Category: Experiences

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Current Events Experiences History Language Learning Technology Theocratic

lìliang

lìliang (lì·liang power; strength; force · quantity 力量) 👈🏼 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.]

One of the publications that is now recommended to be used on Bible studies is the Yǒngyuǎn Xiǎngshòu Měihǎo de Shēngmìng—Hùdòng Shì Shèngjīng Kèchéng ((Yǒng·yuǎn Eternally · {Far (in Time)} 永远 永遠) (Xiǎng·shòu Enjoy · Receive 享受) (Měi·hǎo Beautiful · Good 美好) (de ’s 的) (Shēngmìng Life 生命)—(Hù·dòng {Each Other} · Moving → [Interactive] 互动 互動) (Shì (Type 式) (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) (Kè·chéng Lessons · Procedure → [Course] 课程 課程) → [Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course (lff)]) (Enjoy Life Forever! (lff)) book. An outstanding feature of this book is its extensive use of the post-paper technology of video, which enables information to be presented much more vividly than could be done with paper. Also, at this time, one of the unique features of Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus material is Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus video transcripts. These can help us Mandarin field language learners to analyze and understand the Mandarin speech used in the many videos referenced in the Mandarin Enjoy Life Forever! book. This in turn can help us make more effective use of these videos while participating in Mandarin Bible discussions using this book.

This week’s MEotW, “lìliang (lì·liang power; strength; force · quantity 力量)”, occurs in subtitle 69 of the transcript for the video for lesson 16, point 6 of the Mandarin Enjoy Life Forever! book:

English:

Someone touched me,

for I know that power went out of me.

Mandarin:

68
00:03:30,620 → 00:03:32,038
📖 📄 📘 Yídìng (Yí·dìng {(with) one} · {setting fixedly} → [definitely] 一定) yǒurén (yǒu·rén {(there) was having → [(there) was]} · person (who) 有人) mō (touched 摸) wǒ (me 我)—

69
00:03:32,038 → 00:03:34,207
📖 📄 📘 wǒ (I 我) juéde (jué·de {to wake to → [to feel]} · got → [got to feel] 觉得 覺得) yǒu ({(there) was having} → [(there) was] 有) lìliang (lì·liang power · quantity 力量) cóng (from 从 從) wǒ (me 我) shēnshang (shēn·shang {body → [self]} · upon 身上) chūqu (chū·qu {having gone out} · {to go} 出去).

Here, “lìliang (lì·liang power; strength; force · quantity 力量)” is used as the Mandarin word for “power”. Speaking of God’s power and the vocabulary used to talk about it in Mandarin, “lìliang (lì·liang power; strength; force · quantity 力量)” appears in “shénshèng lìliang ((shén·shèng godly · holy 神圣 神聖) (lì·liang force · quantity 力量) → [holy spirit])”, the expression currently used in the publications of Jehovah’s organization to translate “holy spirit”. (Interestingly, comparing the English and Mandarin (WOL, Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus) versions of song 112 in the “Sing Out Joyfully” book, we see that there, “we ask you for your spirit” is translated as “kěnqiú (kěn·qiú (we) earnestly · request 恳求 懇求) nǐ (you 你) cìyǔ ({to give} 赐予/与 賜予/與) lìliang (lì·liang force · quantity → [(as per the English lyrics, this may be an abbr. for shénshèng lìliang (holy spirit))] 力量)”. I suppose it’s possible, though, that this apparent abbreviation of “shénshèng lìliang ((shén·shèng godly · holy 神圣 神聖) (lì·liang force · quantity 力量) → [holy spirit])” to “lìliang (lì·liang force · quantity → [(this may be an abbr. for shénshèng lìliang (holy spirit), e.g., in the lyrics for song 112)] 力量)” was just something done to fit the song’s rhythm.)

“Power Had Gone Out of Him”

The above-mentioned video—and the Bible account it was based on—simply refers to “power”, translated into Mandarin as “lìliang (lì·liang power; strength; force · quantity 力量)”. However, considering the miraculously beneficial results of this flow of “power”, much more must have been involved than what humans typically think of when they think of power.

