jìnzhūzhě‐chì, jìnmòzhě‐hēi+ ((jìn·zhū·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {vermilion [(person[s])]} · person 近朱者)‐(chì {will be a kind of red slightly lighter than vermilion} 赤), (jìn·mò·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {ink stick/cake [(person[s])]} · person 近墨者)‐(hēi {will be black} 黑) → [one will become like those whom one associates with]) 👈🏼 Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”
[Notes: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”; tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to hide the “flashcard”. 📖 📄 ➕ icons mean 📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced, and ➕ Reveal + Symbols re all the “flashcards” and + symbols in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]
The Lasting Peace (pc) brochure is an unusual, perhaps even unique official theocratic publication in that it was written specifically for Chinese people, and it was first written in Chinese. Here is a quote from the 1996 Yearbook about this brochure:
At the Chinese convention in New York, a new brochure entitled Lasting Peace and Happiness—How to Find Them was released. It was made available in both traditional and simplified Chinese. This brochure is designed for the Chinese field and will be given extensive distribution wherever possible. It is not at present scheduled for translation into English.
Eventually, this brochure was translated into English, Spanish, French, Italian, etc., greatly helping publishers in many lands to be able to make good use of this brochure in their local Chinese fields. Especially since it was written specifically for the Chinese field, the Mandarin version of the Lasting Peace (pc) brochure, the current version of which is the 2009 Printing, contains many Mandarin expressions that Mandarin field language learners would benefit from being familiar with.
Coming Near Vermilion and Ink
This week’s MEotW, which appears in the section of the Mandarin Lasting Peace brochure entitled “Zàofú (Zào·fú Makes · Blessings (for) 造福) Quán (All 全) Rénlèi (Rén·lèi Man·kind 人类 人類) de (’s 的) Zhǐnán+ (Zhǐ·nán {(Points with) Finger → [Points]} · South (Thing) → [Guidebook] 指南)” (“A Guidebook for the Blessing of All Mankind”), is “jìnzhūzhě‐chì, jìnmòzhě‐hēi+ ((jìn·zhū·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {vermilion [(person[s])]} · person 近朱者)‐(chì {will be a kind of red slightly lighter than vermilion} 赤), (jìn·mò·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {ink stick/cake [(person[s])]} · person 近墨者)‐(hēi {will be black} 黑) → [one will become like those whom one associates with])”:
He who comes near vermilion is stained red, and he who comes near ink is stained black: He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but he that is having dealings with the stupid ones will fare badly (Proverbs 13:20)
Mandarin (WOL, Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)+ 🔗):
📖 📄 ➕ Gǔxùn (Gǔ·xùn ancient · teaching 古训 古訓): Jìnzhūzhě‐chì, jìnmòzhě‐hēi+ ((Jìn·zhū·zhě {comes near} · {vermilion (persons)} · person 近朱者)‐(chì {will be a kind of red slightly lighter than vermilion} 赤), (jìn·mò·zhě {comes near} · {ink stick/cake (persons)} · person 近墨者)‐(hēi {will be black} 黑) → [one will become like those whom one associates with]) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經): “Gēn ((if one) with 跟) zhìhuì+ (zhì·huì (having) wisdom · intelligence → [(having) wisdom] 智慧) rén (people 人) tóngxíng (tóng·xíng together · {is walking} 同行), jiù ({(one) then} 就) yǒu ({will have} 有) zhìhuì (zhì·huì wisdom · intelligence → [wisdom] 智慧); tóng ({(if one) together with} 同 同/仝) yúmèi+ (yú·mèi stupid · {dim → [ignorant]} 愚昧) rén (people 人) láiwang (lái·wang {is coming} · {is going} → [is having dealings] 来往 來往), nánmiǎn (nán·miǎn {(one will find it) difficult} · {to avoid} 难免 難免) chīkuī+ (chī·kuī {eating → [suffering]} · {losing → [loss]} 吃亏 吃虧).” (Zhēnyán (Zhēn·yán Admonishing · Sayings → [Proverbs] 箴言) 13:20)
[The Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)+ “flashcard” for “jìnzhūzhě‐chì, jìnmòzhě‐hēi+ ((jìn·zhū·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {vermilion [(person[s])]} · person 近朱者)‐(chì {will be a kind of red slightly lighter than vermilion} 赤), (jìn·mò·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {ink stick/cake [(person[s])]} · person 近墨者)‐(hēi {will be black} 黑) → [one will become like those whom one associates with])” shows how the morphemes in it work together to convey this expression’s overall meaning. The note at the beginning of this post explains how to show and hide Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)+ “flashcards”.]
Connecting with Chinese People
I remember one relatively well-educated Chinese man who began studying the Bible in his older years, who was very enthusiastic upon learning that the bit of worldly Chinese wisdom expressed in this week’s MEotW echoes the Bible teaching at Proverbs 13:20. Note also that this expression is featured in the video “Pay Constant Attention to . . . Your Teaching”, starting at about the 3:58 mark. There, it is used to illustrate the importance in the ministry of learning about and talking about things that interest and have meaning to the people to whom we are speaking.
“He who comes near ink is stained black.”
Yes, in both this video and in the Lasting Peace brochure, Jehovah’s organization has highlighted “jìnzhūzhě‐chì, jìnmòzhě‐hēi ((jìn·zhū·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {vermilion [(person[s])]} · person 近朱者)‐(chì {will be a kind of red slightly lighter than vermilion} 赤), (jìn·mò·zhě approaches; {comes near} · {ink stick/cake [(person[s])]} · person 近墨者)‐(hēi {will be black} 黑) → [one will become like those whom one associates with])” as an expression that resonates especially well with at least some Chinese people.
For convenience:
The direct link for the current-generation Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)+ resource for the Lasting Peace brochure is:
The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Lasting Peace brochure is:
More Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)+ web material based on the Mandarin Lasting Peace brochure will be made available in the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)+ web resource as time allows.