Chinese Classics Translated into the Vernacular

[gato]

Below is an article advocating translating the "Twenty-four History" into the vernacular.

I believe all the classics (Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Sima Qian) should be translated into the modern vernacular (Bai Hua) and taught to elementary and junior high school students in the translated form. It's ridiculous that it's so much easier to understand these book in English than in Chinese. It would be like American junior high school students reading Homer's "Odyssey" in English rather than Greek. There is nothing shameful in not being able to read Greek. The writing is really quite easy to read, and quite valueable to read, once you translate it. Without the translation, you'll lose a large percentage of the readers you otherwise might have had. That should not be acceptable for something so fundamental to the culture.

http://www.people.com.cn/GB/14738/14760/21870/2993240.html

为什么要把二十四史译成现代汉语

许嘉璐

　　中华民族自古重视自己的历史。姑无论几千年的史学传统和分散在浩瀚文献和文物中的历史资料，单是记录民族历史的骨干——二十五部“正史”（即“二十四史”加《清史稿》），记录了从传说中的三皇五帝直到1911年清皇朝覆灭的主要史实这一点，就是世界仅有的了。这是中华民族的骄傲。

　　与未尝中断的几千年历史记录相并行，中华民族的文化也一直延绵下来，形成特色鲜明、历久长新的文化传统，并且不断吐故纳新，发展丰富。这也是世界所仅有，是中华民族的骄傲。

　　民族的现实过了今日就成了历史。今日之中国是昨日之中国合乎历史逻辑的延续。我们不但应该而且可以从自己的历史中汲取国家兴衰起伏的经验和教训，以为振兴中华的资粮；单就文化建设而言，也不但应该而且可以从中找到规律，以为建设中华文化的资粮。今日之中华文化是昨日之中华文化的继承和弘扬。昨日的历史和文化存在于多种多样的载体中，其中最重要的是传世文献。二十四史，就是传世文献中不能不重视的典籍。

　　我们正站在祖先的肩头续写着中华民族历史的华章。这个时候最需要历史的和文化的自觉。不认识、不尊重自己过去的民族，难以自觉地设计未来并为之奋斗不已；反之，像中华民族正在实现的伟大复兴，力量源泉之一就是我们对自己的过去之优劣长短的清醒认识和分析。

　　要做到对过去与未来的清醒和自觉，就要读史。但是，随着时间的推移、语言的发展和教育制度与内容的演变，现代社会的人们能够阅读用古老的文言文所写的史书的，已经寥寥。对于众多对中华民族历史有兴趣的人来说，尽量准确的译文不失为门径和桥梁。当然，要想进一步更细致地体味原文、或做深入的研究，是不能依靠译文的，但是有这种需要的毕竟不多，或者当有了这种需要时应该已经具备了直接阅读原著的能力。

　　中国要走向世界，就要让世界了解中国，包括中国的过去。事实上，现在已经有越来越多的外国人对中国古代历史发生了浓厚的兴趣。但现在世界各地学习汉语的外国人接触过文言文的，即使有，也是极个别的，至于能够基本准确地领会史书原文，自如地运用其中的史料的，就更少了。史书的译文可以让所有掌握了现代汉语的外国读者，利用这根“拐棍”间接地使用中国古代史书；如果将来有人想把这些史书译为外文，它也不失为重要的参照——我们想让这部“全译”同时成为中国古史走向世界的中介。

　　正是为了让更多的中国人能够出入于“正史”，而不仅仅从后人的史学论著中了解自己民族所走过的道路，同时为对中华民族悠久的历史和文化有兴趣的外国人提供方便，并且为有朝一日把“正史”译成外文准备些条件，我们决心把二十四史译成现代汉语，取名为《二十四史全译》。作为“二十五史”成员的《清史稿》，由于成稿仓促等原因，历来为史家所不满，重修清史势在必行（事实上这一工作2002年已经开始），所以把它翻译出来意义不大，因而没有纳入我们翻译的范围。

　　来源： 光明日报

[wushijiao]

Well, I think teaching young kids the classics in translated form is an interesting idea. I get the impression that the "Chinese Literature" classes kids get these days focus too much on analyzing grammatical structures and the general form of the text, while neglecting the content. If that is the case, then perhaps the emphasis should be shifted to content and meaning.

One might argue that it there are so few people who can read 文言 because students haven't developed a passion for the content being taught. I don't know.

I can see three flaws in this though:

1) Would this also neglect the teaching of the texts in their original form? I suppose that studying the classics, if nothing else, enables one to better understand modern, formal documents. Plus, the originals have an intrinsic beauty.

2) Would the originals be translated properly? They might be translated to fit certain agendas.

3) Even if they were translated perfectly, would young kids be able to understand the content, which might be very comlex and require years of life experience to identify with?

[gato]

The histories translated may still be somewhat difficult because one would have to know the personalities and the context involved. The Confucian and Daoist classics should be fairly easy to read. If you look at the many available English translations, the level of difficulty of the language is generally no more than advanced junior high. I'm reading a bilingual version of Mencius (original + 白话vernacular). The vernacular used here is probably at a junior high school level as well.

Of course, the ideas presented may be still fairly advanced, but it is not necessary for a beginning student to understand them completely to benefit. At present, I am of the impression that most Chinese students either don't read the classics at all or only in very small selections. That, I think, is much worse than reading a mediocre translation. Reading these texts for themselves will help the students understand their society much better because for better or for worse, these books have played a large role in making China and the Chinese what they are today.

The Chinese classics generally are fairly simple in their logic and so should be within the reach of students in the upper elementary grades and above. Usually they illustrate their principles in the form of a story; in the case of Confucius, it's often "It's true because Mr. Kong and his predecessors said so," which of course demands even less of one's reasoning ability. Classics in Greek philosophy are generally much more complicated in their logic.