The Analects (Penguin Classics)

Book Description

A record of the words and teachings of Confucius, The Analects is considered the most reliable expression of Confucian thought. However, the original meaning of Confucius's teachings have been filtered and interpreted by the commentaries of Confucianists of later ages, particularly the Neo-Confucianists of the Song dynasty, not altogether without distortion.

In this monumental translation by Professor D. C. Lau, an attempt has been made to interpret the sayings as they stand. The corpus of the sayings is taken as an organic whole and the final test of the interpretation rests on the internal consistency it exhibits. In other words, The Analects is read in the light of The Analects.This results in a truer understanding of Confucius' thought than the traditional interpretation and paves the way for a re-assessment of its importance in the history of Chinese thought and its relevance to the present day world.

This volume also contains an introduction to the life and teachings of Confucius, and three appendices on the events in the life of Confucius, on his disciples, and on the composition of The Analects.

Customer Reviews:

Nice Set-Up, Old Translation.......2007-03-05

While 'Penguin Classics' paperbacks are generally some of the best on the market, the Analects themselves are, in this case, a bit out a date.

Better translations have been made, in my opinion. However, the prose itself is well-styled and clearly separated. Concise and easy to understand. The fluency of the book is what seems most troubling.

Nice philosophy.......2007-01-03

It's amazing how after so many years Confucius thoughts are still important. Here you can find the basis for most of the later philosophists, including some universal principles of most religions. Even though it is not easy to read, with a little effort is a book to enjoy.

I, for one, liked the introductory comments.......2006-03-09

I guess, there is not much point in buying this book for the text of Lunyu itself: it is available in full on the Internet (for example at Wengu: http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=intro - in the Chinese original, two English - including Lau's - and one French translation) but it is the introduction and adjoining commentaries that are of value. In this respect, I found D.C.Lau's work quite pleasing. He explains the main terms and how they hang together, illustrates his arguments with quotations from the actual Analects and tries his best to relate Confucius' philosophy to suitable analogues in the Western tradition. I am no China-expert, so this helped a lot. The book also has a post-script outlining Kong-zi's life and a short piece on the individual disciples and friends that Confucius converses with in the book. I think there is $9 of value (or whatever the price) in this book.

Needs Repeated Readings.......2006-01-25

Filled with totally obfuscated phrases like, "The Kuan-chu Ode is lively but not licentious, plaintive but not harrowing," are gems like, "Po I and Shu Ch'i never remembered old injuries, and therefore their enemies were few." The thing about it, is that I read it cover to cover. Clearly, this deep and old wisdom is best taken in small bits for not many words are wasted. Also, the Lionel Giles translation I read was weak on supplemental commentary so I really felt like I needed a more knowledgeable guide as I was reading. Perhaps the Norton version would have better annotations then the beautiful Easton Press version from my library. It is clearly a five star book, but I think I only got about three stars out of it. Most certainly a book to read again, and again and again.

Quality of printing.......2005-10-08

The quality of printing of the book (new) I received was rather poor. I kept it just because I didn't want to go through the trouble of returning it.

The Analects of Confucius: A Philosophical Translation (Classics of Ancient China)

Average customer rating:

TOO scholarly
excellent resource
Very interesting, historical, and different from anything else
Sheds new light on Confucius
error in the previous review

The Analects of Confucius: A Philosophical Translation (Classics of Ancient China)
Roger T. Ames
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Greek & Roman | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0345434072
Release Date: 1999-09-07

Amazon.com

There are more translations of Confucius' Analects than you can shake a stick at, but until now none have plumbed the depths of Confucius' thinking with such a keen sensitivity to philosophical and linguistic underpinnings. Following up on his groundbreaking work with David Hall in Thinking Through Confucius, Roger Ames has teamed up with Henry Rosemont to put theory into practice, portraying Confucius in light of his communitarian leanings. In a translation that comes off as surprisingly relaxed and colloquial, gone are the adherence to strict rules of propriety and righteous moralizing. Confucius has long been the victim of a certain unwitting Christianization, having been interpreted through the lens of Western philosophical assumptions. Ames and Rosemont scale away these assumptions, revealing a flexible and subtle thinker whose ideas of how to live well in a harmonious community have much to offer a fragmented society tied to reductive atomism and the exclusive exaltation of the individual. --Brian Bruya

Book Description

"To quietly persevere in storing up what is learned, to continue studying without respite, to instruct others without growing weary--is this not me?"
--Confucius

Confucius is recognized as China's first and greatest teacher, and his ideas have been the fertile soil in which the Chinese cultural tradition has flourished. Now, here is a translation of the recorded thoughts and deeds that best remember Confucius--informed for the first time by the manuscript version found at Dingzhou in 1973, a partial text dating to 55 BCE and only made available to the scholarly world in 1997. The earliest Analects yet discovered, this work provides us with a new perspective on the central canonical text that has defined Chinese culture--and clearly illuminates the spirit and values of Confucius.

