1、 Introduction

The rulers of the Qing Dynasty attached great importance to the Manchu translation of Chinese classics, which had already been included in official planning before entering the country in 1644. During the Qianlong period, the Manchu translation of classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics was completed. These translations played an important role in the Qing Dynasty's understanding of Chinese culture and implementation of governance policies, as well as providing a medium for the West to understand Chinese culture. Although both China and the West consider Manchu translation of Chinese books as a study tool, there are differences in their views on translation norms. Translation norms affect translators' strategies, but are subject to subjectivity and historical constraints, which may lead to deviations in translation narratives of different discourse systems. This article will explore the discourse and historical background of the norms of Chinese Manchu translation between China and the West, analyze the causes of cognitive differences, and reveal the cognitive differences between the Chinese and Western intellectual circles in modern times regarding Chinese Manchu translation.

2、 The Utilitarianism and Text Features of Chinese Manchu Translation

During the Qing Dynasty, Manchu became the official language, and missionaries began learning Manchu to gain support and participate in translation work. Manchu language is similar to Western languages and easy to learn, making Chinese Manchu translations a reliable way to interpret the original Chinese texts. The Chinese Manchu translation played an important role in the early Qing Dynasty for missionaries to learn the Manchu Chinese language and interpret Chinese classics. Despite the dissolution of the Jesuits, European scholars still use fully translated literature for Sinology research. The Manchu translation had an authoritative position in the Qing Dynasty and was regarded as an important reference for understanding China and translating Chinese classics. German sinologist M ü ller emphasized the importance of complete translation and fidelity. During the Kangxi and Qianlong periods, the translation of Chinese books into Manchu texts pursued a high degree of fidelity, with a tendency towards literal translation at the textual level. During the Qianlong period, translator Wei Xiangqian proposed that translation should be faithful to the original text, without adding or subtracting. The official practice of translating Chinese books into Manchu during the Qing Dynasty aimed to construct an idealized translation model, but there were differences in the understanding of literal translation effects between China and the West.

3、 Discourse Collision: Discussions on the Norms of Chinese Manchu Translation between the East and the West in the 18th and 19th Centuries

In the 18th and 19th centuries, scholars from both the East and the West had different views on the norms of full translation of Chinese classics. In the early Qing Dynasty, the differences between Manchu and Chinese languages made it difficult for Manchu translations to fully reproduce the conciseness and refinement of classical Chinese. Emperor Shunzhi and Emperor Kangxi emphasized sufficient translation at the semantic level, even if the full translation is more cumbersome than the original text, they expect the translation to be clear and easy to understand. Scholars during the Kangxi Dynasty believed that the Manchu translation took advantage of the consistency of Manchu classical Chinese, making the translation clear and concise. Emperor Qianlong attempted to adjust translation norms, emphasizing the inherent grammar and style of Manchu language, in order to improve the clarity of the translated text.

4、 Contradictory Rhetoric: The Clarity of Literal Translation

In the 18th and 19th centuries, there were differences in the standards for translating Chinese classics between the East and the West, mainly reflected in the interpretability of semantics and syntax. The rulers of the Qing Dynasty had confidence in the expressive ability of Manchu language, while cultural control limited internal critical voices, and the translation and application modes of Chinese Manchu translation were closely related to this. Before the Qianlong Dynasty, Manchu translations followed the Chinese interpretation model, using a "main text translation+annotated translation" approach to enhance interpretability through detailed Manchu annotations. During the Qianlong period, in order to solve the problem of annotations and annotations in Chinese, a translation model of "no annotations and no annotations" was proposed, using a bilingual comparison model of "Manchu translation+Chinese original text", which not only simplified annotations and annotations, but also limited the interpretation boundaries of classics. The integration of Manchu and Han ethnic groups helps Manchu readers understand the literal translation of Manchu texts, while Westerners face more reading barriers, but the "thick translation" or Manchu Chinese fusion model helps them understand. The Manchu translation of Qing Dynasty Chinese books served the system of translating and explaining classics and history, forming a "translation+explanation" model to ensure the authority of Manchu translations. Western missionaries have critically debated the drawbacks of translating Manchu characters based on comparative linguistic studies. With the advancement of research on Qing history abroad, systematic language training in Chinese and Manchu has helped Western scholars overcome language barriers and delve into the contextual meaning of Manchu translations. Manchu literal translation is seen as a favorable way to explore Qing history.

5、 Conclusion

In the 18th and 19th centuries, there were differences between Qing Dynasty and European scholars in exploring the norms of Chinese Manchu translation, reflecting the important role of Chinese Manchu translation in cultural exchanges between China and Europe. The Qing Dynasty controlled the interpretation of classics and historical texts through Manchu translation, promoting ethnic integration and the construction of orthodox rule. The critical use of European scholars has promoted the study of Manchu in European Sinology, providing a perspective for understanding multilingual China. In depth research on the historical connections and cognitive differences between the two sides has implications for exploring the history of translation and dissemination of Chinese classics and promoting the international dissemination of Chinese culture.