Translating the concept of Tao in relation to natural law: a comparative approach in countering untranslatability

摘要

The concept of Tao has long been regarded as a conundrum for translators because of its complex connotations. Over the past century, many translations of the Tao Te Ching, in which the Tao originated and is elaborated, have appeared, with Waley’s version being one of the most authoritative. However, controversy and doubts about its translatability remain. This paper draws a comparison between Tao and ‘natural law’, which is a classic concept of Western thought, to explore a better way of translating the ‘untranslatable’, i.e. a traditional Chinese philosophical term. Based on a long-term study of the Tao Te Ching in general, and Waley’s translation in particular, this article explores questions concerning ‘the untranslatability of Tao’, natural law regarded as the closest paradigm to the Tao in Western philosophy, and the translated connotations of law and morality. It draws on the concept of dynamic equivalence for the purpose of countering its untranslatability and approaching its translation.