About eight years ago, I attempted to learn to read classical chinese on my own. I am insane. I wanted to read poetry without translation. I memorized about 150 characters and got to the point where I could read a little bit. . .such a little bit! Here's what a poem, translated by this ignorant dilettante may have sounded like in my translation:
Mountain
hmm
i dunno know
I dunno know
maybe a gate?
mountain
big mountain
i dunno
I dunno
I dunno
path
mountain mountain
moon
Here's a sticky note, which is not from that time (for this computer is not that old) but shows I'm still thinking about this subject:
language also shapes thought or is it the other way around? it's not either/or but both/and. . . consider the translations of chinese poetry and the assumptions western writers imposed upon the language
The book pictured above was the culprit that started my folly.
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