Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2013

 

Perplexity and Transcendence of the Chinese Translations of Western Philosophy: In Response to Professor Sun Zhouxing’s Criticism

(Abstract)

 

Wang Lu

 

The word being is a noun derived from a verb. When used as a verb, it is most often used as a copular one. So literally, the word being carries the meaning of a copular verb. In the Chinese language, “是” is a copular verb, but “存在” is not. Therefore, we should translate being and its related concepts with “是,” which is consistent with our understanding of Western philosophy. In philosophical discussions, the issue of how to translate and explain being has always persisted. Translating being is different from explaining its meaning. In translating being into Chinese, we should observe the following principles: first, the Chinese equivalent for being should reflect the literal meaning of the word; and second, the Chinese equivalent can and should run through all being-related discussions. In this regard, only “是” meets both requirements. In the process of translating Western philosophy into Chinese, there does exist the problem of how to make the translation clear and easy to understand, namely, in compliance with the mother-tongue intuitions. Such a problem involves both the peculiar characteristics of translation itself and some translation skills. So long as they can break through the existing defective knowledge structure and transcend the conventional constricted view, the Chinese people are fully capable of expressing and grasping the being-related issue, thereby gaining a better view of Western philosophy.