Robert Henricks, Sinologist or Giant Nerd?

[treebuffalo]

I mentioned before I like Robert Henricks translations because they are so dry and uncreative, you can't help but add water and watch them grow. I translated chap 33 this morning for myself and found the perfect example: 

 

Henricks (lines 3-4): 

To conquer others is to have strength;

To conquer yourself is to be strong. 

 

The logograms used are li (strength) and ch'iang (strong) (according to J. Star). These are CLEARLY different characters, but Henricks has force-fed both into one definition. This not only is a mis-translation IMO, but also deadens the impact of the chapter. This is very common for Henricks.

 

And as much as I rely on Henricks for a leaden interpretation, he is a beginning, not an end to comprehension. Something I'm not sure was his intent in the first place (helping people comprehend). 

 

Henricks is an excellent translator and sinologist, but he is no Daoist. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by treebuffalo