Wu Qing Yuan 吴清源

[Outofin]

I just wrote this in Chinese. I'd really appreciate if someone could translate for me. Otherwise, if anyone is indeed interested in this greatest Wei Qi player, I can try to translate it anyway. I mean, I can make you understand.

最近在断断续续的读吴清源自传。之所以读的断断续续是因为从文笔讲，他写得实在不怎么样。但是其一生和为人值得敬仰。简介如下。

吴清源１９１４年出生于福建，幼年移居北京。他祖上做过高官富商，但到了父亲一辈，家道中落，父亲英年早逝，留给他了围棋。吴清源少年便在棋界声名显赫，有神童之称。被段祺瑞招为门客，所得收入竟然可以支持一家的开销。吴清源１３岁就成为北京围棋界第一高手。他的天份引起了日本棋界的注意，于１９２８年赴日，投于濑越宪作门下为弟子。１９３４年，吴清源与木谷实、安永合著的《围棋的革命——新布局法》出版，突破陈规，具有划时代的意义。除了对围棋理论作出了巨大的贡献，吴清源的赫赫威名建立在近百盘“擂争十番棋”。十番棋是邀两位高手对局，净比分领先四局者胜。一旦输了十番棋，表明一个棋士的水平不能与对手相比较，得到的结果就是降级。而降级的耻辱是棋士无法承受的，往往意味的围棋生涯的结束。这和现在的比赛是完全不一样的。现在的段位只升不降，更加显得十番棋的残酷和凶险。吴清源在十番棋中将日本所有的高手一一击败。唯一一次没有完成的十番棋是对长老雁金准一，在吴清源四胜一负的情况下中止。

和在棋盘上的高歌猛进相比，吴清源的一生漂泊坎坷。战争期间的棋手们生涯非常的艰难，而吴清源以中国人的身份，在中日战争的历史里，更有加倍的困苦。他遭到过歧视。也因为他在棋局上的胜利在十番棋当中受到过恐吓信，胜利之后在报章上有《中国人是残忍的民族》之类的抨击。凡此种种，不一而足。但是把这位伟大的棋手赋予民族英雄色彩则并不妥当。在自传里，吴清源更显得像个棋痴，对人情世故一无所知，心里如赤子般纯洁。

最近田壮壮计划为吴清源拍摄电影《棋圣》，将为棋迷们一大瞩盼。

[skylee]

而降级的耻辱是棋士无法承受的，往往意味的围棋生涯的结束。

This is so Japanese.

其一生和为人值得敬仰

Which part?

[Outofin]

Of course there're many factors out of a player's control. But 10 games do mean something. 4:6? it's okay. 3:7? a little bit embarrasing. If a master is defeated by 2:6, 1:5, 0:4, everyone would doubt his ability. "Why are you here? Go home and work harder. I don't want to see you in 3 years." That kind of feelings.

Which part?

What about his achievement, the tough environment he lived, and his soul?

[skylee]

I note that you've said he was talented, he earned good money to support his family, he made great contribution to the Go theory, he was only beaten in a very difficult game once by a Japanese master, and he was devoted to the art of Go wholeheartedly and had a soul as pure as a child.

It's just that I don't see in what you write the significance of his achievement or his soul which justifies great respect/admiration. And millions of Chinese (and also Japanese) lived in a tough enviornment back then. Just my personal opinion. I know nothing about him.

[Outofin]

No I didn't say he was beaten by anyone in his heyday. He dominated the game for a generation.

What he did is good enough for me to respect and admire. Yes, of course respect is a very personal thing.

[studentyoung]

最近在断断续续的读吴清源自传。之所以读的断断续续是因为从文笔讲，他写得实在不怎么样。但是其一生和为人值得敬仰。简介如下。

Recently I am reading Wu, Qingyuan’s autobiography off and on. That’s because his style is so-so, but what he experienced in his life and how he conducted himself are quite whoth revering.

