1946 In the spring, I met Heidegger in Holzmarktplatz, Frejborg, and learned that he was interested in translating Laozi's Tao Te Ching. At that time, because he only had a working holiday in summer, he suggested that we work together to translate the Tao Te Ching into German in his hut in Fort Todd that summer. I am convinced that Laozi's thought will help Germans-in fact, the whole western world-to reflect after the disastrous world war, so I readily agreed. It's a pity that we didn't finish this plan, but I deeply feel that this work has had a great influence on Heidegger. On one occasion, Heidegger told one of his German friends that he had learned more about oriental thought by contacting Laozi and Confucius and Mencius.
one
I met Heidegger at 1942. In those days, after finishing my degree in psychology and China's philosophy in Beiping, I went to Milan for further study. I received rigorous academic training at the University of Euler, and in San Cuo, I came into contact with another kind of equally rigorous knowledge and new ideological depth. I was allowed to attend Heidegger's lecture. After that, I submitted to him part of the Italian translation of Tao Te Ching [2]. Krause recommended me to publish this translation. Heidegger may have found something in my translation that other translations have not found, otherwise, how could he suggest that we cooperate in the German translation?
1944,165438+1On October 27th, Frejborg, the picturesque capital of the Black Forest region, was destroyed by air strikes. Since Frejborg is considered as an election-exempt zone, the air raid was unexpected. Many animals and people were anxious 12 hours before the incident. Strangely enough, a huge duck in a city park spent almost twelve hours barking and flapping its wings violently. Generally speaking, people tend to think that wild animals can predict natural disasters from some changes in the air. However, air strikes are not natural disasters, but actions decided and controlled by human beings. On the memorial statue of this duck by the lake in Frejborg City Park, there is an inscription: God's creation is crying, accusing and warning. I believe this inscription provides food for thought not only for idealists but also for philosophers.
I'm here to mention the impression of these Frejborg years, because I talked about them again and again in my dialogue with Heidegger. Like many Asians, I had the same experience, that is, when trying to understand Heidegger's thoughts, we were always told in advance how or why his thoughts were so incomprehensible or sensational to many westerners at that time. [But in fact] his idea of "bringing language" can often meet similarities in far eastern thought. For example, the understanding of the word "timeliness" is very different between China and the West. For us, this duck can have such a premonition without extraordinary ability, because everything is interrelated, and at every moment, the whole past and the open future are hidden.
It was in the destroyed old city wall around the cathedral that I first met Heidegger in the timber market square in the center of Frejborg after the war. All the tourists are amazed at the beautiful spire of this cathedral, which is known as the most beautiful Gothic cathedral spire in Europe. We in China also think it's beautiful, but we don't appreciate it from the western perspective. We are used to simple, Roman-style churches and palaces, so we always feel that such Gothic buildings are missing something in proportion. Although moving, it is not harmonious. Only those who understand the godliness, reverence and awe of the gods can understand this magnificent building. However, in 1946, the city is still deserted, and many of our acquaintances and friends have either returned to their old jobs, or some people have ended their lives on the battlefield, in captivity or under the ruins, but we are lucky to reunite with our old places. However, we are not carefree: my expectation of returning to China to teach is still uncertain, and Heidegger is still in an unpleasant, bureaucratic and malicious anti-Nazi procedure.
Ask me in a flurry, it is hard to imagine that Europeans have such a big misunderstanding of their own language. Part of my confusion comes from Heidegger's widely misunderstood past. As we all know, Heidegger was the president of Albert Ludwig University in Frejborg from 1933 to 1934, but he soon retired from this unfortunate position. However, since when did he no longer agree with Nazi ideas and practices? How could he possibly want to cooperate with them? Before I knew the truth, I had assumed that Heidegger was not just a "pander", but a complete Nazi, otherwise he would never become the principal in 1933. How can people imagine that Heidegger is a "popular person"?
I understand. Gabriel Wu? The disappointment of Gabriel Marcel, a man who once respected Heidegger very much. When I visited Marcel in Paris in the 1960s, he told me: If Heidegger had not kept his stubborn silence after the war, if he had told people something about his behavior in 1933, the philosophical circle would have admired him twice. This fact also inhibits our cooperation to some extent. It was not until after Heidegger's death that I realized that he had only been the principal for ten months in an interview with Der Spiegel. Heidegger's wisdom and greatness are revealed here!
To make a long story short, I stand in front of Heidegger in the timber market square with mixed emotions. However, I feel sympathy at the same time: obviously, Heidegger has been treated unfairly; People don't need to know that passage in Being and Time, so they can firmly assert that either the Nazi or the Allies' arguments are wrong. In fact, if the supporters of two different arguments are false philosophers, then they may both be wrong. The content of this article has nothing to do with these accusations; And one of the two accusers must be talking nonsense. Unfortunately, I didn't ask which paragraph of Heidegger's article was the focus of controversy.
