China News Agency, Beijing, July 11th: Turkish Sinologist Ji Lai: How does "Sun Tzu's Art of War" reflect Chinese wisdom?

  China News Agency reporter Shi Yuanfeng

  In April of this year, Medvedev, Vice Chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council, quoted a passage in "Sun Tzu: Nine Changes" on social media to explain Russia's special military operation: using military methods, you can't come without any hope, and you can rely on your own ability. Waiting; if you don't rely on it not to attack, you can't attack if you rely on me.

It means that offense is the best defense, and only when you are ready can you stop fighting.

Coincidentally, "Sun Tzu's Art of War" left behind by the Ukrainian army once again pushed the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient oriental civilization to the hot search.

Can the tactics of military use more than 2,500 years ago be absorbed by both sides of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine today?

Is the world's earliest military work aimed at "promoting war" or "avoiding war"?

  Sinologist Ji Lai, a professor at Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University in Ankara, Turkey and the first Turkish translator of "The Art of War of Sun Tzu", recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Dongxi Wen" to decipher the contents of "The Art of War of Sun Tzu". Chinese wisdom.

The following is a summary of the interview transcript:

Reporter from China News Agency: Sun Tzu's Art of War is the first Chinese classic directly translated from classical Chinese into Turkish.

Why translate this book?

  Ji Lai: "Sun Tzu's Art of War" is not only famous in China, but also has great influence in the West. It is a bestseller.

First, Sun Tzu's Art of War is relatively short.

Second, Sun Tzu's Art of War has a long history of being translated into various languages, much like the Tao Te Ching.

Third, its content is very attractive. It is not only about the strategy and tactics of war, but also reflects human nature.

  Many Western readers have commented on Sun Tzu's Art of War: "A 2,500-year-old work that reveals many principles. It is surprising that in today's technological progress, these principles still retain their application value."

  I have been translating Sun Tzu's Art of War since 2014.

At that time, my tutor, Professor Ou Gang, a fourth-generation Turkish sinologist, had promised the publishing house to translate "Sun Tzu's Art of War", but he translated a part of it and stopped due to physical reasons.

Later, the publisher asked me if I could continue the translation, so I contacted Professor Ou Gang and asked him if he could translate the book together?

He said, "I'm very happy." And so we went.

  We agreed to go to Professor Ougang's house every week, work continuously for several hours each time, check the materials and fully discuss.

At the time, there was no literal translation from Chinese to Turkish, so we wanted to do this more accurately and authentically than translating through English or other languages.

  No matter which language, literal translation is better.

Translation through other languages ​​may cause ambiguity.

For example, the process of translating Sun Tzu's Art of War from classical Chinese into Turkish also includes my understanding of this work, which is definitely different from the English version.

The Turkish version of "Sun Tzu's Art of War" (left) and "Zhuangzi" translated by Sinologist Ji Lai.

Photo courtesy of the interviewee issued by China News Agency

China News Agency reporter: In the English translation, "Sun Tzu's Art of War" is translated as "The Art of War".

In your opinion, is this a book about "war"?

What kind of Chinese wisdom does Sun Tzu's Art of War contain?

  Ji Lai: Sun Tzu's Art of War is not only a military book, with a military strategy such as "use the method of warfare, all victory is the best"; it is also an excellent literary work, with the well-known saying "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles"; or A reference book for guiding people and doing things, there is a philosophy of life such as "Victory can be known but not done".

"Sun Tzu's Art of War" is a splendid treasure in the ancient Chinese cultural heritage, and it is a concentrated expression of the essence of ancient military thought.

But I think Sun Tzu's mind is to avoid war.

"That's why a hundred victories in a hundred battles are not a good person; a soldier who subdues a man without fighting is a good person."

As the saying goes, winning a hundred battles is not considered wise; subduing the enemy without fighting is wise.

  Looking back at the history of human society, it can be seen that there is inevitable competition between groups and even within groups. This competition is cruel and fierce.

Before modern society, this kind of competition came from the survival instinct of "the strong eat the weak" in the earth's biosphere on the one hand, and the response to the lack of living conditions and insufficient production capacity on the other hand.

  However, the suffering of war is constantly being reflected, and globalization has promoted the increasingly close international production and trade relations, which has brought inclusive values ​​while narrowing cultural differences.

War has been more and more disgusted, resisted and even resisted by human beings who have a stronger sense of equality and autonomy.

  Sun Tzu's wisdom is reflected in "So the upper arm fights the strategy, the second is the Jiao, the second is the army, and the lower is attacking the city. The method of attacking the city is a last resort." To defeat the enemy through diplomacy is to defeat the enemy by force, and the last resort is to attack the enemy's city.

