On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c4.s1: The Translators
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c4.s1
- Language
- English
The Translators
v1.c4.s1.1
In 1857 M. Julien published his long promised translation of the "Ta-T'ang-Hsi-yü-chi" with the title "Mémoires sur les Contrées occidentales traduits du Sanscrit en Chinois, en l'an 648, par Hiouen-Thsang, et du Chinois en Français." This work was regarded by the learned translator as supplementary to his "Histoire de la Vie de Hiouen-Thsang et de ses voyages dans l'Inde, depuis l'an 629 jusqu'en 645" translated by him from the Chinese and published in 1853. He had already supplemented the latter treatise by an interesting series of "Documents Géographiques" on the countries of which the book makes mention. Julien's "Mémoires sur les Contrées occidentales" is a work of great merit, and it shows a wonderful knowledge of the Chinese language. Much use has been made of it by students of the history, geography, antiquities, and religions of India and Central Asia and on all these subjects it has been regarded as an authority. And although it is not wise to accept with unquestioning faith all the renderings and identifications of the translator yet it is not without diffidence that one dissents from or condemns his interpretation of a difficult phrase or passage either in the Life or the Records.
v1.c4.s1.2
The only other translation of the "Hsi-yü-chi" into a western language is the English version by the late Revd S. Beal. This was published in 1884 with the title "Buddhist Records of the Western World, Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen Tsiang (A. D. 629)". The title is characteristic of the translator, and the reader may compare it with that given by Julien to his translation. Mr Beal's work is a translation partly "from the Chinese" and partly from the French. In it many of the careless mistakes which disfigure Julien's treatise are corrected and its notes supply the student with numerous references to old and recent western authorities.
v1.c4.s1.3
Within the last few years the Preface to the Hsi-yü-chi attributed to Chang yueh, to be noticed presently, has attracted the attention of some western students of Chinese. In the "Muséon" for November 1894 there appeared an article by M. A. Gueluy entitled "A propos d'une Préface. Aperçu critique sur le Bouddhisme en Chine au 7e siècle." This article gives M. Gueluy's criticism on Julien's translation of the Preface and a new rendering by the critic. One can scarcely treat M. Gueluy's production seriously, it is so full of fancies and fictions and shows such a slight acquaintance with Buddhism and the Chinese language.
v1.c4.s1.4
Professor Schlegel, however, took the "A propos d'une Preface" seriously and has given us a criticism of it together with a new translation of this Préface to the Hsi-yü-chi. The Professor's treatise, which shows much industry and ingenuity, is entitled „La Loi du Parallélisme en style Chinois demontrée par la Préface du Si-yü-ki.” In this he defends some of Julien's translations against the criticism of M. Gueluy and shows how absurdly wrong is the latter's version. M. Schlegel brings numerous quotations from Chinese books to support his own renderings of the difficult passages in the Preface. Many of these renderings are apparently correct and an improvement on those by Julien, but in several instances the learned Professor seems to have missed the author's meaning. His criticisms on M. Gueluy's "A propos d'une Préface" drew from M. Gueluy a reply which is not convincing: it is entitled "L'Insuffisance du Parallélisme prouvée sur la Préface du Si-iu-ki contre la traduction de M. G. Schlegel."