Comments on: Tao question...

Question: Tao question...

digital-dragonfly — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:18:29 -0800

is there a parallel Tao Te Ching?

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:31:40 -0800

Maybe you could clarify this question a bit more. What do you mean by "parallel"?

By: digital-dragonfly

digital-dragonfly — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:41:31 -0800

a friend showed me a "parallel bible" It contained 4 different translations/versions, each verse next to each other across the page. I was wondering if this had been done with the Tao Te Ching.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:53:28 -0800

There's an edition on my bookshelf that has Mandarin and English on opposing pages. I don't remember the publisher's name, but it was a common one. If I remember right, some of the Tao Te Ching is missing or unintelligible? As there are gaps where translators apply their interpretations liberally, you'll probably find numerous "parallel" versions.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:15:23 -0800

I googled "parallel tao te ching" and found a version that had bible verses written parallel to the chapters of the tao te ching that were supposed to have similar meaning.

Personally, I thought it did not work at all, but it's sort of an example of what you have in mind.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:57:37 -0800

I have one translated by Red Pine that has, for each verse, the original Chinese, a parallel literal English translation, and a page or two of English-language translations of commentary on that verse.

Amazon

By: digital-dragonfly

digital-dragonfly — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:08:38 -0800

I saw the Mandarin vs English also... (thanks BP)
and the Bible vs Tao (thanks GZ)

What I am looking for is like those, but with 2 or more english versions on each facing page. sorta:
Trans 1 Verse 1->Trans 2 Verse 1-> Trans 3 Verse 1 ->Trans 4 Verse 1
Tran 1 Verse 2 -> Trans 2 Verse 2-> ...
and so on down the page

By: breaks the guidelines?

breaks the guidelines? — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:48:19 -0800

This site has the Tao Te Ching, along with some other Chinese texts, presented in the original Chinese along with several translations.

By: breaks the guidelines?

breaks the guidelines? — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:53:19 -0800

My professor for Taoism in college, Russell Kirkland at UGA, was very particular about the English translations we were allowed to use for his class. IIRC, the translators/editors he approved of were Eva Wong, Livia Kohn, and Thomas Cleary, along with a couple of others..

By: Zed_Lopez

Zed_Lopez — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:11:45 -0800

See here.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:13:50 -0800

Woah - Zed_Lopez wins. About 20 translations there.

By: digital-dragonfly

digital-dragonfly — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:43:07 -0800

Zed_Lopez, thank you. Oddly, not the layout I was expecting... but better & more versions too!
Thank you to all others who sent links... I will be bookmarking them all.

By: Baldons

Baldons — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 04:13:50 -0800

100+ Translations of Chapter 1