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University of Birmingham

Does Confucius’ 孝 (xiao) travel across time and languages

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This dissertation aims to explore the meaning of 孝 (xiao): an important Chinese traditional concept originated from Confucian morality. By investigating three different discourses across time and languages, based on the authentic language data drawn from two ancient Confucian texts, the Chinese Internet Corpus and the Bank of English, the meaning of 孝 as a social phenomenon in different time and languages is extracted. This dissertation also focuses on the translation study of 孝. From the perspective of corpus linguistics, through different meanings and ideologies revealed from different translations, I hope to discover, to what extent, translators’ translation purposes and strategies influence the translation effect. Based on the research from the perspective of corpus linguistics, I find 孝 in ancient Chinese refers to a complicated relationship in male-dominated feudal society, while 孝 in modern Chinese has narrowed its range of meaning and no gender bias is in connection with 孝. Furthermore, all the translations of 孝 had lost its sense of meaning addressing relationship to superiors.

Degree

thesis:*
Name dc:type.qualificationname
m_ph
Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
m_ph
Grantor dc:publisher.institution
University of Birmingham
Year dc:date.issued
2010

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Wang, Yuanting

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Birmingham
Base URL
etheses.bham.ac.uk/cgi/oai2
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Wang, Yuanting. Does Confucius’ 孝 (xiao) travel across time and languages. m_ph thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010.