Category: Current Events

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Gōngyè‐Dǎng

Gōngyè (Gōng·yè {Work → [Industry]} · {Engaged In (Thing) → [Industry]} → [Industrial] 共产 共產)‐Dǎng (Party 党 黨/党) 👈🏼 Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

In contrast to “Gòngchǎn (Gòng·chǎn {Commonly Possessing} · {Produced (Things) → [Property]} → [Communist] 共产 共產)‐Dǎng (Party 党 黨/党)”, which refers to the Chinese Communist Party, the only political organization currently tolerated in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), this week’s MEotW, “Gōngyè (Gōng·yè {Work → [Industry]} · {Engaged In (Thing) → [Industry]} → [Industrial] 共产 共產)‐Dǎng (Party 党 黨/党)”, refers, not to a political organization, but rather, to an intellectual movement. It is introduced this way in the Wikipedia article about it:

In China, Industrial Party (simplified Chinese: 工业党; traditional Chinese: 工業黨; pinyin: gōngyè dǎng, also translated as Industrialist or Technologist[source]) refers to a group of Chinese thinkers and Chinese people who support scientific thinking, advanced technology, techno-nationalism, and economic growth,[source] and reject liberalism, universal values, and free market.[source] In a narrow sense, it could also refer to the fan culture of Illumine Lingao, a Chinese time-travel novel.

Technology, Industry, and China

In recent years, the PRC has indeed placed much emphasis on developing its technology and industry, to much worldly success. However, while the technological pragmatism that Gōngyè (Gōng·yè {Work → [Industry]} · {Engaged In (Thing) → [Industry]} → [Industrial] 共产 共產)‐Dǎng (Party 党 黨/党) thinkers claim to support is evident to a degree in how modern China operates, it is insufficient to enable us to fully understand modern Chinese thinking and culture. For example, if the people of China were purely rational and pragmatic technologists, then Chinese characters would long ago have been replaced by Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音), which is obviously the objectively superior writing technology from a technical standpoint. In reality, as discussed by a past post about the Needham Question, some unfortunate spiritual characteristics have plagued worldly Chinese culture, that have hampered its technological and industrial progress in the past and that perhaps continue to do so to some extent.

Also, there are signs that people in China are getting disillusioned with Gōngyè (Gōng·yè {Work → [Industry]} · {Engaged In (Thing) → [Industry]} → [Industrial] 共产 共產)‐Dǎng (Party 党 黨/党) thinking that prioritizes working hard for industrial and technological progress. For example, as discussed in a previous post on this blog, a significant number of young Chinese people are opting to tǎngpíng (tǎng·píng lie · {to be flat} 躺平), or “lie flat”, instead of persisting in the technological and industrial rat race.

Yes, technical capability is necessary, but it is insufficient on its own to bring about a perfect society, a paradise earth. A basic flaw of focusing mainly on technology and industry is that doing so focuses on physical things, and neglects necessary spiritual things. As 1 Corinthians 2:14, 15 says:

But a physical man does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know them, because they are examined spiritually. However, the spiritual man examines all things, but he himself is not examined by any man.

Technology, Industry, and Jehovah’s People

Even just measuring according to technology and physical infrastructure, Jehovah God has produced the best technology and physical infrastructure in the universe, far surpassing what humans have accomplished, whether in China or in the West. A few examples of this that come to mind are:

  • The molecular machines in our cells
  • Beavers and the ecological infrastructure they produce instinctually
  • The sun, a working, immensely powerful, yet safe and reliable nuclear fusion reactor that has been providing energy for the earth since before humans existed (Matthew 5:45)

How about Jehovah’s people? That technical capability is of some importance even for those who prioritize spiritual things can be seen from how Jehovah arranged for certain ones among the Israelites to be given the knowledge and skills needed to produce things that were necessary for his worship at that time.—Exodus 35:30–36:2.

Looking at the big picture, Jehovah God has trained us to understand that to truly succeed, we must first be motivated by the kind of love spoken of at 1 Corinthians 13, and he has trained us to understand that without such love, we ultimately “do not benefit at all”, regardless of our technical abilities. At the same time, just as “faith without works is dead”, love also must not be just a feeling in our hearts, but rather must be followed through with and expressed by what we do. (James 2:26) May we use well the technology available to us, and thus show our godly love by accomplishing the best we can for Jehovah God and for the people we can help.—Malachi 1:6–14.

