Customer Reviews:
 good, but not precise enough November 7, 2008
Another reviewer quoted the famous passage, "The Master said, The gentleman is not a utensil" as a highlight of this translation. Well, it only highlights that the translation is not as accurate as it should be. In the original text, the negative before qi, "utensil," is bu, which negates verbs, not nouns. That means qi must be understood as a verb, "to act like/behave like/serve as a utensil." A more precise translation would be: "The gentleman does not serve as a utensil." It's a subtle but crucial difference, and there's really no excuse for a translator of Watson's experience to make a mistake like this. He is more at home in imperial literature, not the classics.
 A translation for the 21st century! September 5, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This little book has had a considerable influence over the centuries in China and its cultural sphere. This translation is very agreeable and can be read in one day. However, it is a book that requires more than just one reading.
To give some examples, here are some sentences, almost chosen randomly:
"The Master said, The gentleman is not a utensil."
"The Master said, Persons who lack trustworthiness-I don't know how they get by!"
"A person who really hated the lack of humaneness would conduct himself humanely, never allowing those who lack humaneness to affect his behavior."
"The Master's Way consists of loyalty and reciprocity alone."
And my favorite one: "Standing by a stream, the Master said, It flows on like this-does it not?- never ceasing, day or night."
Burton Watson is a great translator of fine letters and we are all in his debt.
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