Chapter 009 Translation Issues

This type of kinship is divided into three ranks: Chief, Second, and Third, which correspond precisely to the titles of Duke, Marquis, and Earl in later generations. Among them, the term "comes" also became the etymology for the title of Earl.

A famous example from the history of the previous era is the war between Nepal and the East India Company, which led to a request for military assistance from the Qing government; after two rounds of translation, it has practically soared to the heavens

Tian Ping, standing to the side, snapped open a folding fan and nodded, saying: "So it is him?"

However, if one were to approach it from the perspective of "Mosquito Prison," one could certainly find a plethora of issues by citing various passages. Even the emperor, if he were inclined, could take the opportunity to take action against the missionaries and create a significant incident.

I am truly troubled by my frustrating identity, wondering how I can rise to greater heights in the future; this is indeed a case of a pillow being delivered to someone who is already sleepy

However, it is clearly not very appropriate to translate it as the Duke of Qi in today's context

Thus, they have always been rather pedantic about certain matters, much like the old scholars of the Southern Ming who were besieged by the large army, with their primary occupation being the search for quotations and phrases.

Previously, Tian Ping also mentioned that it was a good thing. From that implication, if one is willing, the Duke of Qi could just casually mention his own achievements to the Emperor; if not, he could simply skip it. There is gain without loss

Liu Yu was quite surprised that Tian Ping, who had no interest in Western learning and rarely interacted with missionaries, actually knew such an obscure name

The missionaries have been in the Great Shun for such a long time, and they must have realized this issue.

In this world, it is not only China that is entangled in issues of etiquette; other nations are similarly affected

At this moment, or even in the future, it is difficult for an ordinary person to associate the color turquoise with Florence upon first seeing it.

Hearing the name Dong Qichang, Liu Yu thought to herself that she had finally heard of a familiar figure. If it weren't for having watched "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," she might only know about Wang Xijue, the Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty, among the few people mentioned by Tian Ping.

Upon hearing the phrase "establishing territories and boundaries," Tian Ping and Tian Suo were taken aback. They naturally understood the distinction between the Duke of Qi from the Seven Warring States and the Duke of Qi from Changsun Wuji.

Because this legendary monster snake has a comb-like structure resembling a king's crown, it is thus used as a metaphor for the crown of a king. The rhetorical method is similar to the use of "cardamom" in the Chinese context, where cardamom can refer to young women. One only needs to look at cardamom to understand this: it is plump, pointed, and has small protrusions.

Looking at the Latin text on the paper, Liu Yu couldn't help but smile; the names translated by these missionaries made it seem as if the Roman orthodoxy was in great harmony.

Nepal states that there is a tribe called "Pilang", whose tribal leader is named "Gornal", and their city is located in Curry Gada

As one who wears a crown, it is indeed appropriate for Regulus to describe the various "dukes" of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, as they all possess their own fiefdoms, while the Zhou Son of Heaven... is not an emperor

If someone can see at a glance that Piling is Frank and Frank is Piling, then that person is truly a prodigy

This task... I can definitely handle it myself

Hearing these words, Liu Yu secretly stuck out his tongue, thinking to himself that he could not compare, could not compare at all

of the Praetorian soldiers

As long as the operations are handled properly, it is absolutely possible to engage the Duke of Qi and the Russian envoy in a prolonged discussion over the issues of diplomatic letters, titles, and etiquette for two months

The term "Regulus" is a Latin transliteration of the Greek word "Basiliskos." Liu Yu had heard this term in a previous life, as there is a very good Razer mouse called the Basilisk, which is named after this word

Because the missionaries believed that the feudal system of Western Europe was fundamentally unsuitable for the governance of the Celestial Empire, it was impossible to directly translate the titles of dukes, marquises, and earls

To communicate, one must first interpret

Anyone who sees it will be bewildered

Liu Yu had studied with Westerners for ten years and knew some internal matters of the missionaries. He laughed and said, "This matter is just a joke. It can be considered a customary rule, right? There was a missionary named Bai Yingli, who once translated 'The Virtuous Confucius of China' into the West. In it, he inevitably had to mention the affairs of the feudal lords during the Spring and Autumn period, so the five ranks of nobility—duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron—are all based on this."

