This is a video on Stephen Mitchell’s translation of the Dao de Jing, also known as the Laozi or the Classic on the Way and its Virtue, a central text to all forms of Daoism. Mitchell’s version, which has sold over a million copies, turns out to be a misrepresentation of the classic’s words and thought. I give the grounds for backing up why it I label it as “the worst translation,” and why it cannot get out of the standards set for translations. Through examining Mitchell’s handling of texts, specifically his approach to its philosophy, I conclude that Mitchell’s best-seller not only deceives consumers through its status as a “translation” but also through a reductionist view of Daoist philosophy.
Timestamps:
00:00 || Introduction
02:18 || The Worst Translation
07:59 || "But it doesn't claim to be a translation!"
10:59 || Philosophical Implications
14:59 || Other Translations
15:59 || Conclusion
Music:
fountain by leavv
• fountain
https://leavv.bandcamp.com/
Sources:
Goldin, Paul Rakita. After Confucius: Studies in Early Chinese Philosophy. University of Hawaii Press, 2005, https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wn....
Laozi, and Stephen Mitchell. Tao Te Ching: a New English Version. HarperCollins, 2006.
Gach, Gary. “Stephen Mitchell: Man of Letters, Beyond Words.” PublishersWeekly.com, PWxyz, 13 Nov. 2000, www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/23590-stephen-mitchell-man-of-letters-beyond-words.html.
Laozi. Lao-Tze's Tao-Teh-King. Translated by Paul Carus, Chicago Open Court Pub. Co, 1898, https://archive.org/details/laotzesta...
Lau, D. C. Lao Tzu ; Tao Te Ching. Penguin Books, 1963.
Addiss, Stephen, and Stanley Lombardo. Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching. Hackett, 1993.
Laozi. “Dao De Jing.” Translated by James Legge, Chinese Text Project, Chinese Text Project, ctext.org/dao-de-jing.
Interview I intended to use at 07:40 - Stephen Mitchell’s “umbilical connection” with Laozi:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgkr17
“Writer Says Self-Help Guru Lifted His Work.” CNS, 26 May 2010, www.courthousenews.com/writer-says-self-help-guru-lifted-his-work/.
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