book is named “Dao De Jing”. “Jing” refers to traditional Chinese classic masterpiece. The book of Dao De Jing is the first comprehensive philosophical system in the history of Chinese philosophy. The philosophy of Laozi covers three main and important aspects: the universe, then human life and politics. “Dao” as the metaphysical core appears for 74 times and “De” as a key concept shows 44 times in the next part in this work, exclusive of different substitutes and pronouns. “Dao” is the basic category of the universe changing, and it moves in cycles; “De”, on the other hand, is the expansion of “Dao” and its application in life, society and politics.
According to the record on history books, Lao Dan was a native from the State of Chu in the later Spring and Autumn Period. He was one of the most important philosophers in ancient China. It was presumed that he began his career as the librarian and archivist at the royal court of the Eastern Zhou dynasty when he was young. According to the record, Laotse was older than Confucius, the beginner of Confucian school, and Confucius once sought advice from him about rites of the Zhou dynasty, which showed Laotse’s erudition. At about middle age, he escaped to the State of Lu for some years because of persecution at home, then he returned and resumed his work and career. At about fifty, when a war broke out within the Empire, all his books and documents were looted away, and he naturally lost his position. He left then for the State of Qin. When he arrived at the Hangu Pass during his journey to escape, the pass keeper Yin Xi asked him to write a book for Xi, thus Lao Dan wrote this book. After then, Lao Dan lived a reclusive life in the State of Qin, and no one knew anything about him thereafter.