Goethe Conversation Records

Author: (German) Eckermann, translated by Zhou Xuepu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-01-01
Features: Eckermann's Conversations with Goethe is a world-renowned classic and a must-read for studying Goethe. It describes Goethe's daily life in elegant and fresh prose, capturing his movements, expressions, and demeanor. Beyond serving as a reflection of Goethe's later years, the book is also a highly charming and exquisite example of German prose. Zhou Xuepu has translated many of Goethe's works and has a profound understanding of his literary world. He is more inclined to emphasize that "Goethe was a of Shakespeare-like versatility." Hu Shi once mentioned Zhou's translation of Conversations with Goethe in his late conversations, stating that "this book is worth reprinting." Zhou's translation is based on the 1912 edition of the Freundesbuch series from Berlin's Fritz Heidel bookstore, edited by Gerhardt Merian. The translation is vivid and literary, focusing on presenting Goethe in his everyday life. It aims not only to provide readers with intellectual and philosophical enlightenment but also to make them feel as if they are conversing directly with Goethe, engaging with his emotions, and observing his inner life. This 400,000-word work remains the only complete translation available in China to this day. The currently circulated version in mainland China is Zhou Guangqian's selected translation of Goethe's Conversations, published by the People's Literature Publishing House in August 1978. According to Zhou's "Postscript," his selection criteria were "content that is relatively healthy and easily understandable for the general Chinese readership, serving as a reference and source of inspiration. The original book contains many personal anecdotes, such as social engagements, travels, and romantic affairs, as well as discussions on specialized knowledge that even the translator found difficult to grasp, such as debates on colors, plant transformations, geology, meteorology, and critiques of Goethe's and Emperor's own works, which are not commonly read. Due to these factors, only a few excerpts were selected, while the rest had to be omitted. The translator's own knowledge and perspectives also played a role in the selection, so topics related to philosophy, aesthetics, literary creation practices, literary theory, and the general cultural trends of Europe at the time were chosen more frequently." Therefore, Zhou's translation was published as part of the "Foreign Literary Theory Series."