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Culture Current Events Names Nations Technology Theocratic

Zhōngdōng

Zhōngdōng (Zhōng·dōng Middle · East 中东 中東) 👈🏼 Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[In view of the renewed fighting in the Middle East, and since the below-mentioned article is again being featured on jw.org, it seems appropriate to revisit this post that was originally posted on July 1, 2025. By the way, the Mandarin expression for “Iran” is “Yīlǎng (Iran 伊朗)”.]

[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 None re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

At the time of this writing, jw.org was featuring the article “War in the Middle East—What Does the Bible Say?”. Where the English version of this article uses the expression “Middle East”, the Mandarin version uses this week’s MEotW, “Zhōngdōng (Zhōng·dōng Middle · East 中东 中東)”. For example, here are the English and Mandarin versions of the article’s title:

English:

War in the Middle East—What Does the Bible Say?

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Guānyú (Guān·yú {Closing → [Relating]} · to 关于 關於) Zhōngdōng (Zhōng·dōng Middle · East’s 中东 中東) Fāshēng (Fā·shēng {Issuing Forth} · {Coming to Life} → [Happening] 发生 發生) de (’s 的) Zhànzhēng (Zhàn·zhēng War · Contending → [War] 战争 戰爭), Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) de (’s 的) Guāndiǎn (Guān·diǎn {Looking at → [View]} · Point → [Viewpoint] 观点 觀點) Shì (Is 是) Shénme (Shén·me What · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼)?

Related Expressions

The “Zhōng ({within/among/[in] the midst of (it/them…)} | centre; middle | midst | amid | medium; intermediate 中)” in “Zhōngdōng (Zhōng·dōng Middle · East 中东 中東)” corresponds to “Middle”, and it also occurs in expressions such as past MEotW’s “Zhōngguó (Zhōng·guó Central · Nation → [China | Chinese] 中国 中國)” 🔗, “Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文)” 🔗, and “Zhōngyāng Zhǎnglǎo‐Tuán ((Zhōngyāng Central 中央) (Zhǎng·lǎo {Grown → [Elder]} · Old (Men) → [Elders] 长老 長老)‐(Tuán {Rolled into a Ball (Thing)} → [Group] → [Body] 团 團/糰) → [Governing Body])” 🔗. (Note that in these past MEotW’s, “Zhōng ({within/among/[in] the midst of (it/them…)} | centre; middle | midst | amid | medium; intermediate 中)” is really used to mean “Central”, which is a bit different from “Middle”.)

The “dōng (east 东 東)” in “Zhōngdōng (Zhōng·dōng Middle · East 中东 中東)” corresponds to “East”. For reference, here are the Mandarin expressions for the cardinal directions and the ordinal or intercardinal directions:

  • běi (north | northern 北)
  • dōngběi (dōng·běi {east | eastern} · {north | northern} → [north-east | north-eastern] 东北 東北)
  • dōng (east | eastern 东 東)
  • dōngnán (dōng·nán {east | eastern} · {south | southern} → [south-east | south-eastern] 东南 東南)
  • nán (south | southern 南)
  • xīnán (xī·nán {west | western} · {south | southern} → [south-west | south-western] 西南)
  • xī (west | western 西)
  • xīběi (xī·běi {west | western} · {north | northern} → [north-west | north-western] 西北)

Note how the Mandarin expressions for the ordinal or intercardinal directions use reverse word order compared to their English counterparts. For example, “xīběi (xī·běi {west | western} · {north | northern} → [north-west | north-western] 西北)” literally means “west · north”, in contrast to the English word “north-west”. This may remind one of how the Mandarin word for “compass”, past MEotW “zhǐnán‐zhēn ((zhǐ·nán {(points with) finger → [points]} · south 指南)‐(zhēn needle 针 針) → [compass])”, on a certain level of literalness means “points south needle”, in contrast to the Western view that a compass needle points north. Both are right—when one end of a symmetrical compass needle is pointing south, the other end is simultaneously pointing north—they’re just different ways of thinking about the same thing.

A Longer Usage Example

To provide a longer, more extensive example of how “Zhōngdōng (Zhōng·dōng Middle · East 中东 中東)” and some related expressions can be used in the ministry, here is some Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus material based on the introductory paragraphs of the above-mentioned article:

English:

The world is anxiously watching the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Will the situation escalate into a wider war? Can governments avert disaster and achieve lasting peace?

Those familiar with Bible prophecy may wonder whether this Middle East conflict could be the start of the battle of Armageddon mentioned in the book of Revelation.

What does the Bible say?

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Měiguó (Měi·guó American · Nation → [USA] 美国 美國), Yǐsèliè (Israel 以色列), hé ({(together) with} → [and] 和 和/龢) Yīlǎng (Iran 伊朗) zhījiān (zhī·jiān them · among 之间 之間) de (’s 的) chōngtū (chōng·tū {dashing → [clashing]} · {chimney → [dashing forward]} → [conflict] 冲突 衝突), nòngde (nòng·de {has played with → [has made]} · getting 弄得) shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent’s → [world’s] 世界) gèdì (gè·dì various · lands 各地) rénxīn (rén·xīn people’s · hearts → [public feeling] 人心)‐huánghuáng (huáng·huáng {to be fearful → [to be anxious]} · {to be fearful → [to be anxious]} 惶惶). Zhèige (Zhèi·ge this · [mw] 这个 這個) chōngtū (chōng·tū {dashing → [clashing]} · {chimney → [dashing forward]} → [conflict] 冲突 衝突) huì (will 会 會) yǎnbiàn (yǎn·biàn perform · changing → [develop] 演变 演變) chéng ({to become} 成) dà (large 大)‐guīmó (guī·mó {compasses → [rules]} · model → [scale] 规模 規模) de (’s 的) zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng war · contending → [war] 战争 戰爭) ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)? Zhèngfǔ (Zhèng·fǔ political · {seats of government} → [governments] 政府) yǒu ({do have} 有) nénglì (néng·lì ability · power 能力) píngxī (píng·xī {to make to be flat, level, even → [to make to be calm]} · {to stop} → [to calm/quiet down] 平息) chōngtū (chōng·tū {dashing → [clashing]} · {chimney → [dashing forward]} → [conflict] 冲突 衝突), dàilái (dài·lái {to bring} · {to come} 带来 帶來) chángjiǔ (cháng·jiǔ long · {for a long time} 长久 長久) de (’s 的) hépíng (hé·píng {being (together) with (one another)} · {being flat, level, even} → [peace (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict)] 和平) ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)?

📖 📄 📘 Yǒuxiē (Yǒu·xiē {(there) are having → [(there) are]} · some 有些) dúguo (dú·guo reading · {have passed} → [have read] 读过 讀過) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) yùyán (yù·yán {in advance} · sayings → [prophecy] 预言 預言) de (’s 的) rén (people (who) 人) kěnéng (kě·néng maybe · {being able} → [maybe] 可能) huì (will 会 會) dānxīn (dān·xīn {carry on a shoulder pole → [take on (a heavy)]} · heart → [worry] 担/耽心 擔/耽心), zài (in 在) Zhōngdōng (Zhōng·dōng Middle · East 中东 中東) fāshēng (fā·shēng {issuing forth} · {coming to life} → [happening] 发生 發生) de (’s 的) chōngtū (chōng·tū {dashing → [clashing]} · {chimney → [dashing forward]} → [conflict] 冲突 衝突) huì (will 会 會) yǐnfā (yǐn·fā {draw (out)} · {to send out} → [lead to] 引发 引發) Hāmǐjíduōdùn (Armageddon 哈米吉多顿 哈米吉多頓) dàzhàn (dà·zhàn {big → [great]} · war 大战 大戰), cóng’ér (cóng’·ér {from (that)} · thus 从而 從而) dàilái (dài·lái bring · {to come} 带来 帶來) shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent’s → [world’s] 世界) mòrì (mò·rì end · {sun → [day]} → [doomsday] 末日).

📖 📄 📘 Nàme (Nà·me {(in) that (case)} · [suf] 那么/末 那麼/末), Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) de (’s 的) guāndiǎn (guān·diǎn {looking at → [view]} · point → [viewpoint] 观点 觀點) shì (is 是) shénme (shén·me what · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼) ne ([? ptcl] 呢)?

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Culture Current Events Language Learning Names Technology Theocratic

Mòrì Shízhōng

Mòrì (Mò·rì End · {Sun → [Day]} → [Doomsday] 末日)
Shízhōng (Shí·zhōng {(Particular) Times} · Clock → [Clock] 时钟 時鐘) 👈🏼 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 None re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

At the time of this writing, jw.org was featuring the article “Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight”. Where the English version of this article uses the expression “Doomsday Clock”, the Mandarin version uses this week’s MEotW, “Mòrì (Mò·rì End · {Sun → [Day]} → [Doomsday] 末日) Shízhōng (Shí·zhōng {(Particular) Times} · Clock → [Clock] 时钟 時鐘)”.

