The Translingual Ziran of Laozi Chapter 25: Global Laozegetics and Meaning Unbound by Language

Abstract

Many scholars view translations of the Chinese classics as inevitably lacking fidelity to the “original,” asserting language difference as a fundamental impediment to cross-cultural understanding. The present study disputes this viewpoint by employing the perspective of Global Laozegetics. This notion affirms a fundamental continuity between the native Laozi or Daodejing commentarial tradition and its corresponding foreign translation tradition. Specifically, I will investigate a range of interpretations of the term ziran found in Laozi Chapter 25, including 16 traditional and modern Chinese readings and 67 translations in 26 languages. My broad investigation of this narrow topic will reveal a rich historical development of interpretation and translation, highlight the philosophical ramifications of different exegetical choices, deepen our understanding of the core Daoist concept ziran, and assist in confirming the basic premise of Global Laozegetics that language, even the original language of Chinese, is secondary to interpretive strategy when engaging with classical works.

The Understanding and Translation of De 德 in the English Translation of the Daodejing 道德經

“…As Misha Tadd pointed out in his project, Global Laozegetics (Quanqiu Laoxue 全球老學), many scholars inside and outside of China view translations of the Chinese classics as lacking fidelity to the original; however, translation is a realm of commentary and interpretation and "is not simply a flawed effort at reproducing a pristine text in a target language but a manifestation of the translator's inevitable interpretation of said text." See (Tadd 2022b).…”