Confucius (551-479 BCE) was born in the ancient state of Lu into an era of unrelenting, escalating violence as seven of the strongest states in the proto-Chinese world warred for supremacy. The landscape was not only fierce politically but also intellectually. Although Confucius enjoyed great popularity as a teacher, and many of his students found their way into political office, he personally had little influence in Lu. And so he began to travel from state to state as an itinerant philosopher to persuade political leaders that his teachings were a formula for social and political success. Eventually, his philosophies came to dictate the standard of behavior for all of society--including the emperor himself.

Based on the latest research and complete with both Chinese and English texts, this revealing translation serves both as an excellent introduction to Confucian thought and as an authoritative addition to sophisticated debate.

Customer Reviews:

TOO scholarly.......2007-08-03

This version may be historically accurate, but like historically accurate versions of the Bible, it is boring because of this fact. I prefer more soul-ful renditions, such as the Penguin translation. Worth having along with another more colorful translation.

excellent resource.......2006-11-06

What an excellent resource for Asian studies in general. The translation is great to compare with Lau et al. And the other material sheds light on previous interpretations of the text and context.

Very interesting, historical, and different from anything else.......2006-10-18

This is a nicely presented book, containing over 325 pages. The
graphics are well done (cover, and layout of the text within, including
the chinese original phrases, for those reading Mandarin). There's a lot
of footnotes in the back, stimulating further research, and backing up
the interpretations contained within, as well as an appendix with more
material, that is intended to add context to Confucius' outlook on
societal relationships and behavioral beliefs.

Next, I had to admit that each page has different scenarios of interaction
among people, or philosophical reflections, such that, for some, this
book is a cure for insomnia, no doubt. The fact that Europeans and North
Americans have not been taught to read the Chinese alphabet or the language, further beckons understanding.

Also, the 65 page introduction to the Analects is surely relevant
as the author justifies himself, of some choices in terminology as
compared to other translations and the works of previous tranlators.

A read here on Amazon didn't understand how an archeological find could
bring higher understanding of these classics from Ancient China. Well,
the answer resides in the manuscripts. Much like the Holy Bible was
discovered in several languages (Greek, and also near-Hebraic languages,
for example) the meaning of the texts and the final translation will
depend a lot on on the ability of the underlying language to express
human thought, and the scholar's ability to read it, understand it,
interpret it, and translate it for English speakers, no doubt.

For $10 and change, this is a not a bad work to own.

Sheds new light on Confucius.......2004-08-18

Confucius has been much maligned since he is perceived as wanting a static rigid society. This translation attempts to show that that is not really true. The translators and editors explain in the foreword that the Chinese language is dynamic, and therefore Confucius sayings does not reflect a static society, but rather a society in a constant flux. It does come out that Confucius will not tolerate revolution, but he does accept evolution. He is not preaching a static society, but rather that all development should build on the previous.
While he stresses the importance of ritual, he also hammers in that ritual must be combined with warmth, caring, and even humour. A more gentle, less rigid, Confucius appears in this translation.
Lastly, I think Confucianism relates to Daoism as Shaolin relates to t'ai ch'i (or Bruce Lee to Yang Cheng Fu): on is concerned with the external, and one with the internal. It is just a matter of which way you chose. Ones you have achieved mastery, there is no difference.

error in the previous review.......2004-08-16

Daomonkey's reviews exhibit detailed knowledge in Chinese philosophy, and I agree with many of his criticisms. But he has made a small error in his review of this book, which is important to note.

This book is NOT by Hall and Ames, and thus does not show the proclivity towards 'pragmatization' that runs throughout their stimulating work. Rather, it is by Ames and ROSEMONT, a philosopher who has published extensively on topics in Chinese philosophy. You will find little by way of "speculative acrobatics and obsolete wheedlings" here.

The unconventional nature of the translation may seem awkward at first but repays careful reading; Ames and Rosemont provide good arguments in the introduction for adopting them.

(Also, the translation by Slingerland he mentions, published by Hackett, is indeed a fine translation with much running commentary.)

Average customer rating:

"A proper man is inclusive, not sectary."
The first stop on the Way
A classic
Excellent translation with helpful introduction and notes!

