The Swedisih Lun Yu Translations Comparison And Commentary

When translating between languages from different language families and cultural spheres, it is inevitable that some words in the source language will not have a single perfect equivalent in the target language. As such different translations of the same work may differ greatly in their vocabulary, and sometimes also grammar.This paper compares the two Swedish translations of the Chinese classic Lun Yu. Bemhard Karlgren’s from 1929 and Alf Henrikson & Hwang Tsu-Yii’s from 1949. The focus is on vocabulary. A few dozen words that are likely to be problematic have been selected for comparison and discussion. After each word the author will pass his judgment on which he thinks is the superior translation, or offer an entirely new one if both are found to be inadequate.While both translations have their advantages and disadvantages, the author ultimately rules in favor of Karlgren for his more consistent use of terminology, which may not be as poetic as Henrikson & Hwang’s but gives the reader a better idea of the key Confucian concepts.