Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much?Not being a sinologist myself, I don't know if the direction the Feng/English takes us in this line is correct -- it is different than the other two translations. I can only say that I like this direction because of the point it leads to.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
Why does everyone like the Tao so much at first?
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
Why did the ancients value this Tao so much?
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
Why have the Masters always respected Tao?
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
It points at the idea that we humans like things that appear easy, but shy away from what appears difficult.
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Feng-English is not my favorite of translations, sometimes too Esalen/Alan Watts for my taste. I don't think the meaning here has anything to do with "liking" Tao and I don't see the notion of "at first" in any other translation or the Chinese. The line follows the idea that pursuing Tao, offering Tao, is better than gifts and veneration to the emperor. The Tao pursuer gains and gives something better than that. Analyzing the line apart from the rest of the verse doesn't work. It's just a question, to be answered in the next lines (which do in fact say something about esteem and value of Tao--perhaps that's where the "liking" comes from, there's a kind of conflation in Feng ad English). I will be interested to hear what you have to say on their rendering** of the rest of the verse.
ReplyDelete**My piano teacher used to say, when I asked how my rendition of something was: "One renders lard, one plays music."