Abstract
Since the Han dynasty, Confucianism is the way of civil administration. From the start of Qing dynasty, Confucianism is not only a vital component of the national cultural policy, but also a major means for the rulers to build spiritual authority and implement imperial governance. In this context, many Confucian classics represented by the Five Classics and Four Books have been translated or compiled, and their translations have been used not only for imperial examinations, but also for textbooks in the Eight Banners Official Schools. For the ruling class, translation of the Five Classics are particularly meaningful in poetics, politics, and culture: First, the translation of the Five Classics is an important way for the Eight Banners to learn the mainstream academic system and traditional moral standards of the Han ethnicity; second, reading the translations has shortened the cultural and psychological gap between the Manchu and Han ethnics, eased their tensions, enhanced their exchanges, and consolidated the foundation of governance.
This paper is supported by the Foundation of Educational Commission of Hu'nan Province, and is part of the key research project “A Study on the Translation Policy in the Early and Middle Qing Dynasty” (20A222)
Translated by Martin Woesler, Hunan Normal University, China.
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Yifeng, S. (2021). The Manchu Translation of the Five Classics in the Context of Confucianism. In: Moratto, R., Woesler, M. (eds) Diverse Voices in Chinese Translation and Interpreting. New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4283-5_2
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