Confucius
Edward Slingerland · 2003
Edward Slingerland's Hackett translation is the one I'd start with — accurate and clear, and uniquely it weaves in selections from the traditional Chinese commentaries, so you read the Analects the way Chinese readers always have: with the centuries of interpretation that make the terse sayings cohere. This is where I'd start.
D. C. Lau · 1979
D. C. Lau's Penguin translation is the accessible classic — straightforward, lightly annotated, with helpful appendixes on Confucius and the text. The most commonly read version, and a fine plain introduction.
Simon Leys · 1997
Simon Leys's Norton translation is the most concise and natural-sounding in English, with thoughtful notes. A lovely reading version if you want elegance over apparatus.
James Legge · 1893
James Legge's 19th-century translation is public domain and free — the Victorian scholar's standard, complete, if formal and dated. Free; fine for reference, with the modern versions easier to absorb.
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