Balancing Domestication and Innovation: A Study of David Hinton’s English Translation of The Analects

Abstract

David Hinton’s English translation of The Analects distinguishes itself in classical text translation through its pronounced domestication strategy and fluent modern English style. Framed within Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS), this paper conducts a comparative analysis of the textual features of Hinton’s translation, examining his “interpretive recreation” strategy and highlighting its “concise and fluid” characteristics. Statistical analysis reveals that Hinton’s translation reduces average sentence length by 40% (8.3 words per sentence compared to James Legge’s 14.2 words) and employs less lexically complex vocabulary. By translating culturally loaded terms with domestication techniques and adopting colloquial syntax, Hinton enhances textual readability while achieving cultural mediation. The study demonstrates that Hinton’s translation pioneers a new model of classical text translation for general readers, offering a dual paradigm of linguistic accessibility and cultural adaptation for the global dissemination of Chinese culture.