There is no doubt that after the war, China (as an China proverb says: burned out) was a poor winner. In fact, even if it belongs to the "four great powers" in the world, it is only "half an ally". At that time, France was further back and slightly to the left. Nevertheless, even though I was a little uneasy because I knew that Heidegger had been treated unfairly and stupidly, I still stood in front of Heidegger with the calm self-esteem of the winner. In this way, a spirit and strength to fight injustice will emerge from the heart.
This is a common sense of China: When I was young, like most people in China, I read many novels and stories about robbers, warriors and heroes. Both robbers and heroes resist injustice: heroes don't steal, and robbers rob the rich and help the poor. Therefore, China people often have a need and regard it as a great pleasure: that is, to resist evil, especially for the benefit of others.
In fact, I am at a moment when I can't do anything about Heidegger. Although I am a "semi-ally", I am still under the jurisdiction of the French army and cannot treat those officers like boys, although most of them deserve to be treated as officers from other jurisdictions. No matter how they call themselves democratic and humane crusaders, as victors, they can't get rid of the bad influence of soldiers.
Just when my mind was in disorder, the comforting words of Mencius (372-289 BC), the greatest Confucian after Confucius (55 1-479 BC), came to me. "Professor Heidegger, you want me to respond to what the Nazis and allies think of you. I can only give you a Chinese answer. I think the absolutely wrong explanations of the Nazis and their allies all prove the same thing: that is, in the future, people must study your philosophy more diligently and carefully. If correctly understood, it will play a great role in the future. Mencius said:' Therefore, if the sky is going to descend on man, he must first suffer his mind, strain his bones and muscles, starve his body and skin, and mess with his behavior. Therefore, patience has benefited them a lot. ..... and then know that you were born in sorrow and died in happiness. "
Heidegger seems to be deeply moved by Mencius' words. After that, we never talked about this topic again. In this meeting, he put forward a plan to translate Laozi. I accepted it gladly.
two
As soon as the summer semester is over, we will meet at his mountain cabin in Tottenham Castle every Saturday. Our cooperation more or less provides an opportunity to fight back against injustice: a friend of mine is willing to let me use his motorcycle so that it will not be requisitioned. Moreover, as a "semi-ally", I received a priceless bag every week, which was filled with all kinds of foods that were hard to buy in Germany at that time, such as coffee, cocoa, pasta, sausages, butter, cigarettes and so on. We share these foods together. Also, there is no public transportation on the way to Tottenham Castle, which is very difficult to walk. In order to give her husband more time to do his mental work, Mrs. Heidegger tried to buy what she needed from the town and take it back to the cabin. Now my situation can lighten part of her burden. Twenty years later, the farmer who often parked my precious Puch200 at his place was surprised to mention to Heidegger the "China people" who frequented him and even rode motorcycles at that time.
First of all, our translation work began with Jiang Xichang's Lao Zi [3], which has collected more than 84 ancient versions and can be regarded as a revised version for the time being. We didn't consult other translations and commentaries, because we wanted to interpret the Tao Te Ching from Laozi's own thoughts as much as possible.
First of all, let's translate those chapters about Tao, which seems to be the most difficult, but also the most important. It is because of Heidegger's careful thinking that we completed eight of the eighty-one chapters in the late summer. According to Heidegger's friend Hans? Hans fischer Barnacle learned in his private interview that Heidegger was "a timid and very shy person". He is not only habitually cautious, but also an extremely attentive listener. He is modest and … good at thinking. Also, in my opinion, people don't want to think in front of these eyes; Those eyes are really amazing, amazing, and listening is better than seeing! Although I don't know if Heidegger has a sense of humor, his eyes will smile. ”[4]
By the end of the whole summer, only one tenth of the work had been completed. We can imagine finishing this work in ten years or less, because other chapters are no longer so ambiguous and difficult to understand, and Heidegger doesn't have to stare at me with listening and inquiring eyes, and at the same time ask me questions thoroughly and sharply. Now I understand Heidegger's motto: "Asking questions is the piety of thinking". [5] It is this pious thinking that strongly promotes enrich? Heinrich Boer's concern for the younger generation. [6]
We want to continue our work next summer. During this period, I was invited to give my first speech at the university, entitled "What happened to China and the West". After that, I was invited to give lectures all over Germany, and the time was arranged in summer. Therefore, I have to decide: should I continue this meaningful cooperation with Heidegger or accept these invitations? The translation of Laozi by Heidegger and me will bring a sensation to the philosophical circle; On the other hand, my speech, especially by General Chiang Kai-shek, will bring some comfort to those Germans who have suffered injustice and pain in many ways. Unlike the German allies, General Chiang Kai-shek believed that the Japanese people were innocent and even opposed compensation. For him, the decisive factor in the era of peace lies in whether we can guide the enemy skillfully and well, make him repent with heart and become a supporter of peace. On the other hand, I must admit that when we were working together, I couldn't let go of my slight concern that Heidegger's notes might have gone beyond the scope of translation. This tendency makes me feel uneasy as a translator and intermediary.
