Catholic Culture in the French Translation of the Classic of Poetry by the Jesuit Missionary Pierre-Martial Cibot

The French Jesuit missionary Pierre-Martial Cibot translated “Wen Wang” and “Si Qi” from the “Greater Odes of the Kingdom” of the Classic of Poetry into French. Three points are discussed in this essay. Firstly, while the original Chinese poem “Wen Wang” described the relations among Tian, Shangdi,and Wen Wang, in the French translation the three were metaphors for the Christian Trinity. Secondly, King Wen is the focus of the poem “Wen Wang,” while in translation it has been transferred to reverence of Tien(敬天). Thirdly, the French translation of "Wen Wang" and "Si Qi" described Wen Wang and his mother Si Qi,both perfect in virtue, as metaphors for Jesus and his mother Maria. In this way, the culture of the translator was planted into the translation, and the meaning of the poems, as well as the culture transmitted, was transformed.