The Analects: Confucius

Rating:
Summary: Don't you want to know what the sage really said?
Review: China has been a nation governed by philosophers, among them many state officials trained by the great Confucius. My first contact with his sayings was in the old Charlie Chan movies where Confucius always seemed to have an important contribution to make in solving the murder. In the Analects we get more great sayings. But this time they are there to make an important contribution to our quest for the good life, which will follow naturally from self-cultivation and mastery of the Tao. I suppose there are some who don't need wisdom to live wisely. As for me, I am not that lucky. I need to read the philosophers like Confucius and get their input. Particularly important for modern times are the Master's statements about government, epistemology, rituals, and money. "In government, the secret is integrity. Use it." How about this one? "Shall I explain understanding for you, Lu? When you understand something, you know you understand it. When you don't understand something, know you don't understand it. That is understanding." Adept Kung wanted to do away with sacrificing sheep to announce a new moon to the ancestors. The Master said, "You love sheep, Kung." Pretty funny! The thing the really dropped me off my chair was the Master's explanation why a powerfull nation should never attack a less powerful nation preemptively. (This was the Chi versus Chung-Yu controversy, but it applies to Iraq.) Read that yourself and tell me if it doesn't make sense. Another gem: After the master heard a line from a poem: I haven't stopped loving you/ but your home is so far away - The Master said, "If he'd really loved her, he wouldn't have worried about the distance." Hinton's translations are simple and direct and relate to the spirit of the Chinese but not the letter. Those of you who know Chinese (I still murder the language after 22 years of study) know how difficult it is to translate into English. The reason is that the thoughts are actually different in Chinese and any translation therefore must miss the mark. Hinton is excellent but I also recommend you also take a look at the Arthur Wailey translation for a balanced view.

Rating:
Summary: Betrays the original
Review: Uses contemporary language better than most, but ultimately doesn't justify the many liberties it takes. (In at least one instance, a disciple's identity is actually changed!) "Humanity" as a translation for _ren_ is not improved by being capitalized. Wade-Giles romanization.