Heidegger is inquisitive in nature, that is, penetrating, tireless and ruthless: he examines the hidden interaction in the symbolic relationship in the original text and the context of every imaginable meaning produced by this interaction. Only the complete integration of meaning can make him boldly decide the outline of his way of thinking, that is, to express the multiple meanings of Chinese texts clearly and easily in western languages.
It's a pity that Heidegger never gave me any translation except for two lines in Chapter 15 of the essay "Lao Zi" in 1947 10 (see below). Therefore, the only constant hope is that the translated notes in his suicide note can be published in my lifetime. 1946 after that summer, we didn't continue Lao Tzu's translation cooperation. In the 1960s, a friend who went to visit Heidegger with me once mentioned Laozi. Heidegger pointed his index finger at me with some excitement and said with a smile, "But this is something he doesn't want to do." I smiled, too, embarrassed.
three
Although the eight articles in Tao Te Ching are only a small part of the whole book, they have played an important role in Heidegger's book. Heidegger said in Frejborg paulus Kirsch's lecture "Technology and Turn" that "in the view of causality, God may be reduced to the level of" cause ",that is, sufficient cause". Then, in order to enhance the effect, he went on to say, "If you want to prove the existence of God in any traditional way, whether it is ontology, cosmology, teleology, ethics and so on. You will make God smaller, because God is as unspeakable as Tao. " I now think that if God is reduced to the status of causa efficiens, it is a kind of "sin", which is also the main defect of some thinkers or scholars who claim to be philosophers. They are unwilling to think or go astray, just as the China proverb says, "Sit in the well and watch the sky".
After the speech, I heard a simple housewife say, "Who says Heidegger's thoughts are hard to understand?" ? I am not a philosopher, but I understand 60% to 70% of his speech. "I also think the content of this speech is very clear, but the listener must pay attention to it, keep up with the key points, especially to understand what has been reinterpreted. Otherwise, misunderstanding may occur.
One day, an industrialist friend of mine forced me to take him to a cabin in Tottenham, hoping to persuade Heidegger to give a speech to a group of celebrities. Heidegger refused because he was not available. We also found that he also rejected his Spanish friend Jose? Odga? According to? Gasset's invitation. Later, I heard that he refused, because he was afraid of being forced to sing a monologue during the conversation, because most Spaniards didn't like to talk in German.
My industrialist friend doesn't want to miss the opportunity to continue our conversation: "Professor, dear teacher, you want to translate Laozi now, but as a European, I think Laozi is incomprehensible in many ways." For example:' the avenue is abandoned, and there is benevolence and righteousness'. (Chapter 18)' If the army is strong, it will be destroyed, and if the wood is strong, it will be folded'. (Chapter 76)' It is the sage who comes first; Living outside your body. Not because of its selfless evil? Therefore, it can be private. (Chapter 7) Why do China people talk like this? "At that time, I felt that I was being questioned, so I stayed for a while and replied," Because people in China didn't understand Aristotle's logic. ".Heidegger immediately said casually," Thank God they won't ". Heidegger does not oppose logic, but opposes the misuse of logic and the tendency to lead to rationalism. In fact, Laozi's motto in Chapter 7 was completely misunderstood by a famous European sinologist: Laozi was regarded by him as the greatest egoist in human history; It seems that saints only expect to achieve themselves; Laozi seems to praise the sage's cunning through these aphorisms. In fact, Laozi's motto is very close to what Augustine said: "Love, do what you want".
Heidegger seldom mentioned religious issues in his conversation. Once, I visited Heidegger with Ms. You Wanshan, a famous Buddhist artist in Hong Kong. She wants to ask him questions about religion. However, Heidegger said to her, "In our world, the most failed thing is being lazy to think.". For Buddhists, this is entirely the answer of religion.
In fact, for Heidegger, deep thinking is the spontaneous tendency of life. It must be admitted that my Italian translation of Laozi never dared or thought beyond the meaning of the text. I have two lines in chapter 15 (that is, "Who can turn turbid into quiet?" Who can be calm and energetic? "[another version is" who can stop the turbidity and quiet? How can we be safe and mobile for a long time? " The interpretation of the meaning of the word is: "Who can stabilize the filth and make it gradually clear? Who can stir up silence and gradually make it active? "... but Heidegger thought further about it. He believes that clarification can finally make something see the light of day, and micro-motion at rest can make something exist.