The Analects of Confucius
Arthur Waley
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Confucianism | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Eastern Philosophy | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0679722963
Release Date: 1989-08-28

Book Description

The Analects of Confucius is one of the central books of Chinese literature and Chinese thought; memorized and studied for many centuries, it has been certainly one of the most influential books in world history. There are many translations of this rewarding but difficult work. Arthur Waley -- the translator of the Tale of Genji, of a vast body of Chinese poetry, and of many other classics of Oriental literature and thought -- brings to this translation his great gifts as a scholar and a writer, and has produced what is without question the best version in English of the Analects. A full introduction gives the social and political background of this work, analyses of key terms in Chinese thought that are prominent in it, and a careful study of the history of the book and its interpretations. There are also full notes illuminating the references to contemporary events and clarifying obscure passages.

Customer Reviews:

"A proper man is inclusive, not sectary.".......2001-06-20

THE ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS. Translated and annotated by Arthur Waley. 257 pp. New York : Vintage Books, nd. Originally published by George, Allen, & Unwin, 1938.

Classical Chinese is an extremely concise and highly ambiguous language. Since any given line can have a wide range of possible and equally valid meanings, there can in fact be no such thing as a definitive interpretation, and hence, as Burton Watson has pointed out, no such thing as a definitive translation, although Arthur Waley's scholarly reading of this important Confucian classic is possibly as close to 'definitive' as we're ever likely to get.

What we may overlook when considering Confucianism, however, is that it represented an ideology very much like Marxism, one imposed by an all-powerful bureaucracy on a not-always willing population. As ideological documents of the highest importance, since they served to justify the existence of the Imperial system, works such as the 'Analects' were often engraved on stone.

And it's interesting to note that, in the many popular uprisings which have riven China, the stone tablets and drums on which the 'Analects' and other Classics were engraved often became the first target of the mob's fury. They were regularly smashed and pulverized, only to be re-engraved on new stones when the Mandarinate re-established its authority.

In addition, it goes without saying that the Communist Party, which is as it were China's modern 'Mandarinate,' also takes a very dim view of the Chinese Classics, seeing them as relics of a detested feudalistic past, a detestation not perhaps untinged with envy, since the Mandarinate was the most efficient, successful and long-lasting bureaucracy in human history.

None of this, perhaps, need bother the modern reader as opposed to the scholar, since we go to these old books to discover in them what relevance they may have for our lives today, and there is much real wisdom in Confucius that anyone can benefit from.

Arthur Waley's edition, while scholarly, is not so cluttered with scholarly impedimenta as to be unapproachable by the general reader, and is written in a style that remains relatively modern. After a brief Preface, he gives us an interesting and informative 66-page Introduction. Then follows his extensively annotated translation, and the book is rounded out with an Index.

Though Waley was undoubtedly a brilliant translator, I was weaned on Ezra Pound's more lively and idiosyncratic version, and although I've read and compared both translations, the lines that tend to stick in my mind are invariably those of Pound, lines such as:

"He said : A proper man is inclusive, not sectary; the small man is sectarian and not inclusive" (Book II, xiv).

For the same passage Waley gives:

"The Master said, A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias. The small man is biased and can see a question only from one side" (p.91).

Both, so far as I can see, mean pretty much the same thing, although Waley is a bit more prosy and takes almost twice as many words to say it. Pound's edition, besides its greater punch, also has the merit of being relatively free of distracting footnotes, and of including two additional and very powerful texts, along with beautiful reproductions of them from the stone Classics.

Waley and Pound give us Confucius as filtered through two highly intelligent though different sensibilities, both of them valuable. My advice would be to read both. For those who may be interested, here are details of Pound's edition:

CONFUCIUS : THE GREAT DIGEST, THE UNWOBBLING PIVOT, THE ANALECTS. Translation and Commentary by Ezra Pound. Stone Text from rubbings supplied by William Hawley. 288 pp. New York: New Directions, 1951 and Reissued.

It is in Pound's translation of 'The Great Digest' that we find the striking line: "If the root be in confusion, nothing will be well governed" (p.33). And who would want to miss a line that has such a powerful relevance to the world that we see around us today ?

The first stop on the Way.......1999-10-11

Perhaps the best introduction to the Confucian philosophy. Extensive footnotes and explanations of key concepts. Language slightly archaic but still clear. Wade-Giles romanization.

A classic.......1998-09-15

A classic in Chinese literature. Arthur Waley is the best translator of Chinese works that I have found. This version of the Analects are extensively footnoted which I found broke up the flow of the reading. So I read it through first without the footnotes, then read it again with them. A interesting look at Chinese thought at the time.