(Incidentally, “wǔyè (wǔ·yè {7th of the 12 Earthly Branches → [south (placed at the midnight position of Chinese directions charts)]} · night → [midnight] 午夜)”, the Mandarin word for “midnight”, was the subject of a past MEotW post.)

The End

The “mò (tip; end [→ [last/final stage]] 末)” in “mòrì (mò·rì end · {sun → [day]} → [doomsday] 末日)” was discussed in the MEotW post on “shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent → [world] 世界) mòrì (mò·rì end · {sun → [day]} 末日)”:

The “mò (tip; end [→ [last/final stage]] 末)” in “mòrì (mò·rì end · {sun → [day]} 末日)” also appears in “mòqī (mò·qī end · period 末期)”, and indeed, in “mòshì (mò·shì {end of → [last stage/phase of]} · {generation → [world | age; era]} 末世)”. Some who have been in the Mandarin field for a while may also remember the expression “mòhòu (mò·hòu end · last 末后 末後) de (’s 的) rìzi (rì·zi {suns → [days]} · [suf for nouns] 日子)”. However, note that in the current version of the Mandarin New World Translation Bible (nwtsty), this expression has been replaced with “zuìhòu (zuì·hòu most · afterwards → [final] 最后 最後) de (’s 的) shíqī (shí·qī {(particular) time} · period 时期 時期)” in scriptures such as Ezekiel 38:16.

Ezekiel 38:16 (WOL CHS+Pinyin Parallel Translations)

What Is the Doomsday Clock?

The above-mentioned article contains the following footnote explaining what the Doomsday Clock is:

English:

“The Doomsday Clock is a design that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making. It is a metaphor, a reminder of the perils we must address if we are to survive on the planet.”—Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 “Mòrì (Mò·rì End · {Sun → [Day]} → [Doomsday] 末日) Shízhōng (Shí·zhōng {(Particular) Times} · Clock → [Clock] 时钟 時鐘) shì (is 是) yí (one 一) ge ([mw] 个 個/个) xūgòu (xū·gòu {being empty → [falsely]} · {constructed → [made up]} → [imaginary] 虚构 虛構) de (’s 的) zhōngmiàn (zhōng·miàn clock · face 钟面 鐘面), yònglái (yòng·lái used · {to come} 用来 用來) jǐngshì (jǐng·shì {to warn} · {to show} 警示) rénmen (rén·men person · [pl] → [people] 人们 人們) yīn ({because of} 因) lànyòng (làn·yòng {overflowingly → [indiscriminately]} · using → [misusing] 滥用 濫用) kējì (kē·jì {branches of study → [science]} · {skills → [technology]} → [technology] 科技), jùlí (jù·lí {being apart from → [distance from]} · {leaving from → [being at a distance from]} → [distance from] 距离 距離) zìwǒ (zì·wǒ self · {me → [self]} 自我) huǐmiè (huǐ·miè destroying · extinguishing → [destruction] 毁灭 毀滅) yǒu ({is having} → [is] 有) duō ({(how) much} 多) jìn ({being close} 近), yě (also 也) tíxǐng (tí·xǐng {to carry (hanging down from the hand) → [to raise]} · {being awake} of → [to remind] 提醒) rénlèi (rén·lèi human·kind 人类 人類) rúguǒ (rú·guǒ if · {fruit → [if indeed]} 如果) yào ({(we) want} 要) bìkāi (bì·kāi {to avoid} · {to be opened from → [to be clear of]} 避开 避開) zhèyàng (zhè·yàng this · kind 这样 這樣) de (’s 的) hàojié (hào·jié great · {plundering → [catastrophe]} 浩劫), jiù (then 就) yào (must 要) jiějué (jiě·jué {untie → [solve]} · decide → [solve] 解决 解決) něixiē (něi·xiē which · {indefinite number of} → [which] 哪些) wèntí (wèn·tí asking · problems → [problems] 问题 問題).”—Yuánzǐ Kēxué‐jiā Gōngbào ((Yuán·zǐ Original · {Small and Hard Things} → [Atomic] 原子) ((Kē·xué {Branches of Study} · Learning → [Science] 科学 科學)‐(jiā -ists’ 家) → [Scientists’]) (Gōng·bào Public · Bulletin → [Bulletin] 公报 公報) → [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]) (Yīngyǔ (Yīng·yǔ English · Language 英语 英語)).