Power flowing out of Jesus may make some imagine something happening like what happens when contact is made that completes a circuit with a battery, like when one tries to jump-start a car. When that’s done properly and the power flows, the result can be the safe and gratifying starting up of the previously unstartable car. I once had an experience, though, that didn’t go as expected, when I helped to jump-start an old Nissan that for some reason had the colours on its battery posts reversed from the usual practice, such that the post that I thought was the negative post was actually the positive post, and vice versa. The result in that case was a runaway flow of power that caused the jumper cable to rapidly heat up and catch fire! (Fortunately, I was able to grab a long wooden stick I had in the trunk of my car for chipping away at road ice, and use it to forcibly break the cable, which by then had been weakened by the extreme heat.)

So, power alone is not enough to ensure good results. Indeed, power alone can destroy rather than make things better. Besides my misadventure with that confusingly designed car battery, another obvious example is what happened when huge amounts of power were released by the explosions of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In the case of the sick woman who touched Jesus’ outer garments, Jesus only knew that “power had gone out of him”—he didn’t know this woman and didn’t understand her situation until she explained things to him after the fact. So, even without Jesus’ active participation and direction, the “power” that went out from him displayed

  • recognition of the woman’s faith and of the rightness of helping her, even if she was technically in violation of the Mosaic Law,
  • understanding of the nature of her sickness and of the technical process required to completely and immediately heal her of it,
  • and willingness to help her in this way.

Power, Beneficially Applied

It is evident from what happened in this situation that, as corroborated by the rest of God’s Word, God’s almighty power is always used along with his abundant justice, wisdom, and love—it never runs amok on its own, like a runaway electric current or an exploding bomb.

While humans in Satan’s world continue to fight wars and otherwise hungrily seek power for its own sake, it’s good to know of Jehovah God’s unmatched power, and of how he always uses it justly, wisely, and lovingly. In the Mandarin field, we have the privilege of helping people in what’s probably the largest language field ever to also come to an appreciation of the impressive and moving ways in which Jehovah God uses power.

Chart: Languages by First-Language Speakers—2019

For convenience:

The direct link for the 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 Experiences History Language Learning Technology Theocratic

zìxué‐chéngcái

zìxué‐chéngcái ((zì·xué self · learned; studied 自学 自學)‐(chéng·cái became · {capable person} 成才) → [[be] self-taught]) 👈🏼 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.]

Recently, jw.org featured the video “Benjamin Boothroyd—A Self-Taught Bible Scholar”. Where the English title of this video uses the expression “self-taught”, the title of the Mandarin version uses this week’s MEotW, “zìxué‐chéngcái ((zì·xué self · learned; studied 自学 自學)‐(chéng·cái became · {capable person} 成才) → [[be] self-taught])”:

English:

Benjamin Boothroyd—A Self-Taught Bible Scholar

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Běnjiémíng (Benjamin 本杰明 本傑明) Bùsīluóyīdé (Boothroyd 布思罗伊德 布思羅伊德): Zìxué‐Chéngcái ((Zì·xué Self · Learned 自学 自學)‐(Chéng·cái Became · {Capable Person} 成才) → [Self-Taught]) de (’s 的) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) Xuézhě (Xué·zhě Studying · Person → [Scholar] 学者 學者)

The Morphemes

The first morpheme in this week’s MEotW, “zì (self | from; since 自)”, here means “self”, as it does in “zìjǐ (self[’s] 自己)”. The next morpheme, “xué (learn/learning | study [→ [imitate]] 学 學)”, here means “learned; studied”. Another expression in which it appears is “xuésheng (xué·sheng learning · {growing (one) → [student]} → [student; pupil] 学生 學生)”, which means “student”. These first two morphemes, when put together to form “zìxué (zì·xué self · learn; study 自学 自學)”, refer to learning or studying by oneself.