Excellent translation with helpful introduction and notes!.......1998-03-19

Although originally published in 1938, this is still one of the best translations of the Analects of Confucius. Waley also has an extensive and informative introduction, plus some helpful notes. Other good translations of the Analects include those by D.C. Lau and James Legge.

Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Bilingual Edition

Average customer rating:

Christmas Gift as We Enter the New Millennium
Christmas Gift as We Enter the New Millennium
Excellent work
Most valuable to those who can read both Chinese and English
A title 2,500 years ago is of interest to us chess players

Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Bilingual Edition
Confucius
Manufacturer: Premier Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Confucianism | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0963785281

Customer Reviews:

Christmas Gift as We Enter the New Millennium.......1999-12-18

As the 20th century comes to an end, both scientific achievements and material abundance have reached record-high levels. But, avariance and emptiness in humans and cruelties and coarseness in the society have also produced violences rarely seen in history. The best-selling books in rcent years in the United States, in Taiwan, and in Hongkong are mainly on self-encouragement and self-improvement, reflecting the thirst for spiritual and emotional guidance by people in search of direction. For this Christmas, would you be willing to buy, for your US-raised children and grandchildren, for your fellow first-generation-immigrant friends and relatives, or even for yourself, a classical book that embodies the wisdom of life as a gift as we enter the beautiful new millennium?

David Li's the Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Translation, is such a book.

Graduated from St. John's University in Shanghai, well known for the command of English, Mr. Li earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from the University of Illinois. He was a Professor at the California State University, Fullerton; at the University of Washington, Seattle; and at the University of Texas, Dallas. He was also a Visiting Professor to the Chinese University of Hong Kong and to India.

Versed in seven or eight foreign languages, Mr. Li, prior to translating the Analects of Confucius, has published 16 English-language books single-handedly. Although he left China at age 20 and spent more than a half century abroad, Mr. Li nevertheless feels a personal responsibility for the dissimination of Chinese culture to the world. Even though a septuagenarian, Mr. Li still goes to the Library of Congress regularly to collect materials, and to Taiwan and mainland to do interviews and research. He also already published books on Xiangqi and on Mah-jong.

Although there are over 20 English translations of Confucius's Analects, what prompted Mr. Li to engage in another translation of this 2500-year-old classic?

1) age - personal experiences accumulated through 70 years of life allow him to appreciate the real meaning of the Analects.

2) facility in both Chinese and English; observance of translation standards of truthfulness, clarity, and elegance

3) avoidance of incorrect interpretation and inaccurate translation

4) exhaustive annotation - some 500 footnotes for the Analects' 515 segments, with particular emphasis on historical background and geopolitical environment likely to be unfamiliar to wester readers, and on cross-references between abstract concepts and specific applications

5) several indexes (this is a common shortcoming of reference works in Chinese; indexes in this book evidences Mr. Li's schoarlship after decades of western-style training) - including a chronology on Confucius, an index of his disciples, an index of people other than his disciples, and a subject index.

I was particularly moved by Mr. Li's dedicating this work to the Younger Generation of Chinese Ethnicity, expressing the hope that they would be proud of their cultural heritage that is second to none.

This new translation of the Analects of Confucius should not only be read by our American-raised younger generations, but should also be recommended to friends of other ethnicity, even to the first-generation immigrants who were deprived of opportunities of gaining access to Confucius's thoughts in their growing-up period, or who had misunderstood his teachings. They should all take advantage of this elegant and thoughtful bilingual volume to gain a new understanding of Confucian thought.

Christmas Gift as We Enter the New Millennium.......1999-12-18

David Li's the Analects of Confucius - A New-Millennium Translation, is such a book.

Although there are over 20 English translations of Confucius's Analects, what prompted Mr. Li to engage in another translation of this 2500-year-old classic?

1) age - personal experiences accumulated through 70 years of life allow him to appreciate the real meaning of the Analects.

2) facility in both Chinese and English; observance of translation standards of truthfulness, clarity, and elegance

3) avoidance of incorrect interpretation and inaccurate translation

Excellent work.......1999-07-05

Li's translation on various passages are really wonderful -- truly reflecting the traditional culture of Chinese under "Confucism" -- "li" (Conduct). In fa (Law, Legal) society (most in U.S. and contemporary transitional Taiwan}, individualities are based on legalistic conditions/situations. Personal morality and values under "li" are frequently questioned. Li's book may serve a bridge for American Chinese to discuss the disparities between "li" and "fa". Parents/teachers may use Li's book as the means for educational purposes. Good -- excellent work.

For example: "A common man will do whatever is needed to be out of poverty" (p 182). This sentence connotes "bad" value in Chinese tradition. But the conception is "good" in the American contemporary mentality. This represents a cultural and temporal diversity. In Li's book, Li did not endorse either. For this reason, Li's book is extremely valuable as an educational means.

