Delving into Translation Aesthetics, Examining Core Term Rendering—A Study of “Ren” & “Dao” in “Xue Er I of The Analects”

中华典籍，作为源远流长文明的重要承载体，自古以来承载着“守宗庙之典籍”的庄严使命，尤其在夏商周三代更被视为政教之重器。儒家经典《论语》，更是以其“仁”与“道”为思想精髓，成为中华文明瑰宝。自19世纪起，《论语》的英译作品便成为儒家思想传播至全球的重要桥梁。众多译本中，每个版本对核心词汇的翻译都各具特色。尤其是首篇《学而第一》，通过“劝学”这一主旨，系统地传达了儒家的治学理念。本研究以翻译美学理论为基础，选取了理雅各、阿瑟·威利及刘殿爵三大经典译本，从象似性、创作与优化三大原则入手，深入剖析译者如何运用美学策略，再现《论语》原文本中形与义的和谐之美。这一研究不仅为儒家思想的国际化传播提供了实证参考，也为中国特色翻译理论体系的构建提供了有益的启示。As an important carrier of the long-standing civilization, Chinese classics have since ancient times shouldered the solemn mission of “preserving the classics of the ancestral temple”, especially in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, they were regarded as significant tools for governance and education. The Confucian classic “The Analects of Confucius”, with its core ideas of “Ren” and “Dao”, has become a treasure of Chinese civilization. Since the 19th century, English translations of “The Analects of Confucius” have served as a vital bridge for the dissemination of Confucian thought worldwide. Among the numerous translations, each version has its unique approach to translating key terms. Particularly, the first chapter, “Xue Er I” through the theme of “encouraging learning”, systematically conveys the Confucian philosophy of scholarship. This study, based on translation aesthetics theory, selects three classic translations by James Legge, Arthur Waley, and D.C. Lau, and delves into how the translators employ aesthetic strategies to reproduce the harmony of form and meaning in the original text of “The Analects of Confucius”. The analysis focuses on three principles: iconicity, creative adaptation, and stylistic refinement, revealing how these translators balance linguistic fidelity with artistic expression to convey Confucian intellectual ideals across cultural boundaries. This research not only provides empirical references for the internationalization of Confucian thought but also offers valuable insights for the construction of a Chinese characteristic translation theory system.