The third morpheme in this week’s MEotW, “chéng (become; {come to be}; {to turn into}; {to complete}; accomplish; succeed; {fully developed/grown}; {assume [the shape of]}; {to fill} | {to completion} 成)”, here means “became”. It also appears in many other expressions, including “chéngwéi (chéng·wéi become · {to be} 成为 成為)” and “chénggōng (chéng·gōng {becoming [of]}; {accomplishing [of]} · {meritorious service/deed}; achievement → [succeed | success | successful[ly]] 成功)”. The final morpheme “cái ({only then} | {only (before a number)} | actually; really; very | talent; ability; gift | {capable person} | {person of a certain type} 才 才/纔)” in this context means “capable person”. So, “chéngcái (chéng·cái become · {capable person} 成才)” here means “became capable person”, and the entire expression “zìxué‐chéngcái ((zì·xué self · learned; studied 自学 自學)‐(chéng·cái became · {capable person} 成才) → [[be] self-taught])” literally means “self-learned/studied, became capable person”, and effectively means “self-taught”.

Being Self-Taught in the Mandarin Field

Apart from the introductory organization-sponsored language classes that many of us took, we Mandarin field language learners are pretty much all self-taught with regard to Mandarin, especially when it comes to the somewhat specialized Mandarin that we must use in the Mandarin field. But does being largely self-taught mean that none of us can really be any good at Mandarin? Are we doomed to plateau at a mediocre level at best?

One thing I appreciated from the video mentioned above is that Benjamin Boothroyd, who was self-taught but became a world-class Bible scholar and translator, was motivated only to pursue the truth. As he wrote (as mentioned in the English video starting at the 6:38 mark):

I have no interest to serve but that of truth.

Regarding those with such a focus on the truth, at John 18:37, Jesus said:

For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of the truth listens to my voice.

Those who are “on the side of the truth” and who listen to Jesus’ voice open themselves up to receiving the most important education we can get. This best possible education comes from Jehovah God himself, not any worldly or human source. As Isaiah 54:13 says:

And all your sons will be taught by Jehovah,
And the peace of your sons will be abundant.

Even when it comes to nontrivial technical matters, Jehovah can help certain ones develop the technical knowledge, skills, and expertise that are needed to accomplish his will. For example, as Exodus 35:30–35 tells us, he did so when some specialized technical work needed to be done when Moses and the Israelites were in the wilderness:

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites: “See, Jehovah has chosen Bezʹal·el the son of Uʹri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. 31 He has filled him with the spirit of God, giving him wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of every sort of craftsmanship 32 for making artistic designs, for working with gold, silver, and copper, 33 for cutting and setting stones, and for making all kinds of artistic wood products. 34 And he has put it into his heart to teach, he and O·hoʹli·ab the son of A·hisʹa·mach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all the work of a craftsman, an embroiderer, and a weaver using blue thread, purple wool, scarlet material, and fine linen, and of a loom worker. These men will do every sort of work and prepare every sort of design.

Yes, if we focus on the truth and stay open to Jehovah’s direction, we can make “self-taught” also mean “taught by Jehovah”! And since Jehovah created this universe that human scientists, technicians, artists, musicians, etc. are just trying to figure out and work in, he can, if he wants to, even potentially teach us to become more knowledgeable and skilled in certain fields than many worldly humans are, as he may have done with Bezʹal·el and O·hoʹli·ab.—Psalm 119:98–100.

Modern Resources for Mandarin Self-Learning

In support of our efforts to be successfully self-taught in effectively using Mandarin to praise and serve Jehovah, we today are blessed with many available resources, the likes of which Bezʹal·el, O·hoʹli·ab, and Mr. Boothroyd would undoubtedly have loved to have had access to. For example, one of the basic things that teaching and learning require is the transfer of information to those seeking to learn, and in that regard, we humans today generally have access to, at reasonable cost, computing—i.e., information-processing—devices that can easily be carried by hand, but that are, in some ways, millions of times more capable than the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) that guided the Apollo 11 spacecraft to the moon.

