China News Agency, Beijing, September 2nd, question: How to interpret the "Historical Records" with Western thinking?
——Interview with American Sinologist Ni Haoshi
Author Yang Yahui
The "Records of the Grand Historian", praised by Mr. Lu Xun as "a masterpiece of historians and a rhymeless "Li Sao", is the first general historical masterpiece in the history of Chinese historiography that connects the past and the present, ranking first in the "Twenty-Four Histories".
Over the years, the study of "Historical Records" has attracted many scholars at home and abroad.
What are the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western scholars' research perspectives on the Records of the Grand Historian?
What is the significance of the study of "Historical Records" for cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations?
William H. Nienhauser, Jr, Holst Skom Chair Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Wisconsin-Madison, in an exclusive interview with China News Agency "East and West Questions" recently, described how he used Western thinking to interpret Chinese classic.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Agency reporter: As a well-known sinologist, you have been devoted to sinology research for decades. How did you first start to understand China, and then came into contact with the Chinese language and became interested in Sinology?
Ni Haoshi:
I was born in late 1943.
As a child, my grandmother gave me an old textbook she used in her history class.
Soon, I became interested in reading history books.
While reading the book Thirty Seconds over Tokyo, I learned about (April 1942) the first U.S. air raid on Japan.
The book depicts the story of some pilots landing in China with parachutes after the bombing of Tokyo, due to lack of sufficient fuel.
The book details how the Chinese people helped the American pilots escape the Japanese and escorted them to Chongqing safely.
This book and some other stories like the "Flying Tigers" piqued my interest in China.
At the same time, these history-related books laid the foundation for my high school history class.
Since then, reading and researching biographies has become my main interest.
Later I studied Chinese at a language school.
My Chinese name, Ni Haoshi, was also given to me by my teacher at the language school.
Then I chose to study Chinese at Indiana University.
There, I met a large number of Chinese teachers, including Mr. Liu Wuji, a well-known Chinese poet and translator.
Afterwards, when I went to study at Bonn University in Germany, I learned about some well-known sinologists and embarked on the road of sinology research.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee issued by China News Agency
China News Agency reporter: You have been studying "Historical Records" for more than 30 years. In terms of academic and ideological aspects, what is the unique charm of "Historical Records" to the Western world? What do you think is the significance of the study of "Historical Records" for cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations?
Ni Haoshi:
When I was studying in Germany, I found that when studying Chinese in the West, the emphasis is on reading and writing, and the level of understanding of the text needs to be improved.
In 1989, in order to improve my comprehension and knowledge, I decided to start translating "Historical Records" with my classmates.
Another reason for this decision is that after I started researching Shiji in the 1970s, I found that there are still quite a few parts of the book that do not have a satisfactory full English translation.
In my opinion, the translation and introduction of "Records of the Grand Historian" is a realistic need for the communication between Chinese and Western cultures.
The status of "Historical Records" in the field of Chinese historiography is self-evident, and it is also of great significance to Western scholars who want to understand Chinese history.
At the same time, the literary influence of Shiji itself is equally far-reaching, and the lack of a complete translation will mislead Western readers, so I decided to translate a faithful Shiji with detailed annotations and as literary and fluent as possible. Full translation.
I hope that my translation of "Historical Records" will not only serve general readers, but also serve scholars and experts, and further promote Western research on Chinese history and culture.
For readers in the Western world, the "Historical Records" takes them into a different world, and people in the Western world can use this to form a preliminary impression of ancient China, and then become interested in China and Chinese traditional culture.
China News Agency reporter: In the process of researching "Historical Records", you have published dozens of academic papers. As a sinologist, how do you translate and study the "Historical Records" different from your predecessors?
Ni Haoshi:
I did not study or translate the "Historical Records" alone, but through group discussions. Not only did I convert ancient Chinese into English, but I also used Western thinking to interpret Chinese classics.
In the process of translation, we will try our best to refer to the previous research results of "Historical Records" and the original translation of "Historical Records", and make full use of dictionaries such as "Hanhe Dictionary" and "Kangxi Dictionary" to try to understand the meaning of each word as accurately as possible. meaning.
The predecessors' translations mostly use free translations and use as few annotations as possible to make the translations fluent, while my translations try to be accurate, detailed and well-documented.
I hope to fully reproduce the authentic features of "Historical Records", including its historical value and literary style.
The "Sage of History" ceremony was held in Hancheng, the hometown of Sima Qian, Shaanxi Province.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Tian Jin
China News Service reporter: In your opinion, what is the difference between the perspectives of Western scholars and Chinese scholars in studying the Records of the Grand Historian?
Ni Haoshi:
I think there are two essential differences between my Sinology research and that of Chinese scholars: first, Chinese scholars generally have a broader and deeper understanding of traditional Chinese writings and their authors; second, their native language is Chinese , can easily understand the ancient Chinese style such as Han Fu.
For me, the foundation of Sinology studies is translation.
I have to translate everything I want to discuss.
Of course, this doesn't mean that I need to understand the meaning of every word in the work, but I need to at least figure out the general content.
Professor Liu Wuji was also deeply influenced by Western culture, so when he wrote "Introduction to Chinese Literature", he also chose to translate all the works he needed to know.
And these translation works have become the way for us to understand those Chinese classical literature.
At the same time, when I understand some traditional Chinese works, I will also discuss them from a Western perspective, or put them together with similar Western literary works for comparative literature research, and think more about Chinese literary phenomena.
China News Agency reporter: In the process of understanding and studying Chinese classics, what influence do you think Sinology research has on your personal character?
Ni Haoshi:
While I was studying Chinese classics, I was indeed deeply influenced.
I have slowly learned patience and respect for ancient traditions.
At the same time, some experiences in China and Europe also made me realize the feeling of being in a foreign land.
Therefore, I try to be patient and careful with those Chinese students who come to study in the United States.
Also, I have been trying to pass on my love for Chinese classical literature to my students, no matter what country they come from.
At the same time, I am also deeply aware of the differences in cultural cognition between China and the West.
Although it is impossible for me to become 100% Chinese by studying Chinese classics, in the process of studying Chinese classics, I can create a method suitable for Westerners to study Chinese literature and history, and use Westerners' way of thinking to interpret , which is also very gratifying to me.
China News Service reporter: As far as you know, what are the important influences of Chinese classics such as "Historical Records" and traditional Chinese culture on the Western world? What do some people around you know about China and traditional Chinese culture?
Ni Haoshi: In
the past, ordinary Americans did not know much about traditional Chinese culture.
But over time, more and more Americans have become interested in Chinese classics.
However, most people still have difficulty in contacting Chinese, so translation still plays a crucial role in this process.
In view of the cultural differences between the East and the West, some truths that are easy to understand in the eyes of Chinese people without explanation may be very difficult to understand in the eyes of Westerners.
Therefore, for me, accurate translation and annotation of Chinese classics and building a bridge between Eastern and Western cultural exchanges can make more people around me interested in Chinese cultural classics.
My students choose to study and study Chinese classics with me because they have a strong interest in China and want to know more about this ancient country with a civilization spanning 5,000 years.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Photo courtesy of the interviewee issued by China News Agency
Ni Haoshi, an American sinologist, is currently the Holst Skom Chair Professor of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Visiting professor.
He studied in the Far East and Germany, and received his Ph.D. in literature from Indiana University in 1972.
In 2003, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Humboldt Foundation in Germany for his outstanding contributions to the field of Chinese classical literature.
He is the founder and long-term editor-in-chief of Chinese Literature (Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews, ie CLEAR), the only magazine devoted to Chinese literature in the United States.