The Analects of Confucius: A New Millennium Translation

Rating:
Summary: Christmas Gift as We Enter the New Millennium
Review: As the 20th century comes to an end, both scientific achievements and material abundance have reached record-high levels. But, avariance and emptiness in humans and cruelties and coarseness in the society have also produced violences rarely seen in history. The best-selling books in rcent years in the United States, in Taiwan, and in Hongkong are mainly on self-encouragement and self-improvement, reflecting the thirst for spiritual and emotional guidance by people in search of direction. For this Christmas, would you be willing to buy, for your US-raised children and grandchildren, for your fellow first-generation-immigrant friends and relatives, or even for yourself, a classical book that embodies the wisdom of life as a gift as we enter the beautiful new millennium?

David Li's the Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Translation, is such a book.

Graduated from St. John's University in Shanghai, well known for the command of English, Mr. Li earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from the University of Illinois. He was a Professor at the California State University, Fullerton; at the University of Washington, Seattle; and at the University of Texas, Dallas. He was also a Visiting Professor to the Chinese University of Hong Kong and to India.

Versed in seven or eight foreign languages, Mr. Li, prior to translating the Analects of Confucius, has published 16 English-language books single-handedly. Although he left China at age 20 and spent more than a half century abroad, Mr. Li nevertheless feels a personal responsibility for the dissimination of Chinese culture to the world. Even though a septuagenarian, Mr. Li still goes to the Library of Congress regularly to collect materials, and to Taiwan and mainland to do interviews and research. He also already published books on Xiangqi and on Mah-jong.

Although there are over 20 English translations of Confucius's Analects, what prompted Mr. Li to engage in another translation of this 2500-year-old classic?

1) age - personal experiences accumulated through 70 years of life allow him to appreciate the real meaning of the Analects.

2) facility in both Chinese and English; observance of translation standards of truthfulness, clarity, and elegance

3) avoidance of incorrect interpretation and inaccurate translation

4) exhaustive annotation - some 500 footnotes for the Analects' 515 segments, with particular emphasis on historical background and geopolitical environment likely to be unfamiliar to wester readers, and on cross-references between abstract concepts and specific applications

5) several indexes (this is a common shortcoming of reference works in Chinese; indexes in this book evidences Mr. Li's schoarlship after decades of western-style training) - including a chronology on Confucius, an index of his disciples, an index of people other than his disciples, and a subject index.

I was particularly moved by Mr. Li's dedicating this work to the Younger Generation of Chinese Ethnicity, expressing the hope that they would be proud of their cultural heritage that is second to none.

This new translation of the Analects of Confucius should not only be read by our American-raised younger generations, but should also be recommended to friends of other ethnicity, even to the first-generation immigrants who were deprived of opportunities of gaining access to Confucius's thoughts in their growing-up period, or who had misunderstood his teachings. They should all take advantage of this elegant and thoughtful bilingual volume to gain a new understanding of Confucian thought.

Rating:
Summary: The Analects of Confucius as Literature
Review: In China, the Analects of Confucius is also viewed as literature. In this context, the Analects is particularly strong on four fronts: concise sentences, parallel construction, juxtaposed words, and rhymed expression. As one who approaches this translation aimed at setting the record straight, I have made every effort to preserve these features.

An example of concise words is the following (Confucius on his aspirations):

Comfort the elderly, confide in friends, caress the young.

An example of parallel construction with imbedded juxtaposition of words is the following:

A gentleman does not parade petty cleverness, but readies for major missions. A common man is not ready for major missions, but parades petty cleverness.

Rhymed expressions in the Analects are mainly quotations from Poems, from Writings (two classics Confucius edited), and from Old Sayings -- there are about 30 such passages in the Analects (key-word indexed at the back of my book). An example, on the importance of one's words, is the following:

An imperfection in a white jade scepter,

By grinding, can be restored to perfection;

Any imperfection in words you utter

Is beyond restoration by any application.

I also wish to take this opportunity to thank Phil Innes, a well-known chess impressario, for his comment on my book. One of his quotes ("If one cannot resist minor temptations, one's grand plan might be ruined"), which I used in the preface to illustrate the Analects's relevance as we approach the new millennium, is introduced with the following sentence:

To many with a lofty design -- and who doesn't, whether it is managing one's personal finance, building a corporate empire, exerting leverage in the Olympics, or guiding a superpower -- Confucius's advice is as fresh as ever.

