I want to read The Journey to the West, is it even worth it to

>>8907064
You should read the extended remake and go for the Nabokov translation you're welcome kiddo

I had the same question, and I'm normally terrified of abridgments, so I'd assume I want the full version. For example I read Burton's 1001 Nights in full and didn't want to cop out, even if I had to tolerate redundancies and repetitions.

From what I understand though, based on what I remember, the "full" Journey to the West is just the same problem as the 1001 Nights but in overdrive. It's a shitload of redundant or muddled stories, rehashes of rehashes of the same story, etc. I remember feeling fairly safe in just reading the abridgment.

Definitely do your own research and don't trust my half-remembered thing, but this might help to guide you.

I also remember going for Anthony C. Yu because it seemed like the "current major translation," but I think the competition was prtty sparse, like just old Victorian ones otherwise?

If you are reading a translation your purity score is already messed up, so don't bother.

Have you ever tried to read the same book in two different but pretty close and modern languages, like say French and English? If you had you'd knew that even in that case there is absolutely no chance you are getting close to the original book, so what do you think you are doing by reading every redundancy and every inconsequential subplot in a 16th century chinese book?

Don't waste your life

Read an abridged version. There are too many works out there to spend tons of time on each one. And any truly good book is worth a second read. If you find you've enjoyed the abridged one tremendously then look for an unabridged version for your next go.

The real world isn't /lit/. You can read abridged versions and not be considered a social pariah.

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Read Waley's translation first, and if you like it read Anthony Yu's.

Generally it's a good idea to be suspicious of Chinese literature translated into English by people with Chinese names. For literary translation you need a native speaker of the target language.

You'll see Yu's language is much more awkward than Waley's.

File: Yu - Journey to the West.png (378KB, 1140x856px) Image search: [Google]

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I think all of the episodes in the full Journey to the West are pretty interesting and fun, but because it is episodic, you are not missing anything essential by reading an abridged version.

>>8907430
Why would he read this first and the other one later?

>>8907064
Most people agree that the unabridged version is truer to the story of the original, while the abridged is truer to the spirit and prose. I would recommend the abridged first definitely.

ching chong
ling long
ding dong

ho ho

>>8908290
I assume the one is a better read in its own right and the other a more accurate but less artful translation?

>>8909097
YES!

>>8907430
>>8909097
But the more accurate but less artful translation is inherently superior.

Yu is who I should start with, then?

>>8909433
Don't be unnecessarily enthusiastic.
>>8909495
It's "Yu *are* who I should start with".

>>8909495
>But the more accurate but less artful translation is inherently superior.
If that's what you feel then go for that. My taste leans in the other direction. Waley's is shorter, if that counts for anything.

There's a theory in translation that the strangeness and alienation caused by relatively literal translation can expand the communicative possibilities of the target language, remind the reader that he is encountering something from a different culture and 'disturb' the reader in a provocative and creative way. This is number one bullshit. A translation that reads easily and smoothly in the sourse language should read easily and smoothly in the target language.

>>8909582
That is number one bullshit. It doesn't happen.

I don't want to read some shitty wannabe-writer's version of Journey. I want to read the original author's version.

>>8909596
Well, good luck to you. The original was written in Chinese of course, which is considerably further from English than eg. Russian or Ancient Greek is. That means that there's considerable interpretation no matter what the translation. Anyway, with such a popular story the plot is the main thing, and you'll get that.

Anyway, I wish you well. Two videos for your pleasure:
ROTOSCOPE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loqvh1cGXQA

Le classic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu0XosgxCyU

>>8909634
I know, and in truth I've given up on good Chinese translation. I'm learning Chinese instead.