Heidegger asked me to write these two lines in China's calligraphy. I wrote down these two lines of eight words on the parchment that I could find at that time; The word "Tian" that is not in the text is also written in the middle as decoration. I carefully explained the etymology of each word so that he could understand it in detail. Heidegger's German translation once again shows the depth of his thoughts.
In our translation, we try not to pay too much attention to details, so that we can spend our time on the real text. Otherwise, many problems may start after the first chapter: for example, the problem of "man" of Tao (in fact, Lao Tzu may not be interested in this problem); Tao overcomes the problems of immanence and transcendence. How Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity and Heidegger themselves view the problem of "nothing"; The way of thinking of Laozi and Heidegger: the division between philosophy and mysticism, etc.
four
Zhao Yi, a famous scholar in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1736-95), once said that "the coffin must be covered". Now many people will agree that it is too early to evaluate Heidegger. As far as the European ranking of "the history of philosophy" is concerned, this may be very correct. My personal opinion is that the suppression of Heidegger (mostly in public) stems from the consternation of his ideological depth. We are grateful without hesitation, because it is in these profound problems-perhaps for the first time in a long time-that we can rediscover ourselves, our doubts and doubts.
What I can't forget is his great enthusiasm for asking questions. He will stare and ask further questions without saying a word. Always ask after you know more about it. I hope westerners can learn from Heidegger's sincerity, openness and persistence in the pursuit of truth, just as we Asians get from inheritance-"because asking questions is piety in thinking."
Attached:
Heidegger1Letter to Xiao Shiyi on October 91947;
Mr. Xiao:
I often miss you, and I hope we can resume the dialogue as soon as possible. I think of the quotation you wrote me (Spruch):
"Who can be quiet and become-something can be produced from this silence and through this silence, so that it can shine?"
Who makes something exist by achieving peace? ?
Heaven. ?
Heartfelt greetings to you!
Yours,
Martin? Heidegger
1947 10 October 9th
Writing in a cabin
? Precautions:
[1] This article was translated from Graham? Heidegger and Asian Thought, edited by Pecks, Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1987, pp. 93- 103 (edited by Graham Parks. Heidegger and Asian Thought, Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1987, pp. 93-653). Translation.
Proofreading Note: The English version of this article was translated by G. Parks, and most of the original text was taken from the article "We met in the Wood Market Square" written by Paul Shi-Yi Hsiao in German. Heidegger (Erinerungan martin heidegger, Herausgeben von G. Neske, Pflingen: Neske, 1977. S. 1 19- 129)。 However, there are obvious differences between the English version and the German version published ten years later, including additions and deletions (such as deleting the paragraph about Stein's unsuccessful help to Heidegger), which is estimated to have been revised by Xiao Shiyi himself. Therefore, the English version can be regarded as an improved version, reflecting Xiao's more accurate memory and views on this matter.
[2] Xiao Shiyi, Lao Zi-the basic tradition of China's critical text, Barry: Ratelsa &; Fiegel, 194 1 year (il Tao-te-king dilaoze, Prima traditional dates to critical cinema, Bari: Laterza &; Fejil, 194 1).
Proofreader's Note: What Xiao said here is actually different from what he said in the German text Wirttrafens Amholtz Marktplatz, especially compared with what Poeggeler said in Re-discussing Heidegger and Laozi. There, he seems to be saying that he met Heidegger in Frejborg rather than Milan, and he showed Heidegger a published Italian translation of Lao Zi, rather than some samples or manuscripts before the translation was published. From the reasons, what he said there should be closer to reality, because his Italian translation was published by 194 1, so when he met Heinz at 1942, it was not necessary to give only a part of the translation. It seems that his "being allowed to attend Heinz's lecture" should also take place in Frejborg, not Milan.
[3] Jiang Xichang, Collation of Laozi, Shanghai, 1937. (Jiangxi Chang, Laoziqiao -Ku (Shanghai, 1937)).
[4] Hans? Fisher? Barnicle's Reflection-Mediation was published in Recalling Heidegger (Plingen: Norskov, 1977, p. 88). (Hans A. Fisher Banikol, "Spiegel-Vermterengen", in Ellingen-on-martin heidegger: Noeske, 1977, p. 88).
[5] Heidegger, "Technology and Steering" (Plingen: Nesco, 1978), p. 36. (martin heidegger, Technology and Science Press, Pflingen: Neske, 1978, p. 36).
[6] Is the sea full? Bull, Erica? Rechler's book "A theologian who joined the WTO like a living god in front of the public" was published in memory of Heidegger. (Heinrich Buhr and Erika Reichle, "World theology, religion is also sacred", in Erin and martin heidegger. )
[7] Chiang Kai-shek's speech, translated by Xiao Shiyi, "Responsible for Peace" was published in Modern 1964 1-2. (Responsibility for Peace, Chiang Kai-shek's speech, translated into Xiao Sizhen's comments, published in Geneva Times,No. 1-2 (January 1964).