[Keio Report] Publication of "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" by Fukuzawa Yukichi: Multilingual Edition (Nakatsu Ryubetsu no Sho: Reading Fukuzawa Yukichi in Multiple Languages)

2021/07/14

Image: (Published by Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies; Edited by Naoko Nishizawa and Alberto Millán Martín; A5 size, hardcover, 234 pages)

"A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" (Nakatsu Ryubetsu no Sho) is an essay written on November 27, 1870 (January 17, 1871, in the Gregorian calendar) by Fukuzawa Yukichi at his former residence where he spent his youth, addressed to the people of his hometown, Nakatsu. This time, we have attempted to translate it into 13 languages—English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and modern Japanese—and compiled them into a single volume, adding a chronology and commentary in English and Japanese regarding the background of the writing and challenges in translation. Each translation was requested from native speakers engaged in Japanese studies. We hope that readers will enjoy the various forms of language and the subtleties of translation, while also using it as a starting point for discussions on Fukuzawa's thought.

Although "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" is a short text of about 3,500 characters, it explains how one should live in a new era amidst the great changes of the Meiji Restoration. It discusses individual independence, autonomy and freedom, equality between men and women, the bidirectional nature of the parent-child relationship, and the relationship between the government and "commoners," while stating the importance of studying Western learning.

In addition to his direct observations overseas, Fukuzawa learned from many documents and wrote "Things Western (Seiyō Jijō)" between 1866 and 1870 to introduce Western civilization. During that time, he experienced major changes in the political system, moved away from early modern frameworks, and established a new system of thought. "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" can be positioned as the first book in which he clearly addressed his readers and stated his own social vision in his own words, while being strongly influenced by Francis Wayland.

In the Meiji era, Fukuzawa thought of bringing his mother, who had lived separately in Nakatsu and Edo for a long time, to Tokyo. However, the plan did not go as expected. Upon further inquiry, he found rumors in Nakatsu that if Fukuzawa returned, he would achieve great success. Fukuzawa was appalled by the samurai class in Nakatsu, who were still conscious of "lineage" (monbatsu). Therefore, while going to Nakatsu himself to pick up his mother, he left a message about the new society for his old friends. The arguments in "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" would continue to permeate his life thereafter. It can be called the essence of his thought, and from here, it developed into his representative works, including "Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning)." Therefore, I have long wanted many people, not just researchers, to read this essay.

On the other hand, compared to the late Professor Carmen Blacker of Cambridge University and Professor Albert Craig of Harvard University, who were enthusiastically engaged in Fukuzawa studies, there was a concern that Fukuzawa studies overseas have stagnated in recent years, and particularly that young researchers are losing interest. For those who study modern Japan, he is a thinker who cannot be avoided, but I felt that there might be a lack of interest in Fukuzawa's own texts, with the idea that the image of Fukuzawa constructed by Japanese researchers is sufficient.

Therefore, I came up with the idea of publishing "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" in multiple languages. At Keio University, the English translation of "The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi" is prepared as a souvenir for visitors from overseas or when members of the Juku go on business trips abroad. While "The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi" is interesting, it is quite thick and only in English. I thought that if "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" translated into multiple languages were compiled into one volume, it would have utility as a souvenir and might receive a publication grant. Those who can read in two or more languages can also enjoy comparing them.

Actually, I first thought of this in 2008. For the "Fukuzawa Yukichi: Creating the Future" exhibition held at the Tokyo National Museum, I created a panel with only the opening section translated into five languages. However, after that, it remained just a concept and progressed slowly. Then, in 2018, I gained an excellent collaborator in Mr. Millán Martín, and it was finally completed this year.

When I first heard from Ms. Nishizawa about the project to translate "A Message of Farewell to Nakatsu" into multiple languages, the major challenge was how many "multiple languages" to translate it into. We added Spanish, Dutch, and Russian to the languages for which manuscripts were completed or in progress, and since there is no end to it if one is greedy, I felt at ease that a certain number of the world's major languages had been gathered for the time being, and decided to proceed with preparations for publication. Even so, it became a work handling 12 foreign languages with different writing systems in addition to Japanese, and after a struggle called "editing" together with Ms. Yoshiko Katahara of Keio University Press, it was a long road to the long-awaited publication.

Of course, the "translation" work that all the translators undertook at an earlier stage must also have been difficult. It is characteristic of Fukuzawa that, in order to introduce basic knowledge of Western civilization and modern democratic thought to Japan, he changed the meaning of Japanese in a way that Japanese people of the time could understand and be convinced by, aiming for social progress without completely breaking away from the old cultural background in the initial stages. Among these, the reinterpretation and translation of the "Five Relationships" (Gorin), such as "distinction between husband and wife" and "loyalty between lord and subject," are striking. The word "freedom" (jiyū), which is a translation of a Western language term, was introduced at the time while being distinguished from the synonym "selfishness" (wagamama), so it is interesting that it resulted in slightly different discourses in each language.

On the other hand, the translation of "kuni" and "tenka" was split down the middle into province/nation and country/world, and the choice of translation for "ningen kōsai" (social intercourse) became diverse, providing an opportunity to rethink the true meaning of the original language through the differences in translation. The way "shi-nō-kō-shō" (the four classes) is translated seems simple but is actually complex; while literal translations and elaborations are seen, reading the free translation in the French version is eye-opening. If one compares the original text with each translation using the detailed translation notes in the English version and the commentary at the end of the book as clues, the appeal of this book lies in being able to enjoy the true essence of translation while reconsidering Fukuzawa's fundamental thought.

(Contact: www.fmc.keio.ac.jp)