Reconstructing the English Translation Network of the Tao Te Ching: An SNA-Based Study of Indirect Translation

This study investigates indirect translation in the English history of the Tao Te Ching through Social Network Analysis (SNA). Based on a self-constructed corpus of 254 English translations, of which 40 exhibit clear indirect translation practices, translators are modeled as nodes and source-text dependencies as directed ties inferred from paratextual evidence. The network analysis reveals a pronounced core—periphery structure in which a small number of translations function as central hubs, while academically authoritative translations remain relatively peripheral. Drawing on Bourdieu’s field theory as an interpretive aid, the study argues that indirect translation operates as a relational and socially mediated process shaped by translator profiles, publishing dynamics, and collective interpretive patterns.