Although this chief attendant cannot translate the title of Duke of Qi, if we were to translate it according to the current system of dukes and marquesses in Western Europe, it would be even less accurate. It is better to use the translation of this chief attendant, which is elegant and appropriate.

The system of official positions in the Roman Empire is relatively more suitable than the feudal system of Western Europe

The most astonishing thing is that "果尔纳尔" actually refers to "governor". In terms of free translation, it is quite simple: governor, a term that should have been translated in meaning, yet the Nepalese chose the dreadful transliteration.

Especially in the translation of official titles, it often involves exporting and then re-importing. Just like the five ranks of nobility: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron, in a past life, Liu Yu even thought that these were titles exclusive to Europe

This is the official title of the Duke of Qi, Liu Yu studied Latin with Westerners for ten years, and he can still understand these things

This is indeed not the fault of the missionaries, as achieving a translation that is faithful, elegant, and accessible is truly not an easy task

He merely regarded it as a joke, pointing at the "Regulus of Qi" and saying, "If the Duke of Qi intends to trouble the missionaries, this is sufficient. This term can refer both to the Duke of Qi and to the 'King of Qi with territorial fiefs.' Regulus essentially means a king with real power. In the context of the Warring States, the state of Qi can be referred to as Regulus; however, during the Zhenguan period, the Duke of Qi, Changsun Wuji, certainly cannot be called Regulus. If we were to discuss this seriously, it would be inciting the Duke of Qi to divide the land, which is indeed a grave crime of treason."

Wu Yushan learned painting under Wang Shimin. Wang Shimin's grandfather was Wang Xijue, the chief minister during the Wanli period of the previous dynasty. He was the only heir in the family, and Wang Xijue sought out Dong Qichang to teach Wang Shimin how to paint. Wu Yushan can be considered a successor of Dong Qichang's lineage, and his ink wash paintings are quite commendable. Later, I heard that he was baptized under Bai Yingli and went to Macau, producing few paintings, which I find rather regrettable.

He just glanced at it a moment ago; normally, there shouldn't be much of an issue with the translation

Moreover, it also involves issues of transliteration and translation of meaning. At this time, the terms "Luocha," "Russia," and "Woluo" had not yet been unified, making the difficulty of this translation evident

Otherwise, according to common sense, as long as one party does not get entangled, this matter should not arise. Why is it wrong not to listen to you? If Westerners did not place importance on issues of etiquette, the recent incident regarding the prohibition of religious teachings proposed by the Governor of Fujian would not have occurred.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yu immediately felt amused

There are both transliterations and free translations; these missionaries are indeed those who make a living by picking and choosing phrases. They can fiercely accuse each other of heresy over a single word, leading to bloody conflicts. This has certainly resulted in considerable frustration when it comes to translating official titles.

For example, this "regulus regni Qi" is the translation of the Duke of Qi by missionaries. If transliterated, it sounds quite magical, as in Regulus of Qi.

Taking the cue from Bai Yingli, Wang Shimin, and others, Tian Suo also believed that Liu Yu could indeed handle this matter, which put his mind at ease significantly

After the establishment of the Roman Empire, the coup d'état by the Praetorian Guard became a tradition. Once the emperor ascended to the throne, it was necessary to first identify who his trusted confidants were and to allocate power to these confidants.

Having reached this point, he did not feign or hesitate, but instead took hold of the paper filled with Latin text and began to read it little by little

At first glance, there is certainly no issue, but according to the standards of "Mosquito Prison," this is enough to warrant a death sentence

When translating figures such as the Son of Heaven, Duke Zhou, and Duke Ai of Lu, Bai Yingli employed some very ancient vocabulary from the Greek or Roman eras

The paper in Liu Yu's hand reflects that the translations by these missionaries are so peculiar that they have transferred the entire system of Byzantine official titles to the Great Shun

First Order Count

The term "Piling" refers to the people known as "Franks" in the Arabic language, and the Franks were all translated through intermediaries; the original term is "Frank"

Even though he knew Liu Yu was just joking, Tian Suo still wiped his sweat and scolded, "These missionaries, isn't this just nonsense?"