吴清源１９１４年出生于福建，幼年移居北京。他祖上做过高官富商，但到了父亲一辈，家道中落，父亲英年早逝，留给他了围棋。吴清源少年便在棋界声名显赫，有神童之称。被段祺瑞招为门客，所得收入竟然可以支持一家的开销。吴清源１３岁就成为北京围棋界第一高手。他的天份引起了日本棋界的注意，于１９２８年赴日，投于濑越宪作门下为弟子。１９３４年，吴清源与木谷实、安永合著的《围棋的革命——新布局法》出版，突破陈规，具有划时代的意义。除了对围棋理论作出了巨大的贡献，吴清源的赫赫威名建立在近百盘“擂争十番棋”。十番棋是邀两位高手对局，先赢四盘者胜。一旦输了十番棋，表明一个棋士的水平不能与对手相比较，得到的结果就是降级。而降级的耻辱是棋士无法承受的，往往意味的围棋生涯的结束。这和现在的比赛是完全不一样的。现在的段位只升不降，更加显得十番棋的残酷和凶险。吴清源在十番棋中将日本所有的高手一一击败。唯一一次没有完成的十番棋是对长老雁金准一，在吴清源四胜一负的情况下中止。

Born in 1914 in Fujian Province, Wu, Qingyuan removed to Beijing in his childhood. He ancestors once were dignitary and the rich, but till the generation of his father, the whole family was declining. His father died in his prime ages, left only the I-go (围棋 Wei Qi) for him. Wu, Qingyuan made his name in the I-go circles in his youth, and he was called as a wizard. He was recruited as Duan Qirui’s sponger (Duan was a famous warlord in those days), with his income big enough to support his family. When he was 13 years old, he became the No. 1 I-go master in Bejing. His natural gift drew the attention of the I-go circles in Japan, and he went to Japan and sought instruction from 濑越宪作 as his disciple in 1928. In 1934, with木谷实 and安永, he wrote a book named “the Revolution in I-go – the brand new theories in positions ” . The contents broke through these old confines and had its epoch-making meanings. Besides for those great contributions in I-go theories, Wu, Qingyuan set his great reputation on his success in almost 100 rounds in “Competitions in 十番棋”. “十番棋” was to invite two I-go master players to play, and who could win four rounds at first was the winner. As long as one player lost in “十番棋” , which meant that his level was not up to his competitor, as a result, he would be degraded. However, the shame of degrade was so unbearable for a master player, which usually meant that his I-go professional life was over. It showed the cold and scary nature in “十番棋”, which was quite different from the competition nowadays. In present competitions, players’ grades can be kept even he lose in some rounds. In “十番棋”, Wu, Qingyuan beat over all his Japanese competitors one by one. The only one round he had not finished, was to elder player 雁金准一, because the round was over with the outcome of Wu’s record 4:1.

和在棋盘上的高歌猛进相比，吴清源的一生漂泊坎坷。战争期间的棋手们生涯非常的艰难，而吴清源以中国人的身份，在中日战争的历史里，更有加倍的困苦。他遭到过歧视。也因为他在棋局上的胜利在十番棋当中受到过恐吓信，胜利之后在报章上有《中国人是残忍的民族》之类的抨击。凡此种种，不一而足。但是把这位伟大的棋手赋予民族英雄色彩则并不妥当。在自传里，吴清源更显得像个棋痴，对人情世故一无所知，心里如赤子般纯洁。

Compared with his remarkable achievement in I-go circles, Wu, Qingyuan’s life was full of drifting and bitterness. During wartime, I-go players just struggled toughly in their professional life. As Wu’s Chinese status, he could just lived even harder during the War of Resistance Against Japan in the World War II. He once suffered from discrimination. For his success in “十番棋” he received black mails, vicious comments like “Chinese is a cruel nation ” on newspapers, and things like that. Of course, it is not so proper to pain some national heroic color on this great I-go player. In his autobiography, with his pure mind like a newborn baby, he looks more like a man who was simply crazy for I-go and knew nothing about the way of the world.

最近田壮壮计划为吴清源拍摄电影《棋圣》，将为棋迷们一大瞩盼。

Recently, the film named “the famous I-go master player” is planed to shot by Tian, Zhuangzhuang, a movie director, which hopefully can become the hot expectation for I-go fans.

啊，献丑了， 译得不是很好，还请各路高手指点一下呀！

Thanks!

[Outofin]

I say "WOW" to you, studentyoung. I was holding my breath to read you translation.

