Tag: Chinese Characters

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Culture Language Learning Science Technology Theocratic

Zàowù‐Zhǔ

Zàowù‐Zhǔ ((Zào·wù Created · Things 造物)‐(Zhǔ Master 主) → [Creator]) 👈🏼 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 had just recently featured the article “How Can You Decide?”, from the No. 3 2021 issue of Awake! magazine. The title of this issue, in English and in Mandarin, is as follows:

English:

Should You Believe in a Creator?—You Decide

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Zhēnde (Zhēn·de Really · ’s 真的) Yǒu ({(There) Is Having} → [(There) Exists] 有) Zàowù‐Zhǔ ((Zào·wù Created · Things 造物)‐(Zhǔ Master 主) → [Creator]) Ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)? Nǐ (You 你) Néng (Can 能) Zhǎodào (Zhǎo·dào {Look For (and)} · {Arrive At} → [Find] 找到) Dá’àn (Dá’·àn Answering · {Long, Narrow Table or Desk → [Set of Information]} → [Answer] 答案)

As can be seen from the above example, “Zàowù‐Zhǔ ((Zào·wù Created · Things 造物)‐(Zhǔ Master 主) → [Creator])”, this week’s MEotW, is the Mandarin expression meaning “Creator”. And, as can be seen from this expression’s Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus “flashcard”, the literal meanings of its constituent morphemes come together to mean something like “Master (or Lord) Who Created All Things”.

“Did They Give You Evidence”?

A couple more examples of “Zàowù‐Zhǔ ((Zào·wù Created · Things 造物)‐(Zhǔ Master 主) → [Creator])” in use can be found in the second paragraph of the above-mentioned article from the No. 3 2021 issue of Awake!:

English:

Your schoolteachers may have confidently stated that the universe and life in it arose spontaneously, that no Creator was involved. But did your teachers provide you with evidence that a Creator does not exist? On the other hand, you may have heard religious leaders preach that there is a Creator. But did they give you evidence to back up their claim? Or did they ask you to accept their statement as a matter of “faith” or doctrine?

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Xuéxiào (Xué·xiào {learning (place) → [school]} · school 学校 學校) lǎoshī (lǎo·shī {old → [experienced]} · teachers → [teachers] 老师 老師) yěxǔ (yě·xǔ {on the whole} · maybe 也许 也許) huì (will 会 會) hěn (very 很) kěndìng (kěn·dìng agreeing · {to be set} → [being certain] 肯定) de (-ly 地) gàosu (tell 告诉 告訴) nǐ (you 你), yǔzhòu (yǔ·zhòu universe · {all time, past, present, and future} → [universe] 宇宙) hé ({(together) with} → [and] 和 和/龢) shēngmìng (life 生命) dōu (both 都) shì (were 是) pèngqiǎo (pèng·qiǎo {having bumped into} · {being coincidental} → [by chance] 碰巧) chǎnshēng (chǎn·shēng {given birth to → [produced]} · {given birth to → [caused to exist]} → [brought into being] 产生 產生) de ({’s (things)} 的), gēnběn (gēn·běn {root (of a plant)} · {root or stem of a plant} → [fundamentally] 根本) jiù (then 就) méiyǒu (méi·yǒu not · {did have} → [did not have] 没有 沒有) Zàowù‐Zhǔ ((Zào·wù Created · Things 造物)‐(Zhǔ Master 主) → [Creator]). Dàn (but 但) tāmen (tā·men he/she · [pl] → [they] 他们 他們) yǒu (had (or) 有) méiyǒu (méi·yǒu not · had → [had not] 没有 沒有) xiàng (to 向 向/曏/嚮) nǐ (you 你) tíchū (tí·chū {carried (hanging down from the hand) → [raised] → [referred to]} · out 提出) zhèngjù (evidence 证据 證/証據) ne ([? ptcl] 呢)? Lìng (another 另) yì (one 一) fāngmiàn (fāng·miàn {direction → [side]} · face → [aspect] 方面), yìxiē (yì·xiē one · {indefinite number of} → [some] 一些) zōngjiào (zōng·jiào {school of thought} · teaching → [religious] 宗教) rénshì (rén·shì persons · {persons trained in a certain field} → [personages] 人士) zhǔzhāng (zhǔ·zhāng advocate · spread → [maintain] 主张 主張) yǒu ({(there) is having} → [(there) exists] 有) yí (one 一) wèi ({place of a} → [mw for persons] 位) Zàowù‐Zhǔ ((Zào·wù Created · Things 造物)‐(Zhǔ Master 主) → [Creator]). Dàn (but 但) tāmen (tā·men he/she · [pl] → [they] 他们 他們) tígōng (tí·gōng {did carry (hanging down from the hand) → [did raise]} · {did provide} 提供) zhèngjù (evidence 证据 證/証據) le ({to completion} 了) ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)? Háishi (Hái·shi {still more → [or]} · {was (it) that} 还是 還是) zhǐshì (zhǐ·shì (they) merely · were 只是) gàosu (telling 告诉 告訴) nǐ (you 你), “xìn (believing 信)” jiù (then 就) gòule (gòu·le {is enough} · {to completion} 够了 夠了) ne ([? ptcl] 呢)?