In addition to these mobile devices themselves, we should also consider the apps and the text, audio, video, etc. content that they enable us to use to help us learn Mandarin. These include the JW Language app, as well as the JW Library app that now allows for content that displays Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音). Here are a couple of short links listing some of the resources available for Mandarin field language learners:

No Need to Have Impostor Syndrome in the Mandarin Field

In view of the above, if Jehovah has guided us to serve in the Mandarin field, we need not allow ourselves to be burdened with impostor syndrome, even if we haven’t received extensive worldly training in the Mandarin language. If we let ourselves be “taught by Jehovah” instead of just relying on our own talent or abilities or on mere worldly knowledge or human traditions, and if we resolutely make good use of the available resources and apply ourselves to learn whatever we need to learn in order to do Jehovah’s work well, Jehovah can and will bless our efforts and help us succeed. Also, if we follow Boothroyd’s example and pursue truth rather than “glory from men”, then the truth will be able to set us free from the unnecessary burdens imposed by proud but fallacious human traditions such as those involving Chinese characters. (John 5:41–44; 8:32) As the apostle Paul said at 1 Corinthians 1:26–31:

26 For you see his calling of you, brothers, that there are not many wise in a fleshly way, not many powerful, not many of noble birth, 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world to put the wise men to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world to put the strong things to shame; 28 and God chose the insignificant things of the world and the things looked down on, the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the sight of God. 30 But it is due to him that you are in union with Christ Jesus, who has become to us wisdom from God, also righteousness and sanctification and release by ransom, 31 so that it may be just as it is written: “The one who boasts, let him boast in Jehovah.”

Categories
Culture Experiences History Science Theocratic

shùnxù

shùnxù (shùn·xù {following [of]} · order; sequence [→ [order; sequence | in proper order; in turn]] 顺序 順序) 👈🏼 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.]

A few years back, I wrote up a brief web page listing reasons for producing Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音), etc. material for the Imitate (ia) book. Some, especially some who grew up in the West, may have felt that this book is made up of “just stories”, and ones that they were already quite familiar with, at that. However, we must remember that Chinese Bible students may often have a different perspective regarding the Bible accounts that are made to come to life in the Imitate book. As that web page said:

  • Many Chinese people in the world have not been exposed to Bible accounts the way many Westerners have.
  • Also, I have heard that some, perhaps many, Chinese Bible students tend to approach their Bible studies like intellectual exercises for accumulating chōuxiàng (abstract) head knowledge as if for a school exam, rather than as training for their hearts for their own real lives.

Later, the web page touches on how some of the real-world benefits of good storytelling like that found in the Imitate book involve empathy:

  • …
    • The actress Natalie Portman once said, “I love acting. I think it’s the most amazing thing to be able to do. Your job is practicing empathy. You walk down the street imagining every person’s life.”
  • The Imitate book helps build Bible students’ empathy towards Bible characters, which in turn helps Bible students realize that others would feel empathy towards them as well if they imitated these Bible characters—not everyone will just think they’re crazy, like many worldly friends or family members might think.

While even fictional stories can have the benefits described in the links and the quote above, true stories from the Bible can have even greater benefits, including spiritual ones.

Besides the Imitate book, another book from Jehovah’s organization that relates Bible accounts is the Learn From the Bible (lfb) book. The letter from the Governing Body in this book says that, similarly to the Imitate book, the Learn From the Bible book also “brings the Bible accounts to life and captures the feelings of those depicted”, while, unlike the Imitate book, it “tells the story of the human family from creation onward”. While the Learn From the Bible book is especially suitable for children, the letter from the Governing Body in this book says that “it can also be used to help adults who desire to learn more about the Bible”. So, it would be good to consider on this blog some of the expressions used in the Mandarin Learn From the Bible book.

‘In Time Order’

This week’s MEotW, “shùnxù (shùn·xù {following [of]} · order; sequence [→ [order; sequence | in proper order; in turn]] 顺序 順序)”, appears in the section of the Mandarin Learn From the Bible book entitled, in English, “A Letter From the Governing Body”:

English:

Using accounts from the Bible, this book tells the story of the human family from creation onward. Every effort has been made to present the Bible accounts in a clear and simple manner and, as far as possible, in the order in which they occurred.