I think 棋圣 could be translated as The Saint of I-go, because 圣 has some religious sense in it. Just a thought. You're obviously at professional level.

[gato]

Studentyoung and outofin, I made some (liberal) revisions just for fun.

Here's a nice page about Wu Qingyuan meant for fans of the game: http://senseis.xmp.net/?GoSeigen

and http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Go_Seigen

And a trilingual glossary of terms used in Go: http://pw2.netcom.com/~gogaku/english/sfgoclub/godic.htm

------

by Outofin

Recently I have been reading Wu Qingyuan’s autobiography on and off - "on and off" because his writing, to be frank, is rather pedestrian -- but his life story and how he conducted himself are quite worthy of one's admiration.

Born in 1914 in Fujian Province, Wu Qingyuan (吴清源, also known as Go Seigen) moved to Beijing as a child. Though among earlier generations of his family were senior government officials and wealthy merchant, by his father's generation, the family's circumstances were no longer what they were. His father died early in his prime, leaving him only a set of Go. Wu Qingyuan made his name in Go circles in his youth, earning a reputation as a child prodigy. Duan Qirui, a famous warlord in those days, became his sponsor, allowing him to earn a big enough income to support his family. He became the No. 1 Go player in Beijing when he was only 13. [Did this happen before the connection with Duan Qirui?] His talents drew the attention of the Go circles in Japan. In 1928, he went to Japan and became a student of Segoe Kensaku (濑越宪作). In 1934, with 木谷实 and安永, he wrote a book named “The Revolution in Go: A New Theory of Positions.” The book challenged many old ideas about the game and is considered to be one of the most important works in the history of Go. Aside from his immense contributions to the theory of the game, Wu Qingyuan also made his reputation with his success in almost 100 rounds of the “Competitions in Ten-Game Match (十番棋)”. A ten-game match is a contest between two master Go players. Whoever wins four games first wins the match. Losing a ten-game match was considered evidence that the losing player's skills were not comparable to that of the winner, leading to a fall in ranking for the loser. However, the shame of being downgraded was often so unbearable for a master player that the event would effectively mark the end of his professional Go career. Today's competition rules are different. A player's ranking can only rise and not fall. This difference further highlights the cruel and terrifying nature of the ten-game match. Playing ten-game matches, Wu Qingyuan defeated all of Japanese Go masters one by one. The only round he did not finish was a contest with the elder player Karigane Junichi (雁金准一) because the match was abandoned after Wu had won four games and lost one.

In contrast to his remarkable achievement in Go, Wu Qingyuan’s life was full of drifting and bitterness. During the war, Go players struggled in their professional life. Wu’s identity as a Chinese made his life in Japan even harder. He suffered from discrimination. Following his success in ten-game matches, he received black mails, vicious comments like “Chinese is a cruel nation ” in newspapers, and many other abuses of the kind. But painting this great Go player as a national hero would not necessarily be proper. In his autobiography, he appears more as a naive man, an "idiot savant" of the game, who knew little about life in the outside world.

Currently, Tian Zhuangzhuang (the director of “The Blue Kite" and "Delamu") is planning a film based on the life of Wu Qingyuan entitled "The Saint of Go" Many fans of the game eagerly await the film's arrival.

[Outofin]

Thank you, gato! You even spelled the Japanese names in English!

After reading the 2 translations, I realized I didn't say the rule of ten-game accurately. I should have said

净比分领先四局者 instead of 胜先赢四盘者胜

Like I explained in a later post: the winner is determined when the score is 0:4, 1:5, 2:6, 3:7. So better to say "Whoever wins four games more than the opponent wins the match". Sorry for the misunderstanding.

but his life story and how he conducted himself are quite worthy of one's admiration.

Does the past tense imply he has passed away?

Did this happen before the connection with Duan Qirui?

No, after. Duan's administration collapsed in 1926.

[gato]

Does the past tense imply he has passed away?

Not necessarily. You can use the past tense even if the person is living (so far as I know).

For example, I admire the way Michael Jordan played basketball.

You can use the past tense though Jordan is still alive and probably still playing basketball somewhere. So far as I understand it, we use the past tense to mean that your admiration is about what he did in the past. But I'm not a grammar expert. (I only play one on the internet. Haha!)