The Zhongyong, also known as The Doctrine of the Mean, has gradually attained recognition as a philosophical classic over more than 300 years of translation endeavor, since its initial English translation in 1691. A comprehensive review of its translation history unveils significant shifts in the understanding and reception of The Zhongyong. The work has been rendered into 29 English versions, that encompasses full translations, selected translations, compilations, and even adaptations in comic form. In this paper a detailed overview of the English translation history of The Zhongyong is presented, that categorizes it into three distinct phases: (1) “An Interpretation of Confucianism through a Christian Lens (1691-1905)”, in which, translators primarily sought to draw parallels between Confucianism and Christianity. (2) “An Interpretation of Confucianism through Western Cultural Frameworks (1906-2000)”, where translators predominantly adopted a culturally oriented translation strategy, that aligned The Zhongyong with Western philosophical and cultural paradigms. (3) “A Reinterpretation of Confucianism through Its Chinese Cultural Context (2001-present)”, in which, the focus shifts to the restoration of the original philosophical and cultural essence of the text, and contributes to its canonization as a philosophical classic within global discourse. The translation of the title “Zhongyong,” is further examined through an analysis of four representative renditions to illustrate the diverse conceptual understandings they reflect. The findings indicate a notable trend towards interpretive translation, wherein various strategies are employed to enhance readers’ comprehension of complex philosophical concepts. As the demographic of translators has diversified, translation strategies have also evolved from domestication in the earlier phases to foreignization in the contemporary phase, which signifies a growing emphasis on preserving the authentic Chinese philosophical context.

The ‘bhanita’ or the signature line is a characteristic feature of Vaishnava poetry using which the poet participates in the cosmic drama (leela) of Radha–Krishna, or Chaitanya. In his book of verses, ‘Bhanusingha Thakurer Padabali’ (The Poems of Sun Lion), first published in 1875, Rabindranath Tagore reuses the aesthetics, form and theme of Vaishnava poetry. Thus, in Tagore's poems, the form of the bhanita undergoes a marked transformation. In the 2003-English translation of Tagore's text, ‘The Lover of God’, Tony K. Stewart and Chase Twichell further experiment with the form, as Twichell who is unfamiliar with the original language and tradition uses unconventional techniques to translate Tagore's text.

This paper explores how the politics of desire is represented and transformed through the two-fold translations that occur: Tagore's adaptation of the Vaishnava lyric form, and Twichell's English translation of Tagore's Padabali. The paper looks at the role and the difference of bhanita in Vaishnava lyrics, and in Bhanusingha's songs, focusing on how Tagore re-structures the bhanita to assume a female persona to initiate a discourse on love, desire and longing in his Padabali that is at once both personal and political. Besides the obvious gender change, the aesthetics of form and articulation of the self and desire assume a queer potential in these poems. The paper then analyses how the queer aesthetics and representation are reframed and reprocessed in the English translation of the text published several years later. Using William J. Spurlin's observations, the essay foregrounds how translation and the untranslatable constitute a queer space, praxis and phenomenon by close-reading this particular South Asian literary discourse, poetic form and texts. It attempts to initiate new discussions in the interdisciplinary fields of queer studies, and translation studies in the context of South Asian literary cultures, where often the manifestations of queerness and desire are different from the dominant LGBTQIA+ narrative.

This paper offers a comparative analysis of the moral and ethical dimensions embedded within The Analects of Confucius and the Bible, two of the most influential texts in Eastern and Western cultures respectively. The objective of this study is to explore the philosophical foundations of these texts and to identify both the contrasting and complementary ethical systems they propose. Through a detailed examination of their moral teachings, this paper seeks to deepen our understanding of the cultural underpinnings that shape these two worldviews.

The Analects of Confucius places significant emphasis on the cultivation of personal virtue through the emulation of moral exemplars, the internalization of ethical standards, and the guidance of one’s conscience. In contrast, the Bible focuses more on the concepts of self-discipline, the active performance of moral duties, and a legalistic approach to ethics that demands adherence to divine commandments. While the two texts differ in their conceptualization of morality—Confucian ethics being more relational and inner-directed, and Biblical ethics more action-oriented and duty-bound—both converge in their foundational principles of “benevolence” (仁) in Confucian thought and “love” in Christian teachings. These principles, despite their varying contexts, illustrate the shared human aspiration toward moral transcendence and the pursuit of a harmonious society.

