Challenge and Revolution: An Analysis of Stanislas Julien’s Translation of the Daodejing

Abstract

Retranslation constitutes a special case. as it involves a double creation of values that are determined not only by the ones inscribed in the source text but also by the ones inscribed in the previous translations. Therefore, retranslations initiate dialogues with and even challenges to the previous versions. This paper, rooted in the concept of retranslation, focuses on the first complete published translation of the Daodejing in Europe, the 1842 Lao Tseu Tao Te King: Le Livre de la Voie et de la Vertu, by Stanislas Julien and investigates the revolutionary way Julien interpreted this ancient Chinese classic. Through an analysis of the paratexts and extratexts related to this French version and previous translations, this paper finds that Julien challenged the Christianized and Westernized interpretations of the Daodejing by the European missionaries and sinologists before him and proposed a new system of interpretation: to interpret the Daodejing from the perspective of Laozi and based on the Daoist classics and commentaries. Julien’s translation and interpretations have demonstrated his respect for heterogeneous cultures by acknowledging cultural differences, and he strengthened the authority of his translation by challenging the ideas in previous translations, which makes the retranslation an indispensable reference for the study of Laozi and Daoism.