Translating China II

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We plan to translate the major works of Roger T. Ames (born 1947) and Henry Rosemont, Jr. (born 1936) on Comparative Philosophy and Confucianism into English. The reason for this is that existing Chinese translations have been made by translators who do not have a background in philosophy. Many mistakes in these earlier translations as well as misleading interpretations make it hard to understand their work at all. Our retranslations and new editions should solve these two big issues: (1) They should enable the Chinese readers to properly understand Roger T. Ames’ way of explaining his methodology of East-West Comparative Philosophy, which has been achieved and expressed by him in such a beneficial way and with unchallenged relevance for more than three decennia. (2) An even more important aspect is that our retranslations should provide the Chinese audience to learn to see the Chinese tradition of philosophy from the perspective of East-West Comparative Philosophy. It is of great historical significance to talk about traditional Chinese culture from this angle of a new kind of comparative standard in East-West discourse. For translating and publishing these works again, we therefore have gathered a group of distinguished scholars with a background in the field of East-West Comparative Philosophy. In our project, the appropriate method for translation will be used: In this regard, it is most important that our translators’ proficiency of translating and their mastery of the Western language here is mainly complemented by a thorough knowledge of the original Chinese methods of thinking.
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For the time from March 8thto 12th, 2017, we plan a workshop to outline and impart the first important stages of this translation project. To start this, we have asked all of the participating translators to prepare a translation of an introductory text and a first chapter of the respective book which they will be responsible for translating, in advance. During the time of the stay in Qufu the translators will be working on improving their translations until they are satisfying. This will be contextualized by four lectures and instructions which will be given by Prof. Roger T. Ames. The respective topics of these four lectures are: 1) What Is Responsible Cultural Comparison? 2) What Are the Two Interpretive Contexts for Comparative Philosophic Hermeneutics? 3) Uncommon Assumptions of Confucianism and the Two Vocabularies for Comparison) 4) What Is Asymmetry Cultural Comparison?. Prof. Tian Chenshan田辰山, director of the Centre for East-West Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University and central team member of China Confucius Research Institute’s “Roger Ames Distinguished Confucian Scholar Project” will twice held a course of lectures. The topics are as follows: 1) Why Is Cultural Exchange not Merely a Matter of Translation? 2) The Characteristics of Roger T. Ames Translation Works: Heavy Comparative Chinese-Western Philosophic Hermeneutics and Highly Selective Vocabulary Taking into Consideration of the Two Interpretive Contexts:“the one behind the many“(“一多二分”) in contrast to“the inseparability of the one and many”(“一多不分”). 3) Discussion on Examples of Retranslating Roger T. Ames’and Henry Rosemont, Jr.’s philosophical and comparative perspectives on the Confucian writings. The workshop provides the translators with a steady list of vocabulary for their translation work as well as the best possible way of translating the important concepts in Roger T. Ames’ and Henry Rosemont’s works. The initial workshop at the Confucius Research Institute in Qufu, Shandong will bring the Chinese class of translators together for the first time. The workshop will last for five days of intense work. In the end, the translator’s will be qualified and trained to fulfill their tasks and also to translate the deep thoughts of the authors, that means of the leading forces of international Chinese-Western Comparative Philosophy, sharing the great spirit of the “Great Family of Confucian Scholarship” of the Chinese Confucius Research Institute and distinguished Confucian scholar Roger T. Ames.
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Roger T· Ames (Roger T.Ames)

Roger T. Ames was born in 1947 in Toronto, Canada. As a professor at the University of Hawaii, an advisor to Nishan Shengyuan Academy, Chairman of the World Association of Confucian Culture Studies and Vice Chairman of the International Confucian Association, he is an internationally famous expert in Sinology. He is a leading figure in Chinese & Western philosophy and is famous in China and abroad for his translation of books such as theAnalects of Confucius,Sun Tzu’s Art of War,Huainan Tzu andTao Te Ching He was the Chief Editor toPhilosophy of the Occident and Orientas well as theInternational Chinese Book Reviewand the author ofConfucian Philosophical Thinking,Thinking from the Han: Self, Truth, and Transcendence in Chinese and Western Culture,Anticipating China: Thinking Through the Narratives of Chinese and Western Culture,the Art of Rulership: A Study into Chinese Political ThoughtandDemocracy if the Dead: Dewey, Confucius and the Hope for Democracy in China. Roger T. Ames once received the guidance of Liu Dianjue and became proficient in classical Chinese, then to one of the most outstanding modern scholars of Classical Studies. In 2013, he was awarded the "Confucius Culture Award" by the 6th World Confucian Congress. Then he won the second "Huilin Prize Award" in 2016.…
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