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.