Further, both The Analects and the Bible underscore the importance of social harmony and order, albeit through different ethical frameworks. Confucianism advocates for societal harmony through proper relationships and rituals, while Christianity emphasizes the necessity of love for one’s neighbor and the role of divine grace in fostering peace. This convergence in their focus on societal well-being hints at the potential for a global ethical consensus that can bridge Eastern and Western cultural divides. By prioritizing virtues that promote social stability, both texts offer a model for ethical conduct that extends beyond individual morality to encompass the collective good.

Building upon these insights, this paper proposes three key recommendations for the future of intercultural dialogue and global ethical development. First, it is crucial to preserve and promote the shared ethical principles of “benevolence” and “love,” which can serve as common ground for intercultural communication and mutual understanding. Second, fostering respect for cultural differences is essential, as it allows for reciprocal learning and collaborative progress in global moral discourse. Third, enhancing intercultural dialogue is vital to achieving the goal of "harmony in diversity," wherein diverse ethical traditions can coexist while respecting each other’s values and practices. This study not only deepens our understanding of Chinese and Western moral thought but also provides meaningful insights into the potential for building a more harmonious global community through cross-cultural understanding.

Cultural references in source texts can be the trickiest part of translation, as they involve choosing the right words and understanding the culture behind them. Translation studies all over the world are experiencing a cultural revolution in all its senses as never before. Translation of Culture-specific items has been and remains one of the topical issues. Anandamath was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and first published in 1882. It is an important work in Indian literature and nationalism. The book contains many cultural references that are difficult to translate. This study aims to explore how Culture-Specific Items (CSIs) have been translated by Sri Aurobindo and Naresh Chandra Sen-Gupta. Furthermore, it examines the ideologies and translation strategies of these two translators. Newmark’s (2010) categorization of culture-specific items was adopted to classify the culture-specific items and Newmark’s (1988) strategies for Culture-specific items translation.

The classic motif of ‘Demoness-monk seduction’ first seen in Buddhist scriptures, refers to the demon Mara sending his daughters, who are demonesses, to seduce Prince Siddhartha in order to stop his enlightenment. This motif later emerged in ancient Chinese vernacular novels, giving rise to many stories in which demonesses seduce monks. It has also appeared in subversive forms in contemporary Chinese writing, changing the concept of SeQing色情. While the idea of evil women enticing men is not new to literature, the asceticism requirement of monks has resulted in a distinct Chinese literary variation that differs from the Western femme fatale. With a focus on three popular works—Journey to the West (1500s), Green Snake (1986), and Faithful to Buddha, Faithful to You (2008)—this paper will compare the different representations in which the plot of Demoness-monk seduction and analyse the changes in the images of the demoness and the monk under the evolution of this motif, so as to examine the changes in the meaning of the plot of seduction. The demoness, who has only one sentence in the Buddhist scriptures, transforms into several beautiful demonesses with dangerous power in Journey to the West, but continues the traditional narrative of monks rejecting the sexual seduction of the demoness and eventually succeeding in their Buddhist cultivation. In Green Snake, the image of the demoness changes from a sexual seducer to an emotional subject, and the seduction of the monks becomes a way of experiencing humans’ emotions through sex. It challenged the rationality of abstinence. Faithful to Buddha, Faithful to You is a further subversion of this motif, in which the heroine is no longer a demonic sexual seducer but a human woman who establishes a modern love relationship with Hatamarishi. The image of the demoness and the monk changes from the opposition of good and evil to the reversal of identity to the building of a love relationship, showing the transformation from Se色 to Qing情, reflecting the imagination of eroticism, taboo, and moral relationships in different periods. In addition, the significant plot of Demoness-monk seduction has become a well-known episode that has impressed audiences due to the influential film and television adaptations of these three works. Therefore, this paper will focus more on the contemporary interpretation of this motif in Green Snake and Faithful to Buddha, Faithful to You, analysing how popular culture has reconfigured this motif in light of sociocultural backgrounds and exploring how contemporary narratives have given seduction a new dimension of emotion, power, and subjectivity, thereby transcending traditional erotic taboos and reshaping the relationship between eroticism and morality. The paper will also explore how the contemporary interpretation of the Demoness-monk seduction has broadened people's understanding of Qing情, beyond individual love to include a wider range of worldwide emotions, and provided more possibilities for emotional expression.