17th Century Chinese Jesuits’ Interpretation of Confucian Concepts: Focusing on the Translation of ‘Nature’ = 17th Century Chinese Jesuits’ Interpretation of Confucian Concepts: Focusing on the Translation of ‘Nature’

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

明末淸初來華耶穌會士因應傳敎活動的需要, 入華甫爾便投入大量時間精力學習漢文、閱讀中文典籍並西譯儒家經典將之刊行於歐洲, 其中影響至深者莫若《中國哲學家孔子》(Confucius Sinarum Philosophus, 1687 Paris)一書。該書不僅囊括了《大學》、《中庸》、《論語》三書的拉丁文全譯本, 書中序言(Proëmialis Declaratio)更是首次系統地向歐洲人介紹了中國文化“儒”“釋”“道”三統, 將《易經》的六十四卦之卦名及卦象逐一飜譯描繪並為孔子立像作傳。此外, 書中所附《中華君主統治歷史年表》(Tabula Chronologica Monarchiae Sinicae)、《中華帝國及其大事紀》(Imperii Sinarum et Rerum In Eo Notabilium Synopsis)並附柏應理所繪製的中國地圖, 在將古老的中國歷史帶入歐洲的同時, 由於中國編年與《聖經》紀年之間的顯著差異, 直接誘發了歐洲啟蒙思想家對於《聖經》乃至敎會絕對權威的質疑和反思, 為歐洲的“啓蒙運動”帶去東方的思想火種。由此可見, 明淸之際來華耶穌會士堪稱“儒學西傳”最早的踐行者。本文嘗試借助槪念史的方法, 以《中國哲學家孔子》書中“性”這一儒學槪念的西譯為例, 對十七世紀來華耶穌會士所進行的“四書”西譯活動進行個案分析, 總結譯介過程中滲透進去的東西方文化因素以及譯者在譯介過程中對儒學槪念“名”與“實”的重新設定, 切實體認當時來華耶穌會士對中國文化的理解和接受程度, 繼而勾勒出耶穌會來華傳敎士因應自身需要過濾、投射到西方受衆接受視域中的儒家思想。

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

During the time of Late Ming and Early Qing dynasty, Chinese Jesuits, especially those who felt the urgent need of proselytization, began to learn and research the Chinese Confucian Classics and translate them into Latin. One of the books most influential in European academic community was Confucius Sinarum Philosophus, written in 1687. This book not only included the Latin version of the Great Learning, the Doctrine of Means, and the Analects, its Preface was the first systematic introduction of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. This article attempts to analyze the translated term “Nature (性)” in the Four books as appeared in Confucius Sinarum Philosophus, and tries to derive the cross-world context in which the pivotal term is being understood. Additionally, the changed notion of “name (名)” and “contents (實)” is discussed, in order to describe the vivid circumstances in which Chinese Jesuits understood and enable others to understand the Confucian tradition and thoughts.
[Article in Chinese]