Most valuable to those who can read both Chinese and English.......1999-06-22

This [Dr. Li's] rendition is most valuable to those who can read some Chinese but need English translation to fully understand the passages in Chinese. An example is the following (4.10); the passage in Chinese is rendered as follows:

The Master said: "A gentleman focuses on virtue; a common man, on land. A gentleman focuses on civic responsibilities; a common man, on gaining advantage."

With a footnote, explaining that "land" is a general reference to items of value, that passage in Chinese is fully and accurately translated into English.

This volume by Dr. Li, "The Analects of Confucius, a New-Millennium Translation," is a very worthwhile book to read.

A title 2,500 years ago is of interest to us chess players.......1999-05-22

Why is a title, Lun Yu, from 2,500 years ago of any interest to us chess players?

The author addresses this question in a forward evoking current events, the tribulations of President Clinton, and, in a personal context, there is an amusing quote from the hyper-modern Confucius: "When a fault is allowed to remain uncorrected, that is then a fault," and also "If one cannot resist minor temptations, one's grand plan might be ruined."

Confucius seems so ancient that he is practically new to us. Although I joke about hyper-modernism, the intent of the author seems to be to present the work as current advice on a palpable them of Confucius, Conduct.

Perhaps the best compliment that I could offer to him, by way of his current interpreter, is that I picked up his book and paid it rapt attention, the kind usually reserved for new chess titles.

I should finish with something of value to any writer on a newsgroup, or elsewhere:

"When a name cannot be justified, words have no authority. When words have no authority, missions cannot be accomplished, Conduct and music cannot flourish. When Conduct and music are not flourishing, penalties and punishments cannot be on target. When penalties and punishments are not on target, the populace are without anchors to guide themselves. Thus, a gentleman's name must have authority; his words must be put into practice. A gentleman, in relation to his words, must always be vigilant."

And he has.

Book Description

In the long river of human history, if one person can represent the civilization of a whole nation, it is perhaps Master Kong, better known as Confucius in the West. If there is one single book that can be upheld as the common code of a whole people, it is perhaps Lun Yu, or The Analects. Surely, few individuals in history have shaped their country's civilization more profoundly than Master Kong. The great Han historiographer, Si-ma Qian, writing 2,100 years ago said, "He may be called the wisest indeed!" And, as recently as 1988, at a final session of the first international conference of Nobel prize-winners in Paris, the seventy-five participants, fifty-two of whom where scientists, concluded: "If mankind is to survive, it must go back twenty- five centuries in time to tap the wisdom of Confucius." This a man whose influence in world history is truly incomparable. His sayings (and those of his disciples) form the basis of a distinct social, ethical, and intellectual system. They have retained their freshness and vigor for two and a half millennia, and are still admired in today's China. Compiled by pupils of Confucius's disciples half a century after the Master's death, The Analects of Confucius laid the foundation of his philosophy of humanity--a philosophy aimed at "cultivating the individual's moral conduct, achieving family harmony, bringing good order to the state and peace to the empire. Containing 501 very succinct chapters (the longest do not exceed fifteen lines and the shortest are less than one) and organized into twenty books, the collection comprises mostly dialogues between the Master and his disciples and contemporaries. The ethical tenets Confucius put forth not only became the norm of conduct for the officialdom and intelligentsia, but also profoundly impacted the behavior of the common people. The great sage's unique integration of humanity and righteousness (love and reason) struck a powerful chord in all who attempted to understand his moral philosophy. As translator Chichung Huang contends, "What ethical principle laid down by man could be more sensible that none which blends the best our heart can offer with the best our mind can offer as the guiding light for our conduct throughout our lives?" Ever timely, Confucius's teachings on humanity (family harmony in particular) and righteousness may well serve as a ready-made cure for today's ills in an era which human beings are blinded by force and lust, not unlike Confucius's own day. Far more literal than any English version still in circulation, this brilliant new rendition of The Analects helps the reader not only to acquire and accurate and lucid understanding of the original text, but also to appreciate the imagery, imagery, parallelism, and concision of its classical style. The translator Chichung Huang, a Chinese scholar born in a family of Confucian teachers and schooled in one of the last village Confucian schools in South China, brings to this treasure of world literature a sure voice that captures the power and subtleties of the original. Vivid, simple, and eminently readable, this illuminating work makes the golden teachings of the sage of the East readily available to anyone in search of them.

Customer Reviews:

Clear and Concise.......2005-08-27

As I bought this book as a gift for my daughter who cannot read Chinese, I compared this translation with the Chinese versions that I have. To understand the original analects fully, most Chinese books provides explanations and definitions. The author has done an excellent job in providing translations and explanations of the analects at the same time.

Eye-opening translation.......2005-07-20

This translation is far superior to any other that I have seen. The Analects have always been a difficult and opaque work for me. I have read it several times over many years and have always found at least half the sayings completely incomprehensible. The Waley and Legge translations are dry and dated. Lau and Dawson are easier to read but still leave me puzzled about the meaning of most of the sayings. Some of their notes are useless and distracting, while others merely fail to inform. I was always left thinking of the Analects as a few clever and witty proverbs scattered throughout a strange and impentrable work.

The Huang translation, on the other hand, is clear and easy to read. It is easy to follow the structure of the book. It has just the right amount of notes and they are located just underneath the analect itself--not at the bottom of the page or end of the book where you have to interupt your reading and look for them. The sayings that are easy to understand have no notes. The other sayings have notes that clarify the context and meaning. They are brief and to the point so that they don't get in the way of the text. Things that were impossible to understand are now clear. I find that I am no longer burdened by trying to decipher the meaning. As a result I am now getting to know the character and personality of each of the students, and enjoying their interaction with the Master. This is something I was never able to do before with other translations. Reading the Analects is no longer a chore but an enjoyable journey to a distant, but accessible, culture.

copious notes are a scholars proof. This is a true work.......2004-06-15

The review above is uninformed. Even if he knows that the main Chinese phonetic system is called pinyin. If one reads the copious notes that back up the research in this translation, one would realize that every character is philologically proven. Whether by the lexicon Shuo Wen, the sea of words or other. This translation is the epitome of scholarly work. There is an unpresedented wealth of information in this book. There has been no one near the ability of Chichung Huang in understanding the ancient cannotations of Chinese characters. He has achieved a far more scholarly level in classical Chinese than any other Chinese scholar and translator that I have ever read. The amount of clear concise research proves it. His work is fluid, concise and true to the original exactly because the translator has the ability to be literal. His contemporaries are lacking in this regard. Ren does translate to mean humanity, as in the founding principles of humanity and rightiousness. Read the introduction please.

A worthy translation.......1999-10-11

A worthy piece of work, with brisk, clean contemporary language and copious notes. But "humanity" is an inadequate and inappropriate translation of _ren_. Pinyin romanization.

Average customer rating:

Leather Bound Edition

The Analects of Confucius

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000BVNWJO

Product Description

Colector's Edition Bound in Genuine Leather.

Customer Reviews:

Leather Bound Edition.......2006-04-19

This is a really beautiful edition, makes a great gift.
Truths about life, written so long ago, yet relevant for today, and always...

Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & The Doctrine of the Mean

Average customer rating:

The Ideal Book for Learning Literary Chinese
Readable but dated and very scholarly for general reader
Essential if you are serious about Confucius
After You've Read the Other Translations, Try This One
A necessary evil

Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & The Doctrine of the Mean
Confucius
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Surveys | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Confucianism | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Eastern Philosophy | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0486227464

Book Description

Entire text of the Analects of Confucius in large, readable characters, and beneath this Legge's full translation, which has been accepted and the definitive, standard English version. Full chinese text, standard English translation on same page. Finest edition anywhere of one of world's finest thinkers.

Customer Reviews:

The Ideal Book for Learning Literary Chinese.......2007-09-19

About ten years ago, at a library in Guangzhou, I first ran across a 100-year-old copy of this book, beautifully printed on tissue-thin, fine-quality paper. Although having always been a book-lover, that was the only time I have ever seriously thought of stealing a book. I didn't do so, but my pride in myself for being honest was counterbalanced by the suspicion that maybe I was being too honest for my own good.
A couple of years later, I found this paperback edition, along with the second part of the series, The Works of Mencius, and bought them. I have since been fortunate enough to be able to buy the complete four-volume set, including the She Jing, The Chun Qiu, and the Shang Shu, in the beautiful hardcover edition now out of print.
Let me just say that this is not the book for you if you just want an English translation of Confucius. This is a book for those who want to learn to read the Chinese classics as they should be read, in the original, but who have no or little background in literary Chinese. You do need to have a sincere desire to study and learn it, but if you do, you will be richly rewarded. How rewarded? All I can say is, it is its own reward.
Mr. Legge systematically explains the meaning and syntax of practically every character. The books do need to be read in order if you are a beginner, because he assumes you already know the earlier stuff. The order is: Confucius, Mencius, Shu Jing, She Jing, Chun Qiu.
I have spent literally hundreds of hours working through this book and the one on Mencius twice each, in addition to The Shang Shu once. I have yet to read the other two. Other reviewers have pointed out the problem concerning modern pronunciation, and I agree that you would be well-advised to use the best Chinese-English CHARACTER (not word) dictionary you can find alongside this book (make sure it includes old characters no longer in common use). In order to use such a dictionary fluently, you will need to at least know the stroke-order for writing characters and the radicals used in dictionaries to look up words. You also need to know pinyin. All of these things are a simple matter of a few hours' effort with a beginner's book.
I do not understand why one reviewer thought this was not a book for beginners. I was a beginner and, although I have also used a couple of other books, such as An Introduction to Literary Chinese by Michael A. Fuller (Harvard University Asia Center), if you use this book, I think your interest in things Classically Chinese will grow and grow. They simply do not make scholars of this caliber anymore, sad to say.
You will never find a better way to invest thirteen dollars and twenty-two cents of your money, or several hundred hours of your time.

