Assertive or indicative? A philosophical study on translating the Confucian concept you yu yi 游於藝

ABSTRACT

This article delves into the philosophical nuances involved in translating the Confucian concept of you yu yi 游於藝 into English. The concept, which refers to engaging in various arts or skills, poses challenges when it comes to choosing the appropriate English translation. By examining Confucian texts and philosophical interpretations, the study aims to shed light on the multifaceted nature of the concept and provide insights into the complexities of cross-cultural translation. Through a meticulous analysis of linguistic, cultural, and philosophical factors, this study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on translation theory and the preservation of cultural concepts.

KEYWORDS:

• Confucianism
• self-cultivation
• you yu yi
• translation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. 子曰: 「志於道，據於德，依於仁，游於藝。The Master said, ‘Let the will be set on the path of duty. Let every attainment in what is good be firmly grasped. Let perfect virtue be accorded with. Let relaxation and enjoyment be found in the polite arts’. This is Legge’s translation, which is one of the most popular versions. However, as argued in the end of the chapter, this does not seem to be the most accurate translation. Legge’s translation may be found here https://ctext.org/analects/shu-er (accessed October 2021)

2. https://ctext.org/analects/xue-er/ens?searchu=%E5%AD%90%E6%9B%B0%EF%BC%9A%E2%80%9C%E5%AD%B8%E8%80%8C%E6%99%82%E7%BF%92%E4%B9%8B%EF%BC%8C%E4%B8%8D%E4%BA%A6%E8%AA%AA%E4%B9%8E%EF%BC%9F (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

3. 學之為言，效也。人性皆善而覺有先後，後覺者必效先覺之所為，乃可以明善而複其初也。.

4. Ibid.

5. 三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩 。https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1121#s10019907 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

6. The Master said, ‘Let the will be set on the path of duty. Let every attainment in what is good be firmly grasped. Let perfect virtue be accorded with. Let relaxation and enjoyment be found in the polite arts’. This is Legge’s translation, which is one of the most popular versions. However, as argued in the end of the chapter, this does not seem to be the most accurate translation. Legge’s translation may be found here https://ctext.org/analects/shu-er (accessed October 2021)

7. It is from Music that the finish is received (translated by James Legge). https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1296 (accessed October 2021)

8. 君子博學于文，約之以禮，亦可以弗畔矣夫 https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1247#s10020689 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

9. https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1292#s10021183 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

10. Emphasis in the original. https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1448#s10022743 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

11. https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1547#s10028101 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

12. https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1296 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

13. https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1166#s10020177 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

14. 樂統同，禮辨異. https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=10145#s10032236 (accessed June 1, 2022). Translated by James Legge.

15. https://www.readcube.com/articles/10.17949%2Fjneac.1.49.201612.020 (accessed June 1, 2022)

16. ‘Pre-reflective’ and ‘reflective’ are two concepts adopted by phenomenologists for describing different kinds of experiences. ‘For phenomenologists, the immediate and first-personal givenness of experience is accounted for in terms of a pre-reflective self-consciousness. In the most basic sense of the term, self-consciousness is not something that comes about the moment one attentively inspects or reflectively introspects one’s experiences, or recognizes one’s specular image in the mirror, or refers to oneself with the use of the first-person pronoun, or constructs a self-narrative. Rather, these different kinds of self-consciousness are to be distinguished from the pre-reflective self-consciousness which is present whenever I am living through or undergoing an experience, e.g. whenever I am consciously perceiving the world, remembering a past event, imagining a future event, thinking an occurrent thought, or feeling sad or happy, thirsty or in pain, and so forth’. See https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/self-consciousness-phenomenological/

17. “子夏问曰:‘“巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以为绚兮”，何谓也？’子曰: ‘绘事后素。’曰: ‘礼后乎？’子曰: ‘起予者商也，始可与言《诗》已矣。’”The translation is from Ames and Rosemont, (1998). The Analects of Confucius: A Philosophical Translation. New York: The Random House Publishing Group, p. 84.

18. Our translation.

19. See translations A, B, C, D, F.

20. See translation E.

21. The New International Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language.

Trident Press International. 2004 Edition.

22. In ancient China the character 游 was often interchangeably used with 遊. In today’s traditional Chinese the two variants have different meanings.

23. Translated by W. D. Ross. http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html

24. https://www.etymonline.com/

25. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/chinese-philosophy/v-1/sections/chinese-thinking-as-ars-contextualis (accessed October 2021)

26. Ibid.