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

The concept ofTaohas long been regarded as a conundrum for translators because of its complex connotations. Over the past century, many translations of theTao Te Ching, in which theTaooriginated 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 betweenTaoand ‘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 theTao Te Chingin general, and Waley’s translation in particular, this article explores questions concerning ‘the untranslatability ofTao’, natural law regarded as the closest paradigm to theTaoin 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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]