A Big Presence in the Teaching Toolbox

It’s worth noting that the No. 3 2021 issue of Awake! is currently in the Teaching Toolbox in the JW Library app. That means that as of this writing, 3 out of the 6 books or brochures in the Teaching Toolbox—fully one half of them—are focused on the subject of creation/evolution. Additionally, the Enjoy Life Forever! book, one of the other publications in the Teaching Toolbox, has an entire lesson on the subject “How Did Life Begin?”. This big presence in the Teaching Toolbox of material focused on creation/evolution reflects a recent heavy emphasis on this issue on the part of the organization.

Indeed, for people in general to find real spiritual truth and make real spiritual progress, the question of the Creator’s existence is the first basic question that needs to be answered well in their minds, otherwise they are left with just the conflicting opinions, speculations, and platitudes of mere limited, imperfect humans. As Proverbs 9:10 says:

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom,
And knowledge of the Most Holy One is understanding.

In the Mandarin field in particular, it is especially necessary to focus on the issue of the Creator’s existence, because current worldly Chinese culture has particularly heavily predisposed many Mandarin-speakers to not believe in a Creator.

At the same time, the worldwide Mandarin field is by far the largest language field in the world, and it’s likely that it is the largest language field ever in history.

Chart: Languages by First-Language Speakers—2019

So, the need is especially great for Mandarin field language learners to be able to help Mandarin-speakers overcome their cultural backgrounds and cultivate faith in the Creator!

Creation/Evolution, and Also the Great Wall of Characters

However, I suspect that even in their mother tongue, many Mandarin field language learners would be hesitant to discuss creation/evolution, since it is an especially deeply technical subject. Adding the requirement to conduct the discussion in Mandarin, which has traditionally been written using the extraordinarily complex Chinese characters, to many just makes an already daunting task seem even more undoable.

The Great Wall of China

In addition to the inherent technical difficulty of the subject of creation/evolution, Mandarin field language learners also face the Great Wall of characters.

To help with this formidable challenge, the organization’s official Mandarin digital material for the No. 3 2021 issue of Awake!, and for the Was Life Created? and Origin of Life brochures, is available with Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音). Additionally, unofficial Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus material—specifically designed, not to be spiritual food, but for helping Mandarin field language learners to get past the Great Wall of characters and actually learn to understand and speak the Mandarin they need—is available for the Was Life Created? and Origin of Life brochures, and will soon be available for the No. 3 2021 issue of Awake! too. For updates on these Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resources, keep an eye on this blog, on the Links News blog, and on the related account on the social network of your choice listed on this blog’s Contact page.

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Culture Language Learning Languages Science

Zhōngwén

Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[This is a reposting of a post that was originally posted on October 26, 2020. It’s about something that is fundamentally important for Mandarin field language learners to understand correctly.]

As discussed in a previous MEotW, the expression “Zhōngguó (Zhōng·guó Central · Nation → [China] 中国 中國)” is commonly used to refer to China, since historically, China views itself as the centre of the world, so much so, in fact, that it is the only nation to name itself as such. We can see then that Mandarin expressions starting with “Zhōng (Central → [Chinese] 中)-” can refer to things related to China.

In that case then, are “Zhōnghuà (Zhōng·huà {Central → [Chinese]} · Speech 中话 中話)” or “Zhōngyǔ (Zhōng·yǔ {Central → [Chinese]} · Language 中语 中語)” used to refer to any Chinese language, similarly to how “pǔtōnghuà (pǔ·tōng·huà common; universal · {through(out) → [common]} · speech → [(Modern Standard) Mandarin (term commonly used in China)] 普通话 普通話)” and “Guóyǔ (Guó·yǔ National · Language → [(Modern Standard) Mandarin (term commonly used in Taiwan)] 国语 國語)” are used to refer to Mandarin? Apparently not, according to my dictionaries.

