In his preface to the translation of Evolution and Ethics, Yan Fu (嚴復) clearly articulated his translation objective and strategy: "The title indicates the aim to 'convey the meaning' (dá zhǐ, 達恉), rather than to present a 'written translation' (bǐ yì, 筆譯). It seeks instead to facilitate exposition and elaboration—this is certainly not a conventional method." This statement reflects his deliberate departure from conventional translation practices in order to transmit Western thought to Chinese readers. However, due to both his meticulous approach to rendering and the significant influence of his translation of Evolution and Ethics, the succinct phrase "the three difficulties of translation: xìn (信), dá (達), and yǎ (雅)"—which Yan Fu never explicitly defined—has gradually become a cornerstone in the discourse on translation studies within the Chinese-speaking world. Over time, the triad "xìn (信), dá (達), and yǎ (雅)" has inspired various interpretations and reinterpretations, shaping modern translation theory and even influencing the English translations of Yan Fu's own writings. To gain a more nuanced understanding of Yan Fu's translation philosophy, this study adopts an intertextual and discursive analytical approach, focusing on examining the multiple contextual meanings of the word dá (達) through social and cultural lenses. These include Yan Fu's own intellectual formation and translational convictions, the Confucian rhetorical tradition he inherited, subsequent reinterpretations and debates over the triad, the diachronic evolution of the word dá's (達) semantic field, and the divergence observed in its English renderings. Through this multi-contextual analysis, the study aims to offer a clearer perspective on Yan Fu's concept of dá and to propose more grounded insights for bridging translation theory and practice.