The missionaries who came to China can all be considered as old scholars, after all, those engaged in theology might be branded as heretics for a single word

The "taboos" of Russia are quite simple, and Liu Yu is very clear about them, which can definitely make the Russian envoy raise his voice to actively discuss issues of etiquette, refusing to yield an inch

In the pronunciation of the Tibetan language family and Indian languages, the sound 'F' is pronounced as 'PY', which is then converted into Chinese. After going through three intermediaries, the term 'Frank' transformed into '佛郎机' and then into '披楞'

For example, the term '天子' was translated as 'Basileus'; when translating '公' in the titles of Zhou Gong and Duke Ai of Lu, it was rendered as 'Regulus'

Liu Yu then spoke about why the translations made by these missionaries were unreasonable, as well as how to create disputes between the Duke of Qi and the envoy of the Lushat in terms of names and rituals

Regulus of the Kingdom of Qi

When to use transliteration, when to use translation, and what standards to apply, this is indeed the most important matter for an ancient Eastern nation in the later period of the Age of Exploration

Seeing Liu Yu's surprise, Tian Ping waved his folding fan and said, "This Bai Yingli has a baptized disciple named Wu Yushan, who excels in ink wash painting. I have a few fan surfaces inscribed by him, which I quite like."

The Son of Heaven did not say to grant him the entire State of Qi; he is merely a nominal title, so how can he wear a crown? According to this translation, if the Duke of Qi goes to Shandong to collect taxes and conscript soldiers, does that count as legitimate or as treason?

Moreover, in his previous life, he had quite an affinity for a certain notorious and malevolent game, possessing a certain understanding of the Western approach, and was well aware of the "taboos" of the Russians, ensuring that any touch would trigger an explosive reaction

Kolkata is indeed easy to recognize, similar to Florence and Florence, this issue is not significant

This is consistent with the Chinese system, where titles are mentioned before specific official positions. For example, when referring to the military god of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing, one must first mention the title of Duke of Wei, followed by the position of Governor of Bingzhou; this order must not be reversed

In order to highlight the authority of the emperor, even positions of real power such as the Governor of Africa in the Roman Empire must be written with "the Emperor's Chief Attendant" placed first, followed by positions like the Governor of Africa.

It is precisely because the political systems of the East and West differ that with a little effort in translation, it becomes quite easy for Tiansuo to engage with the Russians, such that the Russians must first quibble over names and etiquette issues without Tiansuo having to say anything.

Moreover, this matter is certainly known to the heavens; if one performs well, at the very least, one can secure a place in the emperor's heart without any issues

Thus, this remarkable sentence "There is a tribe called Piling, residing in Curry Gada, and the tribe leader is called Guernar" translates to... the Westerners' Governor of Calcutta

It is merely filled with points of criticism, leaving one somewhat at a loss as to where to begin expressing discontent

Tian Suo said with a click of his tongue: "Look, what does it mean to be a centipede that dies but does not stiffen? The gentry of Jiangnan truly exemplifies the centipede. Our noble families cannot compare in any way. After the fall of the Ming dynasty, they remained wealthy as ever, and ultimately, we cannot escape their influence. I visited the Wang Shimin family years ago; their garden is certainly far superior to yours. If His Majesty were to tour the south, staying at their eastern garden would be absolutely fitting." I visited the Wang Shimin family years ago; their garden is certainly far superior to yours. If His Majesty were to tour the south, staying at their eastern garden would be absolutely fitting.

Thus, an additional phrase "primi ordinis comes" was added, which refers to the emperor's chief attendant. This translation cleverly captures the essence of the title by translating the term for duke as "公" (Gong), but it is unable to convey the specific designation of "齐" (Qi) in the title "齐国公" (Duke of Qi)

As early as the late Ming Dynasty, when Matteo Ricci and others attempted to translate the Chinese system, they believed it did not correspond to the European titles of dukes, marquises, and earls, and thus refused to use Western European titles for translation