Journal of Global Humanities and Social Sciences 2737-5374 2737-5382 BONI FUTURE DIGITAL PUBLISHING CO.,LIMITED https://ojs.bonfuturepress.com/index.php/GHSS/article/view/2083 1 1 2026 2026-09-15 The Feasibility of Translating "Li" as Code in Different Contexts of the Zuo Zhuan: A Comparison of Human and AI Translations Hang Dong Li is a core concept with multiple meanings in the Zuo Zhuan. It can refer to concrete ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, sacrifices, and banquets, and it can also denote Zhou ritual institutions, political order, diplomatic conventions, status ethics, and behavioral norms. Existing studies show that li cannot be simply equated with ritual, rites, or propriety; its translation must vary according to context. This study examines 50 passages containing li from the Zuo Zhuan and compares two human translations—those by James Legge and Luo Zhiye—with AI translations produced by ChatGPT and DeepSeek. It focuses on the range of applicability of the English word code as a translation for li. In the prompts, the two AI systems were deliberately instructed to test the possibility of code first, while also permitting other renderings in contexts involving concrete ceremonies, etiquette, and courteous treatment. Through item-by-item analysis and manual review, 30 of the 50 passages could use code relatively naturally; 12 could use it but with a semantic shift or a need for a limiting collocation; and 8 were not recommended for code. The study argues that code is better suited to expressing the institutional, normative, and systematic dimensions of li. When li is realized as a concrete ceremony, external etiquette, or actual courteous treatment, renderings such as rites, etiquette, and courtesy are more natural. Code therefore cannot become a fixed equivalent of li, but it has certain advantages when the meaning is that of a normative system. Zuo Zhuan,Li,code,James Legge,AI translation,context 10.61360/BoniGHSSAH262020830103

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