Mandarin (WOL, Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus):

📖 📄 📘 Běn ({root or stem of a} → [this] 本) shū (writing → [book] 书 書) yǐ (uses 以) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) jìzǎi (jì·zǎi recorded · writings → [accounts] 记载 記載) wéi (as 为 為/爲) gēnjù (gēn·jù root · evidence → [basis] 根据 根據), jiǎngshùle (jiǎng·shù·le {speaks of} · relates · {to completion} 讲述了 講述了) Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · {Emperor → [God]} → [God] 上帝) chuàngzào (chuàng·zào initiated · {made, created} → [created] 创造 創造) wànwù (wàn·wù {ten thousand → [all]} · things 万物 萬物) yǐlái (yǐ·lái {from that point} · coming → [since then] 以来 以來) rénlèi (rén·lèi human·kind’s 人类 人類) dà (big 大)‐jiātíng (jiā·tíng family · courtyard → [family] 家庭) fāshēng (fā·shēng {has had issue forth} · {has had come to life} → [has had happen] 发生 發生) de (’s 的) gùshi (gù·shi events · things → [story] 故事). Běn ({root or stem of a} → [this] 本) shū (writing → [book] 书 書) lìqiú (lì·qiú strongly · seeks 力求) jiǎndān (jiǎn·dān {to be simple} · {to be single → [to be simple]} → [to be simple] 简单 簡單) yìmíng (yì·míng {to be easy} · {to be bright (about) → [to understand]} 易明), bìng (simultaneously 并 並/竝/并) jìnliàng (jìn·liàng {expends to the limit} · amount → [tries as much as possible] 尽量 盡量) jiāng ({to take} 将 將) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) de (’s 的) jìzǎi (jì·zǎi recorded · writings → [accounts] 记载 記載) ànzhào ({according to} 按照) shíjiān (shí·jiān {(particular) times} · between → [(the concept of) time] 时间 時間) shùnxù (shùn·xù {following of} · order → [order] 顺序 順序) biānpái (biān·pái {to be woven → [to be arranged]} · {to be put in order} 编排 編排).

The Mandarin Learn From the Bible book here uses “shíjiān (shí·jiān {(particular) times} · between → [(the concept of) time] 时间 時間) shùnxù (shùn·xù {following of} · order → [order] 顺序 順序)” to correspond with the English expression “the order in which they occurred”.

Morphemic Breakdown

The “shùn (obeying; following [→ [[is] suiting; smooth; handy; convenient; favourable; agreeable]] 顺 順)” in “shùnxù (shùn·xù {following [of]} · order; sequence [→ [order; sequence | in proper order; in turn]] 顺序 順序)” basically means “obey; follow”, and it can be combined with a variety of other morphemes to produce a variety of meanings. For example, this expression appears in expressions as varied as “shùnfú ({submit to}; obey 顺服 順服)”, “shùnlì (shùn·lì {[is] following → [[is] suiting]} · {[is] favourable} → [[is] smooth; going smoothly | smoothly] 顺利 順利)”, and “shùn’ěr (shùn’·ěr {following → [suiting]} · ear → [pleasing to the ear] 顺耳 順耳).”

As for the “xù (order; sequence | preface | introductory; initial | {arrange in order} 序)” in “shùnxù (shùn·xù {following [of]} · order; sequence [→ [order; sequence | in proper order; in turn]] 顺序 順序)”, in this context it means “order; sequence”. Other expressions that use “xù (order; sequence | preface | introductory; initial | {arrange in order} 序)” include “cìxù (cì·xù occurrence · order; sequence 次序)”, “xùyán (xù·yán introductory · words → [preface; foreword; introduction] 序言 序/敘言)”, and “yìngyòng chéngxù ((yìng·yòng applied · used (instance) → [application] 应用 應用) (chéng·xù {journey → [procedure]} · order; sequence → [(computer) programme] 程序) → [application programme])”.

These morphemes that make up “shùnxù (shùn·xù {following [of]} · order; sequence [→ [order; sequence | in proper order; in turn]] 顺序 順序)” combine to form an expression that literally means a “following of order”, and that effectively means an “order” or “sequence”.

A Simple But Valuable Concept

This “following of order” of listing Bible accounts chronologically from creation onward is a distinctive feature of the Learn From the Bible book. It’s a simple concept, but one that contributes to the Learn From the Bible book being an unusual and beneficial publication to have available. This is particularly true in the Mandarin field, in which, as mentioned above, many people are not as familiar as we may be with the people mentioned in the Bible, what happened to them and when, etc.

For convenience:

The direct link for the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resource for the Learn From the Bible book is:

The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Learn From the Bible 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 Learn From the Bible book will be made available in the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource as time allows.