Mei Yi-pao's English Translation of Mozi and the Dissemination of the Mohist Thought in the West
The 1929 publication of The Ethical and Political Works ofMotse by Mei Yi-pao marks a milestone in English translation of Mozi.As the first complete rendition of the Chinese classic undertaken by a Chinese scholar,the publication represents an early initiative by modem Chinese academe to actively engage with its Western counterpart in introducing classical Chinese philosophical thoughts to the West.Drawing upon available primary sources such as the translator's memoirs,doctoral theses,and relevant Western Sinological works,this study reexamines Mei's version in reference to the social,historical and cultural milieu prevailing at the time when it was published,in terms of its textual features,the motives for undertaking the project,and the translation's influence on subsequent developments in the field of Sinology.Reading Mei Yi-pao's translation of Mozi anew serves not only to illuminate the manner in which modern Chinese intellectuals used translation as a medium for raising cultural self-awareness and publicizing the sentiments and visions characteristic of Chinese civilization,but also to offer a historical vantage point from which to rethink contemporary Chinese translators'responsibilities and roles in the on-going efforts to disseminate Chinese culture.
Mei Yi-paoMoziChinese-English translationtranslatortranslation of Chinese classics
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