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The problem with translating any Chinese classics lays in their multi-layered meaning. Old Chinese literature is complicated because every author expected that
by aandrieiev 8y ago
The problem with translating any Chinese classics lays in their multi-layered meaning. Old Chinese literature is complicated because every author expected that the reader was accustomed to volumes of other classics and could comprehend all the references to them hidden in the text. No matter how many good translations we have, they will not help us resolve this issue. Furthermore, understanding Dao De Jing is problematic even for native speakers of Chinese, because they do not have proper educational background to comprehend what ideas the author wanted to convey even being able (as they think) to read the original text!
- pfortuny 8y agoYep, same as with Western Renaissance Literature (v.gr. Dante).
- henriquemaia 8y ago> The problem with translating any Chinese classics lays in their multi-layered meaning. Old Chinese literature is complicated I concede that can be troublesome. But, from a different perspective, it’s also kind of liberating. > understanding Dao De Jing is problematic even for native speakers of Chinese That being true, it allows you enough room of not being ashamed of your own interpretations, if you find them useful. In that sense, the text is much more alive, talking to you directly, instead of being an unsolvable puzzle that takes you away from it.