The Phenomenon of Chinese Cultural Implications Lost in the English Translation of The Analects—Case Study of Legge’s Translation

In the context of accelerated globalization, the international dissemination of Chinese culture has become a task of great strategic importance and received great attention from all walks of life. As a classic work of traditional Chinese culture, the English translation of The Analects plays a crucial role in presenting Chinese wisdom and values to the world. James Legge’s English translation of The Analects had a great influence on the West. However, some problems deserve careful study. Based on Venuti’s translation theory, this paper analyzes James Legge’ s English translation, The Confucian Analects, classifies the phenomenon of the loss of cultural implications in the original language, explores its causes, and proposes appropriate translation strategies. The aim is to provide useful information on the practice of translating Chinese classics into English, effectively promote the broad and effective dissemination of Chinese culture, strengthen the soft power and international influence of Chinese culture, and promote in-depth exchange and harmonious coexistence between different cultures. It is shown that the loss of cultural implications is manifested mainly in philosophical concepts, historical allusions, and ritual terminology. The phenomenon is largely caused by language differences, cultural estrangement, the impact of the translator’s identity and considerations for target readers. Given the limited number of translation examples selected for this paper, future research should further broaden its horizons and explore the best opportunities to present China’s unique cultural qualities in traditional classics.