Category: Culture

Categories
Culture Experiences Theocratic

rénwù shēngpíng

rénwù shēngpíng ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story]) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

The new format of the Enjoy Life Forever! book, which incorporates post-paper technologies like video, enables the inclusion of a type of content that past publications used for Bible studies could not include—life stories. For example, the video for Lesson 04, point 5 of the Enjoy Life Forever! book, entitled My Search for the True God, contains the life story of Soten Yoeun, who endured many hardships but eventually found the true God Jehovah.

In the Mandarin version of this video, the expression “rénwù shēngpíng ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story])” is used to correspond with the expression “life story” that is used in the English version of the video. (A Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus transcript for the Mandarin version of this video is available here.)

A Mandarin Personage

“Rénwù (Rén·wù person · thing → [character; personage; figure] 人物)”, which literally means “person thing”, can mean “character; personage; figure”. For example, “Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) rénwù (rén·wù person · thing → [character] 人物)” has been used to correspond with “Bible character”, that is, a person depicted in the Bible. For example, “A Letter From the Governing Body” in the Mandarin version of the Learn From the Bible book uses this expression in this way.

What, though, shall we make of “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)”? While “shēng ({give birth to}/{was given birth to}; {give life to} | grow | exist; live | {[is] living}; {[is] alive} | {[is] unripe} | {[is] raw}; {[is] uncooked} | {[is] unfamiliar}; {[is] strange} | {[is] unprocessed}; {[is] crude} | existence; life; living | {be afflicted with}; get; have | very; keenly; much | pupil; student; scholar | [n suf used in names of occupations] 生)” can mean many different things, here it obviously means “life”, that is, a life or lifetime. It’s less obvious, though, how “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” fits into this expression.

On the Level

The “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” in question literally means “[is] flat; level; even”. What, though, does that have to do with one’s rénwù shēngpíng ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story]), one’s life story?

Perhaps we can get some clues by considering how “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” is used in other expressions. For example, another expression that contains “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” is “tiānpíng (tiān·píng heaven’s · {(being) level} → [balance; scales (to weigh things)] 天平)”, which means a balance or a set of scales used to weigh things.

Yet another expression with “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” in it, that may help us understand how “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” functions in “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)”, is “shuǐpíng (shuǐ·píng water · {(being) level} → [standard; level; proficiency] 水平)”. This word is used to refer to a standard or level (of quality, achievement, etc.).

Considering the above examples, it seems that “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)” is used to mean the “level” achieved over the entire course of a life. From a negative point of view, this could involve passing judgment or competitively comparing achievements as if life were but a game. However, from a more positive and charitable point of view, considering one’s “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)” could involve recognition of what one was able to accomplish over the course of one’s life.

(By the way, it may also be worth noting that the “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” in “rénwù shēngpíng ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story])” is also used in “píng’ān (píng’·ān {[is] flat, level, even → [[is] peaceful]} · {[is] safe, secure} (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to things being smooth and stable, safe and secure, free of danger) 平安)” and in “hépíng (hé·píng {[is/being] (together) with (one another)} · {[is/being] flat, level, even} → [peace | [is] peaceful | peacefully (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict)] 和平)”. These expressions were discussed in the MEotW post on “hémù ({[is] harmonious} 和睦)”.)

For convenience:

The direct link for the current generation Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resource for the Enjoy Life Forever! book is:

The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Enjoy Life Forever! book is:

More Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) and Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web material based on the Mandarin Enjoy Life Forever! book will be made available in the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource as time allows.

Categories
Culture Theocratic

chéngfá

chéngfá (punishing; penalizing 惩罚 懲罰) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

Appendix A2 of the English New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), entitled “Features of This Revision”, discusses vocabulary changes that have been made in the current revision, words that have been translated differently than before. As noted in various entries in the excellent resource Referenced Theo. Expressions (RTE), Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) correspondingly discusses words that have been translated differently in the current revision of the Mandarin NWT Bible, compared to how they had been translated before.

