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> I don't fault her on this I do. She didn't know Chinese. For her to attempt a translation (by mashing up earlier translations) shows contempt for Chinese cu
by mjd 2y ago
> I don't fault her on this
I do. She didn't know Chinese. For her to attempt a translation (by mashing up earlier translations) shows contempt for Chinese culture and literature.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wn0qtj.12 https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wn0qtj.12
- sorokod 2y agoDo you feel as strongly about king James version of the bible?
- mjd 2y agoHow is that relevant? Unlike Le Guin, the translators of the KJV knew the original languages.
- jhbadger 2y agoTo a degree. But a lot of the weirdness of the KJV (like how it mentions "unicorns" nine times despite the ancient Hebrews having no concept of that mythological beast) seem to be because the translators were also using a lot of the existing Latin Vulgate translation (where the Hebrew word now believed to mean "auroch" was mistranslated as "unicornis" as the Hebrew literally means "horned animal")
- bubblyworld 2y agoI don't think Ursula Le Guin ever called it a translation herself - she was pretty clear about it being a rendition of existing translations.
- Smaug123 2y agoIndeed, she was very explicit that she interpreted it, and she specifically said several times in her rendition that this was not a translation because she only had word-by-word translations and other people's translations to go off.
- nataliste 2y ago>contempt /kən-tĕmpt′/ noun >The feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn. >The state of being despised or dishonored. "was held in contempt by his former friends." >Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body. None of these definitions match with your usage of contempt and is an inappropriate use of the word. Your post "shows contempt" for English. Ironic.