The Tri-Leveled Translation Approach: A Systematic Model for Translating Chinese Classics

Abstract

This article elaborates the Tri-Leveled Translation Approach as a systematic and operational model for the translation or retranslation of Chinese classics, with the Tao Te Ching as its illustrative case. The model is motivated by six interrelated causes: the long history and profound cultural accumulation of Chinese classics, the communicative gap between source and target cultures, the radical differences between local cultures, the precious wisdom contained in historical texts, the need for solutions to contemporary social problems, and the translator's historical mission of cultural transmission. Drawing on Holz-Mänttäri's Theory of Translatorial Action, Nord's function-plus-loyalty principle, Venuti's critique of translator invisibility, and Gadamer's hermeneutics, the model distinguishes three interrelated levels. The micro level prioritizes literal meaning through foreignization and literal translation with annotation, serving researchers and scholars while ensuring cultural fidelity. The meso level focuses on implied meaning through domestication and free translation, serving general readers while enhancing accessibility and practical guidance. The macro level engages in translation-writing to convey metaphysical wisdom, serving readers seeking spiritual resonance while manifesting translator subjectivity. The article specifies the research objectives, research questions, methodology, operational procedure, evaluative criteria, and application scope of the model, arguing that it offers a flexible, ethically grounded heuristic for producing translations that are culturally faithful, communicatively effective, and spiritually resonant. By coordinating the relationships among source-text author, target reader, and translator, the Tri-Leveled Translation Approach responds to the multi-agent nature of translational action and provides a practical roadmap for the global dissemination of Chinese classics.