Since we base what we say in Jehovah’s service on his Word the Bible, the vocabulary used in it—and the way those vocabulary words are translated—should be reflected in how we speak in our ministry, at our meetings, etc. So, it is beneficial for us Mandarin field language learners to be familiar with the latest thinking from the organization on how Bible terms should be translated into Mandarin.

‘Punishing’ Differently in Mandarin

As Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) points out, this current version builds on the previous version’s efforts to avoid expressions that could easily be associated with false religious concepts.

One example that it points to is that in scriptures such as Psalm 103:10 (English, Mandarin), “bàoyìng (bào·yìng retribution · responding 报应 報應)” has been changed to “chéngfá (punishing; penalizing 惩罚 懲罰)”:

Psalm 103:10 (WOL CHS+Pinyin Parallel Translations)

Is It Karma?

So, what’s the deal with “bàoyìng (bào·yìng retribution · responding 报应 報應)”? The entries for “bàoyìng (bào·yìng retribution · responding 报应 報應)” in a couple of the dictionaries that are available to be installed in the Pleco app give us some clues. First, consider the entry for this expression in the Referenced Theo. Expressions (RTE) Chinese-English dictionary:

retribution (old translation); Insight article heading in Watchtower Library 2011 CHS. NWT-2019’s Appendix A2 notes 报应 changed to 应得的惩罚 or similar, to avoid conveying false-religious concepts (in this case perhaps the Buddhist concept of karma, see 因果报应, although that is not stated).

In partial confirmation, the CC-CEDICT dictionary contains these definitions for “bàoyìng (bào·yìng retribution · responding 报应 報應)”:

1 (Buddhism) divine retribution
2 karma

For reference, Wikipedia provides this summary regarding karma:

Karma…in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences.[source] In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called the principle of karma, wherein intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect):[source] Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths.[source][source]

The concept of karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in many schools of Indian religions (particularly Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism),[source] as well as Taoism.[source] In these schools, karma in the present affects one’s future in the current life, as well as the nature and quality of future lives—one’s saṃsāra.[source][source] This concept has also been adopted in Western popular culture, in which the events which happen after a person’s actions may be considered natural consequences.

Indeed, we definitely would not want people to think that any part of God’s Word the Bible is referring to the false religious concept of karma!

Categories
Culture Current Events

hūxī

hūxī (hū·xī {breathing out}; exhaling · {breathing in}; inhaling → [breathing] 呼吸) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

Hūxī (Hū·xī {breathing out}; exhaling · {breathing in}; inhaling → [breathing] 呼吸), the Mandarin word for “breathe”, literally translates as “breathe out breath in”. This is an interesting contrast to the English expression “breathe in, breathe out”, which refers to the same thing, just in a different culturally selected order.

Another example of East and West coming at the same thing from different directions is that in the English-speaking world, a “compass” is generally thought of as pointing north, whereas “zhǐnán‐zhēn ((zhǐ·nán {(points with) finger → [points]} · south 指南)‐(zhēn needle 针 針) → [compass])” (a previous MEotW)”, the Mandarin word for the same thing, in contrast means a needle that points south.

In both the above examples, neither the Eastern view nor the Western view is wrong—they’re just different.

“The Ballad of East and West”

Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Ballad of East and West” begins with these lines:

Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!

The first line quoted above is often referred to in order to emphasize how the gap between East and West can seem insurmountable. (By the way, “twain” is an archaic term for “two”. So, “never the twain shall meet” means “never the two shall meet”.) However, there is more to the poem.

The other lines quoted above express that individuals who are spiritually strong enough to do so can overcome any differences in culture, nationality, race, class, place of birth, etc. that may happen to exist between them. And, as we know, this is especially true when those individuals let themselves be taught by the God of peace, who “will judge to the ends of the earth”.–Isaiah 54:13; 1 Samuel 2:10.

So, in this unusually hot summer when the world is figuratively and literally on fire, let us take a moment, hūxī (hū·xī {breathe out} · {breathe in} → [breathe] 呼吸), and take in Jehovah God’s instruction, like that which is included in the sessions of the 2022 “Pursue Peace”! convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses.