Thursday, November 17, 2016

What are the nine thoughts of a superior man?

The following is my translation of passage 16.11 in the Analects of Confucius. I translated this for a book I am writing, but I am so disappointed with the translations I have seen on the Internet and even in a book I have that I decided to post it here. Why is there so much paraphrasing of this passage? Why is there still mistranslations? I don't know, but here is my translation, which is as literal as I could make it.
()()(), ()()()()(), ()()(), ()()(), ()()(), ()()(), ()()(), ()()(), ()()(), 忿()()(), ()()()(). 
Confucius (孔子) said (曰), "The superior man (君子) has () nine () thoughts (). [He] watches () [and] thinks of () discernment (), listens () [and] thinks of () retention (), [in] facial expression () thinks of () warmth (), [in] manner () thinks of () politeness (), doubts () [and] thinks of () questions (), speaks () [and] thinks of () honesty (), serves () [and] thinks of () reverence (), is angry (忿) [and] thinks of () restraint (), sees () gain () [and] thinks of () righteousness ()."
Besides meaning “bright,” () can mean “discernment,” which translates in Korean as “명찰 (明察).” () can mean “quick to hear,” but it can also mean “to have a good memory” or “to have good [mental] retention,” which translates in Korean as “총명(聰明)하다.”  Besides meaning “color,” () can also mean “facial expression,” which translates in Korean as “안색 (顔色)” or “얼굴빛.” () can mean “warm,” “soft,” or “kind.” () mean “appearance,” “bearing,” or “manner.” () can mean “politeness,” “courtesy,” or “reverence.” () can mean “loyalty,” “faithfulness,” and “honesty,” which translates in Korean as “충실(忠實)하다.” () can mean “respect” or “reverence.” 忿 () can mean “to be angry” or “to resent.” () means “difficulty” or “problem,” but it can also mean “prudence” and “restraint,” which translates in Korean as “삼가다.”

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