Readable but dated and very scholarly for general reader.......2003-11-09

This collection of these three texts of Confucius translated by James Legge were my first introduction to the writings and philosophy of Confucius. When I was in the bookstore, I decided to pick this book out of the others because like,Evans-Wentz original translations of Tibetan Buddhist text, I prefer to pick the book with the most information and research put in to it. I also trusted James Legge because he went to China and studied with Confucius scholars. I have not read any other translation of Confucius so I must judge this translation on its own. Since it was translated around 1893, you can tell in the language. Yes, it can be pretty dry at times but after looking up a lot of words in the dictionary and getting more deep into Confucius' thought, I thought I understood the text well. You should read a few pages though before you buy this book because I am sure a lot of people would hate it. Which leads me to the next cautionary, this book is VERY scholarly and dense. I could barely even follow the notes at the bottom of the text. They mostly have to do with the treatment of the translation of Chinese characters. Also unless you have an extensive background of Chinese history and the Confucian tradition, the introduction are hard to follow because they expect you know the background information already. Another thing, which isn't James Legge's fault, I would love to see is some information discussing the cultural revolution's reaction to the Confucian tradition and how it is slowly coming back.

I would warn everyone to check out this book in a library or bookstore before buying it to see how it meets their needs. I found it very useful, even though a lot of it was over my head.

Essential if you are serious about Confucius.......2001-12-16

The other reviews on this page are quite insightful; I have a few more comments:

1. Modern readers tend not to be enamored of Legge's prose, but it has its own coherence and merit. What is most remarkable, however, is the accuracy of his translations, in view of their date. You may not agree with his views and interpretations; you may not like his phraseology; but he simply does not make mistakes. His translations are supported by copious (if dense) footnotes that explain the rationale behind his translating decisions. (To be sure, these notes are intended for highly informed readers.) You can never say that Legge is wrong; you can say that you prefer to read the text a different way.

2. A point that no one seems to have made: one advantage of this edition is that it is one of the few available in the West with the complete Chinese text.

In sum: this is a reasonably priced paperback that includes the original Chinese text and the first great Western translation of the Analects. If you are serious about Confucius, you cannot ignore this book.

After You've Read the Other Translations, Try This One.......2001-11-07

There are lots of good reasons to condemn Legge's translations of the Chinese classics to the graveyard of moribund scholarship. He's barely readable - yes, it's true. Legge was no giant of the written word when he did these translations to begin with, and the passage of time has made the phrasing seem so archaic that you wonder if he was trying to sound unintelligible even when he wrote it.

Legge also uses a transliteration system that is so eccentric as to be indecipherable if you are trying to trace out the actual sounds of the Chinese words. The reason for this seems to be that the pronunciation of Chinese has changed sufficiently to make his transliteration obsolete.

But Legge has one advantage that no other translator had, or ever can have again. He did his translations when the Confucian scholarly tradition was still alive in China, and as a result he could consult with scholars within this tradition to determine the meaning of the phrases as they were understood in the traditional context. It's a little like having an erudite clergyman explain the meaning of a phrase in the Bible rather than an archeologist - while both explanations are valid in their own way, the clergyman's explanation will indicate a living belief rather than a dissection.

And that is Legge's great value. Most Chinese language scholars will give him a nod, even today. For the beginner, he's not a good place to start, admittedly. But he has his virtues.

A necessary evil.......1999-10-11

The first translation of Confucius into English -- and it shows. Extensive notes and a complete character dictionary make it an essential resource for the scholar, but mind-bogglingly archaic language makes it an utterly inappropriate introduction for the novice. The reviewer who states below that no other translation provides such comprehensive background material obviously has not read Waley, Brooks or Huang. Pre-Wade-Giles romanization.

