Best free beginner's translation?

[nac]

I want to show my mom the TTC. She's interested, but also a hardcore Muslim and none too good at English, so she's likely to be irritable and lose interest if I keep faffing around with hundreds of translations. Since there are no good Bengali translations of the book, (AFAIK; if there is, link please!) we're stuck with English.

 

So, any suggestions? Should I just go with Stephen Mitchell (I doubt she'll understand Legge) and see how it works out?

[DrumR]

Greetings nac.

 

I provide two links that may or may not be of some use over time.

 

On the first link page please examine the footnotes for further information.

 

<http://nvkashraf.co.cc/nvkashraf/kur-trans/translations.htm>

 

 

The second link is for computer translation software to Bengali.

 

<http://sourceforge.net/projects/bengalinux/files/>

 

Using the many translations of the Tao te Ching available on the internet, many as text files, and language translation software one may then attempt to compile a translation into Bengali that may prove to be of some benefit. Please be mindful of Mr Legge's notes on translation.

 

Of course, the collected transliterations may loose some of the nuances, but it may be seen as better than none at all. It may also be the first step to interest others to take such a project to a more finished state.

 

Good luck.

[nac]

Thanks!

[Mig]

Isn't a Sanskrit translation out there from long time ago? Just curious

[dawei]

I've shared this before but only Dao knows where...  

 

There is a very simple and cute, cartoon like translation that reads like a comic strip... it is still quite profound with the simple utterance of the characters.

 

The Dao Speaks I

 

The Dao Speaks II

 

Only draw back is that it doesn't follow the regular DDJ chapter order but I think in your case, that doesn't matter at all.