Categories
Current Events

dòngdàng‐bù’ān

dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[Notes: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”; tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · 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 “2022: A Year of Turmoil—What Does the Bible Say?”. Although we do not participate in New Year’s celebrations, we may find it beneficial to talk to people who are looking back on the past year at around this time, and who may be a little more contemplative than usual about the significance of the things that happened over the course of that tumultuous year.

To correspond with the sense of the English word “turmoil” (a noun), the Mandarin version of the above-mentioned article uses this week’s MEotW, “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” (an adjective phrase which can mean “suffered turmoil”), to describe the year 2022.

Related Expressions

The “dòng (move [→ [stir | arouse | change; alter]])” in “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” literally means “moving”, and is used in a wide variety of other expressions. These include expressions as different as “dòngcí (dòng·cí moving · word → [verb] 动词 動詞)”, “dònglì (dòng·lì moving · force 动力 動力)”, “gǎndòng (gǎn·dòng feeling · moved | {make to feel} · move 感动 感動)”, and “dòngwù (dòng·wù moving · thing → [animal] 动物 動物)”.

The “ān ({set (sb.’s mind) at ease; calm} | {rest content; be satisfied} | {place in a suitable position [→ [install; fix; fit; set up]]} | {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm; quiet [→ [[is] safe; secure; in good health]]} 安)” in “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” has several different meanings, and it appears in well-known expressions such as “ānníng ({being peaceful}; {being tranquil} [→ [peace; tranquillity]] 安宁 安寧)”, “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)”, “ānquán (ān·quán {[being] safe} · {[being] whole} → [[being] safe; secure | safety; security] 安全)”, and “ānpái (ān·pái {placing in a suitable position} · {arranging; putting in order; sequencing; lining up} → [arranging | arrangement] 安排)”. It was also chosen to be included in the Mandarin version of the name “Anna”, “Ānnà (Anna 安娜)”, which is a past MEotW.

Neeta introduces herself to Jade (with Mandarin subtitle)
(I 我) jiào ({am called}叫/呌) Ānnà (Anna 安娜)

Usage Example

Here is an example of “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” in use, adapted from the above-mentioned article:

English:

2022 was a year of turmoil. During 2022, war, economic hardship, and environmental disasters have dominated the news.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Dòngdàng (Dòng·dàng moved · swayed → [suffered turmoil] 动荡 動蕩/盪)bù’ān (bù’·ān not · peaceful 不安) de (’s 的) 2022 nián (year年/秊), zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng war · contending → [war] 战争 戰爭), jīngjì (jīng·jì {(of) managing of} · {crossing of a river → [helping]} → [economic] 经济 經濟) wēijī (wēi·jī {(for) ridge of a roof → [(for) danger]} · occasions → [crises] 危机 危機), huánjìng (huán·jìng surrounding · {boundaries → [(bounded) place] → [situation]} → [environmental] 环境 環境) wèntí (wèn·tí asking · problems → [problems] 问题 問題) zhī ( 之) lèi (kind) de (’s 的) bàodǎo (bào·dǎo reporting · instructing (things) → [news reports] 报导 報導) zhànjùle (zhàn·jù·le seized · occupied · [indicates a change] 占据了 占/佔據了) xīnwén (xīn·wén new · {(that which) is heard} → [news] 新闻 新聞) tóutiáo (tóu·tiáo head · {strips → [articles]} → [lead news stories] 头条 頭條).