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/lit/ - Literature

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File: 385 KB, 1220x1917, Tao Te Ching.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
18263884 No.18263884 [Reply] [Original]

>Every translation changes the entirety of the texts meaning
how do i cope with this bros....

>> No.18263897

>>18263884
Learn 文言文 and lose the need to use translations

>> No.18263901

the meaning is fine

you're just looking for an excuse to post on lit and not read

>> No.18263924

Use D. C. Lau
his translation of Mencius is fine

>> No.18263947

>>18263901
right about the excuse but wrong about the text. each translation literally changes the whole fucking thing.
>>18263897
>spend 5 years learning one of the most complex languages so you can read a 20 page text
yea I cant see myself doing that
:(

>> No.18263957

>>18263924
Ok but why do you think that one is the best one?

>> No.18263962

>>18263947
>yea I cant see myself doing that
I don't blame you lol, I am learning modern Chinese and it's already rough

>> No.18264245

>>18263962
>be me
>chink
>can read Chinese literature in the original language
Won the genetic lottery bois

>> No.18264253

>>18264245
T I N Y P E N I S

>> No.18264261
File: 37 KB, 310x500, 51VaKQFdr6L.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
18264261

>>18263884

>> No.18264280

>>18264245
I kneel
I also suffer, HSK is changing now. They are adding a ton of new words and are making handwriting mandatory

>> No.18264281

>>18264261
hmm. ill look into this. Thanks!

>> No.18264294

>>18263884
The meaning that can be understood is no the true meaning

>> No.18264298

>>18264294
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

>> No.18264323

>>18263884
This is literally the same with every text. Stirner, who was highly influenced by the Tao Te Ching, argued even his work wasn't immune to such differences.

>> No.18264408
File: 81 KB, 347x288, trololol.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
18264408

The Tao can be translated is not the eternal Tao
problem?

>> No.18264528

>>18264253
>t. mutilated mutt

>> No.18265117

>>18263947
Then you won't understand the Dao.

>> No.18265159

Tao Te Ching presupposes virtue, good and evil, so it presupposes a particular world view. Can someone tell me which world view it presupposes?

I read the book recently but missed what it is saying, mainly because i am a nihilist and don't believe in virtue or good.

>> No.18265247

>>18263884
There is a compilation that gives 5 different translations to each line of the oroginal text.
I, of course, am not going to give it to you, as I do not like piracy :^)

>> No.18265283

>>18265159
>t. 15 y/o

>> No.18265309

>>18263897
>Learn 文言文 and lose the need to use translations
那,你知道没有这么简单的。
>>18264261
Thanks anon, ordered this just now, looks really interesting. I did modern Chinese for a few years, but never got into classical (probably never will 3bh). I've had a lot of professors who really go into the detail of the translator's work and I think it is vastly underrated

>> No.18265463

>>18263897
it's an extremely opaque text even if you recognize the characters used in the original text, doesn't mean you'll "get it" by any means

>> No.18265483

>>18265159
>i am a nihilist
You can't be a nihilist if you're under 30, because you have your youth. Once you're 30 and maybe ARE a nihilist, you'd never use that word, it wouldn't occur to you.

>> No.18265506

>>18265159
god i wish i could slap the shit out of you through the internet

>> No.18265512

>>18265159
>Thus Spoke Zarathustra presupposes virtue, good and bad, so it presupposes a particular world view. Can someone tell me which world view it presupposes?

>I read the book recently but missed what it is saying, mainly because i am a nihilist and don't believe in virtue or good.

>> No.18265529

>>18263884
I think Matgioi translated it into french, maybe check that out

>> No.18265547

>>18263897
You're still learning someone's interpretation. The text is too distant and has hundred of years worth of compounding interpretations from people who knew Classical Chinese better than you ever will and were much closer in time and intellectual culture.

>>18265463
I don't think so. I get the feeling it's fairly straightforward but mysticism, understanding it through interpretations, and the long passage of time has made it hard to understand.

>> No.18265553

>>18265159
You can't understand anything or anyone without entertaining its assumptions, reasoning, and aesthetic values. No one would understand you either (you are not truly nothing). You should be able to understand this if you're actually a nihilist.