John Minford | Four Classics of Chinese Literature: Thoughts from Another Great Civilisation
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- In this lecture, the world’s foremost living translator of Chinese literature, Emeritus Professor John Minford, explores four great works in the Chinese tradition that he believes best reveal the ancient lineaments and undercurrents still running through the hearts and spirits of Chinese people today.
Professor Minford examines:
• The I Ching c. 700 BC;
• The Tao Te Ching c. 300 BC;
• A selection of the most famous Chinese poems; and
• The Story of the Stone c. 1750-90.
Professor Minford then discusses:
*The peculiarity, as he terms it, of the I Ching, the most ancient Chinese classic, which he says is ‘really a spirit’ and which the Chinese say ‘is not a book at all’.
*The I Ching’s exploration of two polarities, yin and yang, and how they impact on all environments and situations.
*Tao or Dao, the ultimate logos and goal of all virtue, the fundamental concept of Chinese philosophy.
*The curious form of the Tao Te Ching, the ‘great mystical classic of Daoism’, which Prof. Minford reads as a composite of ‘ecstatic hymns’ and which teach that the Dao cannot be known intellectually but only through experience and embodiment.
*The contrast between Chinese and Western poetry, with Chinese poetry ‘very much about being absorbed into the universe rather than standing apart and having wonderful, deep, emotional feelings’.
*Why he believes the epic The Story of the Stone, a very long autobiographical novel by an 18th-century aristocrat, is the most influential work in Chinese civilisation, far surpassing any works relating to Confucianism, and equivalent in stature and influence to Shakespeare, Goethe, Tolstoy and Homer all rolled into one.
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Wow this is such an inspiration. As a Chinese, I am also learning from the Western civilization, the Greek Roman, Judeo Christian Civilization, Islamic Civilization. It makes me look back at my own cultural background and I feel so warm that people from other cultural backgrounds can reach Chinese civilization at this depth. It’s such an encouragement for me. In the world full of chaos and conflicts, I am in search for peace and beauty in all. Thank you.
I found my way here because of a Chinese made video game called Black Myth: Wukong but what I did not know is that I had already been introduced to classical Chinese literatures, the ideas, the philosophy, ideology, logical criticality and social comedy because of the likes of, what I regard as Monkey Magic the TV show, the writings of the great Science Fiction writers suck as Philip K Dick, Issac Asimov, Frank Herbert and Cixin Lui, to name but a few.
Thank you very much for this video and conversation of Chinese literature.
Slainte mhath to all!
7:00 The Smallness, Like Therese of Lisieux's Little Way... Like the translator I have come to appreciate the classics, East and West: with new eyes. Ones not jaded, but appreciative of what is shared and not what is unique.
I am delighted to have found this video, it has led me to his books. I know them both but not with his special quality...
I just watched this marvelous discussion and really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing this with us all. I look forward to reading some of the books mentioned.
Total share your feeling!! This lecture is fantastic!!😀😀
Lovely. Lovely. Lovely.
What an experience listening to him! Now I am saddled with the obligation to read the many thousands of pages of Chinese classics. 🫣😅
Great introduction to an extraordinary book.⚡ 👍🤔(Green Fire UK) 🌈🦉
What pleasant surprise to find this interview!! Prof. Minford's passion for Chinese Literature is infectious!! 🥰😍🤩
I have watched this three times now :)
Totally agree with you. It is so wonderful to see a non-Chinese academic so knowledgable about Classical Chinese Literature!!
With all the respect to Prof. Minford for his extensive knowledge of classical literature, I would like to make a point that Tao Te Ching was a text tested in the imperial civil service examination during the Tang Dynasty. And Taoism was part of the State Ideology during substantial period of time in the Tang Dynasty. This is not a common knowledge even among most Chinese scholars. I know this because I am a philosopher specialised in Classical Chinese philosophies. 😅😅
Professor, which translated anthologies would you recommend for someone interested in classical.Chinese philosophy? Much appreciated.
I would recommend Roger Ames and David Hall's translation of The Analects and Roger Ames and Henry Rosemont's translation of Dao De Jing. @@franciscomunoz2222
I have made a few videos on Classical Chinese philosophy if you are interested.@@franciscomunoz2222
@@franciscomunoz2222 I would recommend Roger Ames and David Hall's translation of the Analects and Dao De Jing.
I understand a bit deeper about the starting sentence of dao de jing after a few lectures of philosophy by chinese prof in fudan university(which is a top uni if you know about china). Its on the level of wisdom that western philosopher will instantly realise that this book is onto something very profound. But they cant say that in european language, so they tried to do their best to translate it.
Thank you ! Professor Minford. I recently bought the book "The Story of the Stone A Translator's Notebooks" by David Hawkes，but the original handwriting is really not that easy to follow😓
21:30 I hope that he sets him straight - The Chinese have lost the meanings in the symbols used in the I Ching. Like we have lost the meanings in our words. Logos as example, or equanimity, or better yet: faith. Faith: In Greek, Sanskrit, Hebrew... It means trust in the path you follow - not a blind belief... Vicissitudes: the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are our building blocks: they are who we are, our victories and failures both.
its like yinyang. with Chinese culture as yin and science and technology as yang. all yin no yang, China got bullied . Now xi jinping want China to have a good balance of yinyang to make sure China will no longer be bullied.
Lol, Xi Jin Ping is nothing but a bully.
中国不能在受到欺负了，日本必须成为中国的郡县，不然他们一直会不知悔改
I was disappointed