Tao Te Ching

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Tao Te Ching
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Lao-Tzu
Translated by Stephen Addiss
Translated by Stanley Lombardo
Introduction by Burton Watson
SeriesHackett Classics
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:128
Dimensions(mm): Height 216,Width 140
Category/GenreNon-western philosophy
Taoism
ISBN/Barcode 9780872202320
ClassificationsDewey:299.514
Audience
General
Illustrations 21 art pages print in black-PMS 200U (red), 5 with bleeds

Publishing Details

Publisher Hackett Publishing Co, Inc
Imprint Hackett Publishing Co, Inc
Publication Date 15 October 1993
Publication Country United States

Description

Deftly introduced and enriched by the remarkable ink paintings of Stephen Addiss, this new translation of Tao Te Ching captures the terse and enigmatic beauty of the ancient original while resisting the tendency toward interpretive paraphrase found in many other editions. Along with the translation of the complete work, Lombardo and Addiss provide the reader with a measure of interaction with the Chinese text found in no other edition, by furnishing one or more key lines from the original Chinese for each of the eighty-one sections, together with a transliteration of the Chinese characters. The appearance and sounds of the Chinese character displayed, enhance the reader's appreciation of how the Chinese text works and feels and the many different ways it can be translated into English.

Author Biography

Stanley Lombardo is Professor of Classics, University of Kansas.

Reviews

This crystalline translation of the Tao Te Ching is accurate down to the nuance and as concisely poetic as the original. It preserves the quirks and flavors of the original text. The translators hearkened to the message of the book itself, and kept it clear and gently strong. Of the many translations I have read in English, this is unquestionably the best. --Gary Snyder, University of California at Davis This edition combines an earthy--as opposed to esoteric--translation with a welcome entree into the Chinese text for those who do not know that language. The gorgeous ink paintings add beauty to the edition. I can't imagine a better way to present this text, and I can't imagine ever using a different edition. --Greg Salyer, Huntingdon College This is by far the best translation on the market today, and I have been praising it to whoever would listen. --Livia Kohn, Boston University