Cherishing Antiquity: The Cultural Construction of an Ancient Chinese Kingdom by Olivia Milburn, and: Early Medieval China: A Sourcebook ed. by Wendy Swartz et al. (review)

The two books under review cover parts of two long periods of change in Chinese history, broadly referred to in general historical discourse as the “Eastern Zhou” (ca. 770–221 b.c.e.) and the “Six Dynasties” (ca. 220–589 c.e.). Specifically, the first book (Milburn) focuses on the one hundred years from about the 580s b.c.e. to the 470s b.c.e., whereas the second tome (Swartz et al.) is a sourcebook, or anthology of translations from the Chinese. Since each of the two long periods of change and disunity led to great empires of power and unity, Eastern Zhou to the Qin-Han Empire and Six Dynasties to the Sui-Tang Empire, the two books provide us with valuable materials for taking a close look at the conditions, facets, and phases of forceful changes in the one hundred years covered by the first book and the long four hundred years covered by the second book.

Translating the Early Chinese World and Culture

Cherishing Antiquity offers the history and commemoration within Chinese literature and culture of the state of Wu, centered in the modern Suzhou region. The first two chapters cover the legends and history, primarily 585–473 b.c.e.; the rest of the book collects, describes, and translates over 212 commemorations and records, all with full original Chinese texts of Wu important historical figures, the memorable physical culture, and archaeological artifacts throughout the ages to the modern day. In practical terms, this book is a work of translations rather than of historical criticism or literary analysis. It is what its title has declared: a cultural construction of an ancient kingdom based on the sources of “cherishing antiquity” (huaigu 懷古) literature composed throughout the ages.

Early Medieval China is an anthology of thirty-eight specially selected pieces of translations from Chinese writings in literature, history, religion, philosophy, and popular culture composed in circa 200–600 c.e. in six thematic topics: The North and South; Governing Mechanisms and Social Reality; Cultural Capital; Imaging Self and Other; Everyday Life; Relations with the Unseen World. Altogether, twenty-five scholars have participated in the joint project. For each section, a short introduction explains or comments on the major issues and concerns that form the main streams in the discourse, with further readings also suggested.

In translating into English a large quantity of documents on the history, religion, and literature for early China before circa 600 c.e., the two volumes have rendered the facets of life, habits of mind, value systems, and views of life and death in the Chinese world to the English-speaking world. This is, as I see it, the major contribution of the two books.

Rendering a text from one language to another is never a simple process of translation. The cultural exceptionalism, linguistic peculiarity, and disciplinary knowledge behind the piece being translated all require expertise and command. Where hard work is the admirable strength of the author of Cherishing Antiquity, the weakness in all three areas has flawed her translations in countless cases. For example, for lack of understanding the Zhou feudal system as the cultural structure of the Zuozhuan, 吳子 (Wu zi) is incorrectly translated as “Unratifying Monarch of Wu” (p. 25 and many similar cases in the book); lacking command of the linguistic peculiarity of certain classical Chinese usages, the author fails to understand the Chinese word xie 謝 and the term xiezhan 謝戰 and hence has incorrectly translated “謝戰者五父” (xiezhan zhe wu fu) as “instigate battle [five times] and lost five times” (pp. 107, 108); and misreading, hence misunderstanding, Chinese characters has resulted in changing the names (both first and...