tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102103.post6938721461142094301..comments2023-12-22T03:51:16.223-05:00Comments on Big Monkey, Helpy Chalk: Really, I'm just doing this to see if I can post Chinese charactersRob Helpy-Chalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13814390262154687969noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102103.post-87011316714313713202007-11-23T18:30:00.000-05:002007-11-23T18:30:00.000-05:00I understand how "nature" is a tempting translatio...I understand how "nature" is a tempting translation as well. And, as one of your other postings showed, it can be a pretty much accurate translation these days. I think this is the result of history, and the convergence of Chinese language with western concepts. But if we discuss the meaning of 天 in classical Chinese, sometimes a translation as "nature" is apt, it's just the nature of "a natural pairing of cheese and crackers" not the nature of "I'm going to the woods to experience nature."admhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11847820834049254396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102103.post-17121562991291357502007-11-23T15:22:00.000-05:002007-11-23T15:22:00.000-05:00Thanks for your thoughts. It seems that everyone a...Thanks for your thoughts. It seems that everyone agrees that "heaven" is a bad translation for Tian, although no one seems to agree on a good translation.<BR/><BR/>I'm most interested in the possibility of translating "tian" as "nature", for environmental reasons, although this also seems inaccurate.Rob Helpy-Chalkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13814390262154687969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102103.post-87526638509462316632007-11-22T10:03:00.000-05:002007-11-22T10:03:00.000-05:00I came across your posting after google searching ...I came across your posting after google searching "translating 天". I was particularly happy to read it due to the fact that I just several days ago was asked by a Chinese friend how to translate "天人合一", and have since then become increasingly convinced that "heaven" is a very misleading way to translate 天.<BR/><BR/>Your colleague makes a good point; the cosmological worlds of China and Christian Europe are vastly different, and the picture that comes to mind when we English speakers hear the word "heaven" just doesn't do 天 justice. <BR/><BR/>I agree that 天 is not transcendental according to any religious notion. It did not create the world, but it does provide a standard for it, and it dictates a model of order for the world. This is clearly reflected in the concept of 天命 (typically translated as "heaven's mandate", the duty of the emperor to maintain social order) and the phrase 替天行道 ("to act justly", literally to represent 天 in one's actions). If we take 天 as an ideal of social order and justice to be strived for, discussing its concordance(合一) with humanity (人) is discussing the ideal state of humanity. I believe it is fair to say that discussions of 天人合一 are asking "have we realized the ideal?", whatever that ideal may be.admhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11847820834049254396noreply@blogger.com