Average customer rating:

Don't you want to know what the sage really said?
Betrays the original

The Analects of Confucius

Manufacturer: Counterpoint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Medieval | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Confucianism | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Literature & Fiction | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1582430381

Book Description

From the literary community's most talented translator of Chinese, a compelling, contemporary rendition of Ancient China's most significant work

"Breathtaking" --Publishers Weekly

Confucius failed in his lifetime to rescue a crumbling civilization with his teachings, but he was to become the most influential sage in human history. His thought, still remarkably current, survives here in The Analects-a collection of brief aphoristic sayings that has had a deeper impact on more people's lives over a longer period of time than any other book in human history.

Highly regarded for the poetic fluency he brings to his award-winning work, David Hinton is the first twentieth-century translator to render the four central masterworks of ancient Chinese thought: Chuang Tzu, Mencius, The Analects, and Tao Te Ching (forthcoming from Counterpoint). His new versions are not only inviting and immensely readable, but they also apply a much-needed consistency to key terms in these texts. Breathing new life into these classics, Hinton's translations will stand as the definitive series for our era.

Customer Reviews:

Don't you want to know what the sage really said?.......2003-05-28

China has been a nation governed by philosophers, among them many state officials trained by the great Confucius. My first contact with his sayings was in the old Charlie Chan movies where Confucius always seemed to have an important contribution to make in solving the murder. In the Analects we get more great sayings. But this time they are there to make an important contribution to our quest for the good life, which will follow naturally from self-cultivation and mastery of the Tao. I suppose there are some who don't need wisdom to live wisely. As for me, I am not that lucky. I need to read the philosophers like Confucius and get their input. Particularly important for modern times are the Master's statements about government, epistemology, rituals, and money. "In government, the secret is integrity. Use it." How about this one? "Shall I explain understanding for you, Lu? When you understand something, you know you understand it. When you don't understand something, know you don't understand it. That is understanding." Adept Kung wanted to do away with sacrificing sheep to announce a new moon to the ancestors. The Master said, "You love sheep, Kung." Pretty funny! The thing the really dropped me off my chair was the Master's explanation why a powerfull nation should never attack a less powerful nation preemptively. (This was the Chi versus Chung-Yu controversy, but it applies to Iraq.) Read that yourself and tell me if it doesn't make sense. Another gem: After the master heard a line from a poem: I haven't stopped loving you/ but your home is so far away - The Master said, "If he'd really loved her, he wouldn't have worried about the distance." Hinton's translations are simple and direct and relate to the spirit of the Chinese but not the letter. Those of you who know Chinese (I still murder the language after 22 years of study) know how difficult it is to translate into English. The reason is that the thoughts are actually different in Chinese and any translation therefore must miss the mark. Hinton is excellent but I also recommend you also take a look at the Arthur Wailey translation for a balanced view.

Betrays the original.......1999-10-11

Uses contemporary language better than most, but ultimately doesn't justify the many liberties it takes. (In at least one instance, a disciple's identity is actually changed!) "Humanity" as a translation for _ren_ is not improved by being capitalized. Wade-Giles romanization.

Transmitters and Creators: Chinese Commentators and Commentaries on the Analects (Harvard East Asian Monographs)

Average customer rating:

Transmitters and Creators: Chinese Commentators and Commentaries on the Analects (Harvard East Asian Monographs)
John Makeham
Manufacturer: Harvard University Asia Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Eastern Philosophy | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 067401216X

Book Description

The Analects (Lunyu) is one of the most influential texts in human history. As a putative record of Confucius' (551–479 B.C.E.) teachings and a foundational text in scriptural Confucianism, this classic was instrumental in shaping intellectual traditions in China and East Asia until the early twentieth century. But no premodern reader read only the text of the Analects itself. Rather, the Analects was embedded in a web of interpretation that mediated its meaning. Modern interpreters of the Analects only rarely acknowledge this legacy of two thousand years of commentaries. How well do we understand prominent or key commentaries from this tradition? How often do we read such commentaries as we might read the text on which they comment? Many commentaries do more than simply comment on a text. Not only do they shape the reading of the text, but passages of text serve as pretexts for the commentator to develop and expound his own body of thought. This book attempts to redress our neglect of commentaries by analyzing four key works dating from the late second century to the mid-nineteenth century (a period substantially contemporaneous with the rise and decline of scriptural Confucianism): the commentaries of He Yan (ca. 190–249); Huang Kan (488–545); Zhu Xi (1130–1200); and Liu Baonan (1791–1855) and Liu Gongmian (1821–1880).

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books