Textual issues : Possible typos in Shiji 五帝本紀 #3

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Discussion -> Textual issues -> Possible typos in Shiji 五帝本紀 #3

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Shiji - Annals of the Five Emperors #3

2013-01-18 07:25:10Possible typos in Shiji 五帝本紀 #3
Posted by: skalyan	Judging by the translation, there should probably be a comma between 存亡之難 ("the disputations on life and death") and 時播百穀草木 ("the planting of the crops, plants, and trees in their seasons"), rather than a period. Likewise, there should be a period between 淳化鳥獸蟲蛾 ("the transformations of birds, beasts, insects, and moths") and 旁羅日月星辰水波土石金玉 ("He also prepared a record of the movements of the sun, moon, and stars; the flow of the tides; and the properties of clay, stones, metals, and gems"), rather than a comma. I am not able to find any punctuation in the base text. Finally, the last sentence has 士 where it should have 土 (thus, it should read, 有土德之瑞 "there was an auspicious omen of the earth's energy", not "…of the scholar's energy"!). The base text (ctext.org/library.pl?if=en&... clearly has 土.

2013-01-18 07:25:10Possible typos in Shiji 五帝本紀 #3

Posted by: skalyan

Judging by the translation, there should probably be a comma between 存亡之難 ("the disputations on life and death") and 時播百穀草木 ("the planting of the crops, plants, and trees in their seasons"), rather than a period. Likewise, there should be a period between 淳化鳥獸蟲蛾 ("the transformations of birds, beasts, insects, and moths") and 旁羅日月星辰水波土石金玉 ("He also prepared a record of the movements of the sun, moon, and stars; the flow of the tides; and the properties of clay, stones, metals, and gems"), rather than a comma. I am not able to find any punctuation in the base text.

Finally, the last sentence has 士 where it should have 土 (thus, it should read, 有土德之瑞 "there was an auspicious omen of the earth's energy", not "…of the scholar's energy"!). The base text (ctext.org/library.pl?if=en&... clearly has 土.

2013-01-22 08:13:16Possible typos in Shiji 五帝本紀 #3
Posted by: dsturgeon (Donald Sturgeon)	Many thanks - I've corrected the "士" since it's clearly wrong as you say. I'm not sure that the punctuation really needs to be changed though - as you point out, it isn't indicated in the base text, and it's not unusual for a translation to break sentences at different points from the Chinese. Actually I think it may be the translation itself that could do with some changes here.
Posted by: dsturgeon (Donald Sturgeon)

2013-01-26 11:46:58Possible typos in Shiji 五帝本紀 #3
Posted by: skalyan	How about the following translation? "…and made calculations of future events, appointing 'Chief of the winds,' 'Strength-governor,' 'Everfirst,' and 'Great Swan,' to govern the people. He heeded the celestial and terrestrial arrangements, the dark and bright prognostications, the disputations on life and death, and the doctrines on survival and destruction. He had crops, plants, and trees planted in their proper seasons; transformed birds, beasts, insects, and moths; prepared a record of the early-morning movements of the sun, moon, and stars; the flow of the tides; and the properties of clay, stones, metals, and gems; and applied his intellect and attention to the economic use of water, fire, wood, and animals.…" The bit about "transforming birds and beasts" doesn't seem to make sense; is there any chance the passage could be translated as "He simplified ([e.g.] the classification of) birds, beasts, etc." (given that 淳 is glossed as "simple")? Or would this be anachronistic? I have to say, I know nothing about the historical and cultural context of the Shiji, so am going almost entirely by the translations, the character glosses, and my knowledge of Japanese kanji (and limited familiarity with the rules of kanbun).

2013-01-26 11:46:58Possible typos in Shiji 五帝本紀 #3

Posted by: skalyan

How about the following translation?

"…and made calculations of future events, appointing 'Chief of the winds,' 'Strength-governor,' 'Everfirst,' and 'Great Swan,' to govern the people. He heeded the celestial and terrestrial arrangements, the dark and bright prognostications, the disputations on life and death, and the doctrines on survival and destruction. He had crops, plants, and trees planted in their proper seasons; transformed birds, beasts, insects, and moths; prepared a record of the early-morning movements of the sun, moon, and stars; the flow of the tides; and the properties of clay, stones, metals, and gems; and applied his intellect and attention to the economic use of water, fire, wood, and animals.…"

The bit about "transforming birds and beasts" doesn't seem to make sense; is there any chance the passage could be translated as "He simplified ([e.g.] the classification of) birds, beasts, etc." (given that 淳 is glossed as "simple")? Or would this be anachronistic?

I have to say, I know nothing about the historical and cultural context of the Shiji, so am going almost entirely by the translations, the character glosses, and my knowledge of Japanese kanji (and limited familiarity with the rules of kanbun).

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