My humble remarks rather focus on the translation of this ancient text '
This book was recommended by my teacher to reference O Languages and has indeed three merits:
1. It reproduces the Chinese text on the left page
2. It tries to recreate the poetic allure Text
3. It offers an honest translation
That being said, this text lacks a pointed comment on the various choices made. A translation of Jing Daode 'choice for a given ideogram, rather than a sense of another' will indeed necessarily the shape of the translator 'and that's why he will not be the Tao!
This is particularly annoying when the proposed translation looks very much like the Chinese. How to explain such 'As always, consider being the Branch "or" As always is, consider the term "the first chapter? Try to limit the number of words is one thing but what interest if one understands anything? In these two sentences, the other translations will generally be clear, see the website [...]
The authors do not escape to a number of cons-sense:
- Chapter 4, "The Way is like an empty bowl that no use will peak" while "chong" (the interface apparently not accept Chinese characters) refers rather to the idea of a bubbling, of a stream of activity or energy colliding, a sort of cosmic soup from which all arise. How could the void also produce everything? Also note that there is no mention of "bowl"
- In chapter 7. "Sage puts his body behind. Before it is placed. "Is not wrong in itself, but nevertheless too simplistic compared to other possibilities. "Shen" means in body good effect but also individual, life, status, yourself, personally or moral character and conduct of someone, the last. Now it is in this chapter the behavior of the Sage or Saint.
Finally, the text remains commendable but not sufficient for understanding the Tao of Lao Zi and flashes.
Sincerely,
