Tao question...
October 26, 2007 9:18 AM Subscribe
is there a parallel Tao Te Ching?
Response by poster: 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.
posted by digital-dragonfly at 9:41 AM on October 26, 2007
posted by digital-dragonfly at 9:41 AM on October 26, 2007
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.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:53 AM on October 26, 2007
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:53 AM on October 26, 2007
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.
posted by GuyZero at 10:15 AM on October 26, 2007
Personally, I thought it did not work at all, but it's sort of an example of what you have in mind.
posted by GuyZero at 10:15 AM on October 26, 2007
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
posted by pracowity at 10:57 AM on October 26, 2007 [1 favorite]
Amazon
posted by pracowity at 10:57 AM on October 26, 2007 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: 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
posted by digital-dragonfly at 11:08 AM on October 26, 2007
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
posted by digital-dragonfly at 11:08 AM on October 26, 2007
This site has the Tao Te Ching, along with some other Chinese texts, presented in the original Chinese along with several translations.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 11:48 AM on October 26, 2007
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 11:48 AM on October 26, 2007
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..
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 11:53 AM on October 26, 2007
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 11:53 AM on October 26, 2007
Woah - Zed_Lopez wins. About 20 translations there.
posted by GuyZero at 12:13 PM on October 26, 2007
posted by GuyZero at 12:13 PM on October 26, 2007
Response by poster: 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.
posted by digital-dragonfly at 4:43 PM on October 26, 2007
Thank you to all others who sent links... I will be bookmarking them all.
posted by digital-dragonfly at 4:43 PM on October 26, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by GuyZero at 9:31 AM on October 26, 2007