![]() ![]() Ni’s translation, in general, is sensitive to textual nuances and difficulties. Ni’s gongfu reading of the Analects is a plausible way of understanding the Analects, which does not seek to have the readers comply with each one of the teachings as moral norms but rather, to have them apply the teachings in their everyday life. Another is by presenting Confucius’s teachings as having a gongfu orientation that emphasizes on “the embodiment and manifestation of excellent abilities” (25). ![]() In doing so, Ni makes vivid that the Analects is still very much a living text. Unlike many other translations, Ni’s annotations not only include traditional Chinese commentators, but also include modern scholarship on Confucius’s thought, as well as Ni’s own comparative notes on other traditions, such as Daoism, Christianity, and ancient Greek philosophy. The first is by providing extended annotations on the passages. It offers readers a new perspective for understanding Confucius and his teachings as recorded in the Analects. ![]() In my view, Ni Peimin’s Understanding the Analects of Confucius accomplishes this feat impressively. Any new translation that adds to the existing stack faces the challenge of presenting something new and interesting about the text while not sacrificing the faithfulness to the original text. To date, there are about forty complete English translations of the Analects. ![]()
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