[KS] Re: Korean pronunciation for the names of the figures for Kuunmong

[Frank Hoffmann]

>For me it is much more simple and easy just to put Pinyin but I am hesitating.
>I do not know what to do.  Let me know of any further ideas.

Dear Dr. Lee:

Your arguments are very sound, very reasonable, I think -- especially when
you talk about the naming of *literary* figures in Korean literature. After
all you are dealing with works of art and literature from Korea, not China.
I think the compromise you describe is a very good solution for this
specific case, and each "case" might need to be treated a bit differently.
I would just like to add that it might be helpful to the readers of your
catalogue to explain this (just the way you did it here in our discussion
list) somewhere in the catalogue itself, either in the preface or in a
footnote ... and if the catalogue has an index, the Chinese names could be
included in that index. On the other hand, by transcribing some names (for
places ..."Peking") in Chinese pronunciation, you somehow re-create a
feeling for the sinocentric world of the Choson period for a Western
reader. A complete Koreanization of all terms and names would be as
confusing as to strictly stick to the common rules in the field of East
Asian history (in the West), wouldn't it?
As for cases like the naming of the "Lelang commandary" of Han China as
"Naknang," this is of course a very tough case. By doing so, you are
certainly making a statement that goes far beyond just trying to
accommodate Korean identity, since the Chinese pronunciation of this name
in the West is an established name for an *historic* entity.

Best,

Frank
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frank Hoffmann * 24 Peabody Terr. #1702 * Cambridge, MA 02138 * USA
E-MAIL:  hoffmann at fas.harvard.edu
W W W :  http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hoffmann/


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