JHASS

Article http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.03.015

A Comparative Study of the English Translation of Confucian “Ren” from the Perspective of Translator Subjectivity: A Corpus-based Analysis of The Analects and Mencius

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Chunping Lu

Department of Foreign Languages, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, Zhejiang, China.

*Corresponding author: Chunping Lu

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students of Shaoxing University in 2025, “Innovative Research on the International Communication Path of Confucian ‘Ren’ Thought Based on the Bilingual Parallel Corpus of the Thirteen Classics” (Project No.: 202510349037).

Published: March 31,2026

Abstract

Based on a self-constructed bilingual parallel corpus of the Confucian concept “Ren”, this study presents a comparative analysis of its English renderings in James Legge’s and Luo Zhiye’s translations of The Analects and Mencius. The results show that Legge predominantly employs virtue in The Analects (64.4%) but shifts to benevolence in Mencius (86.8%), indicating substantial cross-text variation. By contrast, Luo consistently adopts benevolence in both texts (over 90%), demonstrating a high degree of terminological stability. These findings point to two distinct translational orientations: contextual adaptation in Legge’s work and terminological standardization in Luo’s translation work. Drawing on the framework of translator subjectivity, this study argues that such differences are closely related to the translators’ cultural positioning, interpretive frameworks, and communicative purposes. This study finds that a strategy of “core translation term + contextual supplementation” can be adopted, thereby achieving a balance between understandability and accuracy. The study provides empirical evidence for understanding the translation of key Confucian concepts. More importantly, it contributes to cross-cultural dissemination.

Keywords

Ren; translator’s subjectivity; corpus translation

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How to cite this paper

A Comparative Study of the English Translation of Confucian “Ren” from the Perspective of Translator Subjectivity: A Corpus-based Analysis of The Analects and Mencius

How to cite this paper: Chunping Lu. (2026) A Comparative Study of the English Translation of Confucian “Ren” from the Perspective of Translator Subjectivity: A Corpus-based Analysis of The Analects and Mencius. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 10(3), 331-335.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.03.015