Investigation of the practical effect of applying the concept of equivalence in linguistic school translation theories – using the example of “Lunyu”

at the intersection of linguistics and translation studies, key representatives of the Western linguistic trend in translation theory – Roman Jakobson, John Catford, Eugene Nida, and Peter Newmark – explained the concept of translation equivalence from different perspectives. However, differences in emphasis on equivalence components lead to different effects in translation practice when applying different theoretical approaches. In this article, using the example of various translations of “Lunyu” (“Conversations and judgments”) through the analysis, the effects of four types of translation equivalence are revealed: the effect of information balance, the effect of preserving meaning during the transformation of form, the effect of cultural adaptation, and the effect of expressing the author’s intention taking into account the interests of the reader. The purpose of the study is to suggest ways to apply translation theories and further explore the concept of equivalence.

linguistic school, western translation theory, concept of equivalence, translation effectiveness, translation of The Analects, translation of Chinese classics, translator subjectivity