Siege is a last resort, there is no way.

  Chinese pre-Qin logic is the peak of ancient Chinese logic history, such as Taoism, Legalism and more than 100 schools, "Sun Tzu's Art of War" is just one of the works.

At present, I have not translated Mozi and Han Feizi, and I hope to complete them in the future.

  There are more Chinese classics translated into Turkey, which helps people to better understand China and understand Chinese wisdom.

For example, the West does not have the concepts of "dao", "gentleman" and "villain", so understanding it is bound to open a new window.

My translation of "Guiguzi" was published this year, and the second printing has been sold out, and like "Sun Tzu's Art of War", it has become a bestseller in Turkey.

  China has a long history, and as a sinologist, the greatest contribution I can make is to translate more Chinese classics.

Sun Tzu's hometown is Huimin County, Shandong Province.

Photo by Dong Naide issued by China News Agency

China News Service reporter: In June this year, the Turkish translation of Sun Tzu's Art of War was printed for the 21st time, with a sales volume of more than 300,000 copies. It is a classic widely studied by military academies in Europe and the United States.

In your opinion, why is it so popular?

  Ji Lai: The evaluation of Sun Tzu by European and American scholars involves various fields such as military strategy, humanistic philosophy, business competition, sports competition, talent development, and social life, especially the modern significance of Sun Tzu's Art of War.

  In addition, there are many celebrity recommendations and word of mouth, making it a classic in the human world, not just a classic in China.

Suzhou Qionglong Mountain, the birthplace of "Sun Tzu's Art of War", held a cultural tourism festival, and the song and dance performances reproduced the "Battle of Wu and Yue".

Photo by Qiu Yong issued by China News Agency

China News Agency reporter: You have translated ancient Chinese books such as The Analects of Confucius and Zhuangzi, and you are translating A Dream of Red Mansions. In addition, you have also translated many excellent modern Chinese literary works such as The Burial of a Muslim and The Ancient Ship.

How do you view the role of sinology and translation work as a bridge in cultural exchanges between the East and the West?

  Ji Lai: Sinology research and translation play a significant role as a bridge between the East and the West. Good literary works have the attribute of "world language".

The premise of good translation is to cross two cultures, not only to understand the local culture, but also to understand the Chinese culture, which is very critical and equally important.

  When translating Chinese classical Chinese classics, you must put yourself in the shoes.

For example, the era in which Confucius lived, or the environment and things mentioned in the era described in "A Dream of Red Mansions" can hardly be seen now, so it is necessary to "travel" to the "field" of the past to study, and then "travel" to come back to talk about it. Listen to the people of the moment.

  In addition, it is also important to choose the classic annotated version for reference in translation.

For example, when I translate "The Analects of Confucius", I will refer to Mr. Yang Bojun's version of Zhonghua Book Company.

Yang Bojun is everyone. He has reviewed 2,500 years of history and studied Confucian classics all his life. His views are very helpful to me.

The Turkish version of Guiguzi (left) and The Ancient Ship, translated by Sinologist Ji Lai.

Photo courtesy of the interviewee issued by China News Agency

China News Service reporter: Some scholars believe that once human wisdom is condensed into knowledge and scholarship, it will become the common wealth of all mankind, and there is no distinction between countries and races.

How do you understand?

How do you view the comparison of Chinese and Western cultures?

  Ji Lai: Well said.

Whether in the East or the West, the classics are a contribution to all mankind.

This is also one of the main reasons why I want to translate more Chinese classics into Turkish.

  There are many differences between Chinese literature and the West. Different cultural backgrounds, different language expressions, different lifestyles, different communication etiquette, etc., it is precisely because of this that it brings freshness and opens another door for enlightenment. window.

  From a literary point of view, empathy is a common feature of human beings.

Because no matter how complicated a problem or dispute is, from the perspective of emotion, human beings can basically understand it, and then resolve the estrangement.

(Finish)

Sinologist Ji Lai communicates with editors of Chinese publishing houses.

Photo courtesy of the interviewee issued by China News Agency

Interviewee Profile:

Photo courtesy of the interviewee

  Giray Fidan, a Turkish sinologist and translator, is a professor at Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University in Turkey. He has won the Youth Achievement Award of the 10th China Book Special Contribution Award.

Engaged in the study of China-Turkey relations, dedicated to introducing China to Turkey.

His translation and publication of Sun Tzu's Art of War is the first direct translation from Chinese classical Chinese into Turkish, and it has become a bestseller in Turkey.