The Language Barrier
It is true of all philosophical writings that it is difficult for one to have a complete understanding and full appreciation of them if one cannot read them in the original. This is due to the language barrier. Because of the suggestive character of Chinese philosophical writings, the language barrier becomes even more formidable. The suggestiveness of the sayings and writings of the Chinese philosophers is something that can hardly be translated. When one reads them in translation, one misses the suggestiveness; and this means that one misses a great deal.
A translation, after all, is only an interpretation. When one translates a sentence from, say, the Lao-tzu, one gives one's own interpretation of its meaning. But the translation may convey only one idea, while as a matter of fact, the original may contain many other ideas besides the one given by the translator. The original is suggestive, but the translation is not, and cannot be. So it loses much of the richness inherent in the original.
There have been many translations of the Lao-tzu and the Confucian Analects. Each translator has considered the translations of others unsatisfactory. But no matter how well a translation is done, it is bound to be poorer than the original. It needs a combination of all the translations already made and many others not yet made, to reveal the richness of the Lao-tzu and the Confucian Analects in their original form.
Kumarajiva, of the fifth century A.D., one of the greatest translators of the Buddhist texts into Chinese, said that the work of translation is just like chewing food that is to be fed to others. If one cannot chew the food oneself, one has to be given food that has already been chewed. After such an operation, however, the food is bound to be poorer in taste and flavor than the original.
语言障碍
一个人若不能读哲学著作原文，要想对它们完全理解、充分欣赏，是很困难的，对于一切哲学著作来说都是如此。这是由于语言的障碍。加以中国哲学著作富于暗示的特点，使语言障碍更加令人望而生畏了。中国哲学家的言论、著作富于暗示之处，简直是无法翻译的。只读译文的人，就丢掉了它的暗示，这就意味着丢掉了许多。
一种翻译，终究不过是一种解释。比方说，有人翻译一句《老子》，他就是对此句的意义作出自己的解释。但是这句译文只能传达一个意思，而在实际上，除了译者传达的这个意思，原文还可能含有许多别的意思。原文是富于暗示的，而译文则不是，也不可能是。所以译文把原文固有的丰富内容丢掉了许多。
《老子》、《论语》现在已经有多种译本。每个译者都觉得别人的翻译不能令人满意。但是无论译得多好，译本也一定比原本贫乏。需要把一切译本，包括已经译出的和其他尚未译出的，都结合起来，才能把《老子》、《论语》原本的丰富内容显示出来。
公元五世纪的鸠摩罗什，是把佛经译为汉文的最大翻译家之一，他说，翻译工作恰如嚼饭喂人。一个人若不能自己嚼饭，就只好吃别人嚼过的饭。不过经过这么一嚼，饭的滋味、香味肯定比原来乏味多了。
（涂又光汉译）
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青春就应该这样绽放 游戏测试：三国时期谁是你最好的兄弟！！ 你不得不信的星座秘密![]()
It is true of all philosophical writings that it is difficult for one to have a complete understanding and full appreciation of them if one cannot read them in the original. This is due to the language barrier. Because of the suggestive character of Chinese philosophical writings, the language barrier becomes even more formidable. The suggestiveness of the sayings and writings of the Chinese philosophers is something that can hardly be translated. When one reads them in translation, one misses the suggestiveness; and this means that one misses a great deal.
A translation, after all, is only an interpretation. When one translates a sentence from, say, the Lao-tzu, one gives one's own interpretation of its meaning. But the translation may convey only one idea, while as a matter of fact, the original may contain many other ideas besides the one given by the translator. The original is suggestive, but the translation is not, and cannot be. So it loses much of the richness inherent in the original.
There have been many translations of the Lao-tzu and the Confucian Analects. Each translator has considered the translations of others unsatisfactory. But no matter how well a translation is done, it is bound to be poorer than the original. It needs a combination of all the translations already made and many others not yet made, to reveal the richness of the Lao-tzu and the Confucian Analects in their original form.
Kumarajiva, of the fifth century A.D., one of the greatest translators of the Buddhist texts into Chinese, said that the work of translation is just like chewing food that is to be fed to others. If one cannot chew the food oneself, one has to be given food that has already been chewed. After such an operation, however, the food is bound to be poorer in taste and flavor than the original.
语言障碍
一个人若不能读哲学著作原文，要想对它们完全理解、充分欣赏，是很困难的，对于一切哲学著作来说都是如此。这是由于语言的障碍。加以中国哲学著作富于暗示的特点，使语言障碍更加令人望而生畏了。中国哲学家的言论、著作富于暗示之处，简直是无法翻译的。只读译文的人，就丢掉了它的暗示，这就意味着丢掉了许多。
一种翻译，终究不过是一种解释。比方说，有人翻译一句《老子》，他就是对此句的意义作出自己的解释。但是这句译文只能传达一个意思，而在实际上，除了译者传达的这个意思，原文还可能含有许多别的意思。原文是富于暗示的，而译文则不是，也不可能是。所以译文把原文固有的丰富内容丢掉了许多。
《老子》、《论语》现在已经有多种译本。每个译者都觉得别人的翻译不能令人满意。但是无论译得多好，译本也一定比原本贫乏。需要把一切译本，包括已经译出的和其他尚未译出的，都结合起来，才能把《老子》、《论语》原本的丰富内容显示出来。
公元五世纪的鸠摩罗什，是把佛经译为汉文的最大翻译家之一，他说，翻译工作恰如嚼饭喂人。一个人若不能自己嚼饭，就只好吃别人嚼过的饭。不过经过这么一嚼，饭的滋味、香味肯定比原来乏味多了。
（涂又光汉译）
青春就应该这样绽放 游戏测试：三国时期谁是你最好的兄弟！！ 你不得不信的星座秘密