A Comparative Study of Metaphorical Reconstruction in the English Translation of “Tianxia” in the Mozi
As a core political-philosophical concept in the Mozi that integrates geographical, political, and ethical dimensions, “tianxia” has no equivalent expression in English, and its translation is essentially a cross-cultural reconstruction of metaphor. Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory, this paper compares the ways in which tianxia is handled in the translations by Mei Yi-Pao and Ian Johnston: Mei’s version emphasizes political metaphor and frequently employs omission to achieve pragmatic adaptation, while Johnston’s version uses geographical metaphor throughout, pursuing universality and textual coherence. The translator’s cultural stance, translation purpose, and audience jointly constrain metaphor choice. This study provides an empirical reference for the foreign translation of political-philosophical terms in Chinese classics, advancing cultural communication and the standardization of translation terminology.
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