“The Closest It Has Ever Been”

It’s noteworthy that the above-mentioned article says that as of January 27, 2026,

English:

“The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Science and Security Board today sets the Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to catastrophe.”—Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 “Yuánzǐ Kēxué‐jiā Gōngbào ((Yuán·zǐ Original · {Small and Hard Things} → [Atomic] 原子) ((Kē·xué {Branches of Study} · Learning → [Science] 科学 科學)‐(jiā -ists’ 家) → [Scientists’]) (Gōng·bào Public · Bulletin → [Bulletin] 公报 公報) → [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]) Kēxué (Kē·xué {Branches of Study} · Learning → [Science] 科学 科學) yǔ (and 与 與/与) Ānquán (Ān·quán {Being Safe} · {Being Whole} → [Security] 安全) Wěiyuán‐Huì ((Wěi·yuán Entrusted · Members 委员 委員)‐(Huì Gathering 会 會) → [Board]) jiāng (takes 将 將) Mòrì (Mò·rì End · {Sun → [Day]} → [Doomsday] 末日) Shízhōng (Shí·zhōng {(Particular) Times} · Clock → [Clock] 时钟 時鐘) tiáokuài (tiáo·kuài {to be adjusted} · {to be fast(er) → [to be farther ahead]} 调快 調快) le ([(at the end of a phrase/sentence) indicates a change] 了), jùlí (jù·lí {to be apart from} · {to be leaving from → [to be at a distance from]} 距离 距離) wǔyè (wǔ·yè {7th of the 12 Earthly Branches → [south (placed at the midnight position of Chinese directions charts)]} · night → [midnight] 午夜) zhǐ (just 只 只/秖/衹/祇) shèng ({having remaining} 剩 剩/賸) 85 miǎo (seconds 秒), shì ((which) is 是) rénlèi (rén·lèi human·kind’s 人类 人類) shǐ (history 史) shang (upon 上) zuì (most 最 最/㝡) jiējìn (jiē·jìn {has come close to} · {has been near} 接近) shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent’s → [world’s] 世界) mòrì (mò·rì end · {sun → [day]} → [doomsday] 末日) de (’s 的) shíkè (shí·kè {(particular) time} · {carving → [moment]} 时刻 時刻).”—Yuánzǐ Kēxué‐jiā Gōngbào ((Yuán·zǐ Original · {Small and Hard Things} → [Atomic] 原子) ((Kē·xué {Branches of Study} · Learning → [Science] 科学 科學)‐(jiā -ists’ 家) → [Scientists’]) (Gōng·bào Public · Bulletin → [Bulletin] 公报 公報) → [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]) (Yīngyǔ (Yīng·yǔ English · Language 英语 英語)).

What’s Ahead?

Naturally, many will have questions like those below, that are asked in the above-mentioned article:

English:

Is the end of humanity and the end of our planet approaching? Do we need to fear what the future holds? What does the Bible say?

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Rénlèi (Rén·lèi human·kind 人类 人類) hé ({(together) with} → [and] 和 和/龢) dìqiú (dì·qiú earth · globe → [the earth] 地球) zhēnde (zhēn·de really · ’s 真的) bīnlín (bīn·lín {are close to (the sea/river/lake/etc.) → [are on the brink of]} · {are approaching} 濒临 瀕臨) huǐmiè (huǐ·miè destroying · extinguishing → [destruction] 毁灭 毀滅) ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)? Wǒmen (Wǒ·men we · [pl] 我们 我們) xūyào ({do need} 需要) dānxīn (dān·xīn {to carry on shoulder poles → [to take on (heavy)]} · hearts (about) → [to feel anxious about] 担/耽心 擔/耽心) wèilái (wèi·lái (what) {has not yet} · come → [the future] 未来 未來) ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)? Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) de (’s 的) guāndiǎn (guān·diǎn {looking at → [view]} · point → [viewpoint] 观点 觀點) shì (is 是) shénme (shén·me what · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼)?

It is our privilege to share the answers to those questions with honest-hearted ones in the Mandarin field, if we have learned well enough how to understand Mandarin speech and speak the required Mandarin understandably.—1 Corinthians 14:8–11.