Clearly, this applies equally well to playing a board game, such as western chess. Indeed, the "gambit" in many western chess openings is an example of "minor temptations."

Rating:
Summary: Li's annotations point out subtleties - "Red Pencil"
Review: In today's "The Red Pencil" column, which specializes in word usage, columnist Chris Redgate commented David Li's "The Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Bilingual Edition" as follows:

"Translation is never simple. And you can't translate Chinese word for word because Chinese uses symbols, usually called characters. I loved David H. Li's bilingual text, which, unlike my Waley, reminded me on every page how different from English the original Chinese looks. What about a character-for-word translation? Well, Chinese characters can involve meanings that don't show up well in plain English. Li's annotations often point out such subtleties."

Rating:
Summary: Excellent work
Review: Li's translation on various passages are really wonderful -- truly reflecting the traditional culture of Chinese under "Confucism" -- "li" (Conduct). In fa (Law, Legal) society (most in U.S. and contemporary transitional Taiwan}, individualities are based on legalistic conditions/situations. Personal morality and values under "li" are frequently questioned. Li's book may serve a bridge for American Chinese to discuss the disparities between "li" and "fa". Parents/teachers may use Li's book as the means for educational purposes. Good -- excellent work.

For example: "A common man will do whatever is needed to be out of poverty" (p 182). This sentence connotes "bad" value in Chinese tradition. But the conception is "good" in the American contemporary mentality. This represents a cultural and temporal diversity. In Li's book, Li did not endorse either. For this reason, Li's book is extremely valuable as an educational means.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent work
Review: Li's translation on various passages are really wonderful -- truly reflecting the traditional culture of Chinese under "Confucism" -- "li" (Conduct). In fa (Law, Legal) society (most in U.S. and contemporary transitional Taiwan}, individualities are based on legalistic conditions/situations. Personal morality and values under "li" are frequently questioned. Li's book may serve a bridge for American Chinese to discuss the disparities between "li" and "fa". Parents/teachers may use Li's book as the means for educational purposes. Good -- excellent work.

For example: "A common man will do whatever is needed to be out of poverty" (p 182). This sentence connotes "bad" value in Chinese tradition. But the conception is "good" in the American contemporary mentality. This represents a cultural and temporal diversity. In Li's book, Li did not endorse either. For this reason, Li's book is extremely valuable as an educational means.

Rating:
Summary: Most valuable to those who can read both Chinese and English
Review: This [Dr. Li's] rendition is most valuable to those who can read some Chinese but need English translation to fully understand the passages in Chinese. An example is the following (4.10); the passage in Chinese is rendered as follows:

The Master said: "A gentleman focuses on virtue; a common man, on land. A gentleman focuses on civic responsibilities; a common man, on gaining advantage."

With a footnote, explaining that "land" is a general reference to items of value, that passage in Chinese is fully and accurately translated into English.

This volume by Dr. Li, "The Analects of Confucius, a New-Millennium Translation," is a very worthwhile book to read.

Rating:
Summary: A title 2,500 years ago is of interest to us chess players
Review: Why is a title, Lun Yu, from 2,500 years ago of any interest to us chess players?

The author addresses this question in a forward evoking current events, the tribulations of President Clinton, and, in a personal context, there is an amusing quote from the hyper-modern Confucius: "When a fault is allowed to remain uncorrected, that is then a fault," and also "If one cannot resist minor temptations, one's grand plan might be ruined."

Confucius seems so ancient that he is practically new to us. Although I joke about hyper-modernism, the intent of the author seems to be to present the work as current advice on a palpable them of Confucius, Conduct.

Perhaps the best compliment that I could offer to him, by way of his current interpreter, is that I picked up his book and paid it rapt attention, the kind usually reserved for new chess titles.

I should finish with something of value to any writer on a newsgroup, or elsewhere:

"When a name cannot be justified, words have no authority. When words have no authority, missions cannot be accomplished, Conduct and music cannot flourish. When Conduct and music are not flourishing, penalties and punishments cannot be on target. When penalties and punishments are not on target, the populace are without anchors to guide themselves. Thus, a gentleman's name must have authority; his words must be put into practice. A gentleman, in relation to his words, must always be vigilant."

And he has.

Phil Innes