Instead, Chinese people commonly use “Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文)”—this week’s MEotW—to mean “Chinese language”. It should be noted, though, that although “Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文)” is often used to refer to Chinese speech (e.g., in “shuō (speak 说 說/説) Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文)” (“speak Chinese”)), “wén (writing; script [→ [language | culture]] 文)” really means “writing”.

Why do so many Chinese people thus conflate writing with speech and language, when they, while related, are really distinctly different things? This seems to be a symptom of the deeply ingrained Chinese cultural conceit that the Chinese characters are the primary aspect of the Chinese languages—to many Chinese people, the characters are the language. This is contrary to the principle recognized by modern linguists (language scientists) that speech is the primary aspect of any language, not writing. The truth of this basic linguistic principle is shown by the fact that many languages don’t even have a writing system, showing that the required foundation of a language is its speech, not its writing.

Our Creator himself touches on this matter in his Word the Bible:

8 For if the trumpet sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? 9 In the same way, unless you with the tongue use speech that is easily understood, how will anyone know what is being said? You will, in fact, be speaking into the air. 10 It may be that there are many kinds of speech in the world, and yet no kind is without meaning. 11 For if I do not understand the sense of the speech, I will be a foreigner to the one speaking, and the one speaking will be a foreigner to me.—1 Corinthians 14:8–11.

Yes, Jehovah God himself, the One who designed us with our ability to use language, emphasizes the primary importance of understandable speech when it comes to communicating with people, especially when communicating about the potentially life-saving good news of the Kingdom.

Chinese people, however, often have the mistaken view, based on nothing more than deeply ingrained human tradition and not a little cultural pride, that their characters writing system is the primary aspect of the Chinese languages. So, we must take that into consideration when they or people deferring to them erroneously tell us, with all sincerity, that we need to focus first on Chinese characters in our efforts to learn one or more of the Chinese languages. The truth, as testified to by both real language experts among humans and by the Creator himself, is that speech—both understanding speech and speaking understandably—should be our primary focus as Chinese field language-learners.

Regarding the expression “Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文)”, another thing I have noticed is that when Mandarin-speakers say “Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文)”, they mean Mandarin speech, but when Cantonese-speakers say “Zhōngwén (Zhōng·wén {Central → [Chinese]} · Writing 中文)” in Cantonese, they mean Cantonese speech. As a Chinese person, I must reluctantly admit that with such habits, and with naming their nation “Zhōngguó (Zhōng·guó Central · Nation → [China] 中国 中國)”, the central nation of the world, many Chinese people have taken quite far the tendency of imperfect humans to consider themselves the centre of the universe!

Categories
Culture Language Learning Science Technology Theocratic

róngyào

róngyào (róng·yào glory; honour · {being bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [honour; glory]} → [glory; honour] | glorify · {to be bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [to be glorious]} → [glorify] | honourable; glorious · {bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [glorious]} → [honourable; glorious] 荣耀 榮耀) 👈🏼 Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

Rather than dismissively thinking to ourselves that the songs produced by the organization are “just songs”, we should remember that the slave class takes seriously its responsibility to provide spiritual food to God’s people, and so it is going to make sure that the lyrics in its songs are spiritually correct, while also being emotionally moving.—Ezekiel 33:32; Matthew 24:45.

“Give Jehovah Glory”

“Róngyào” _Pīnyīn_ Plus info, Song 159 (music+_Pīnyīn_), on iPhone 13 mini (landscape orientation)

This week’s MEotW in the unofficial Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resource “Sing Out Joyfully” Bk. (Pīnyīn+Music, Pīnyīn Plus, Web)

This week’s MEotW, “róngyào (róng·yào glory; honour · {being bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [honour; glory]} → [glory; honour] | glorify · {to be bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [to be glorious]} → [glorify] | honourable; glorious · {bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [glorious]} → [honourable; glorious] 荣耀 榮耀)”, comes from the relatively new song 159, which is entitled “Give Jehovah Glory” in English and “Róngyào (Róng·yào Glory · {Being Shining → [Glory]} → [Glory] 荣耀 榮耀) Guīgěi (Guī·gěi {Give Back} · {to Be Given to} 归给 歸給) Yēhéhuá (Jehovah 耶和华 耶和華)” in Mandarin (WOL, Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus).

“Róngyào (Róng·yào glory; honour · {being bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [honour; glory]} → [glory; honour] | glorify · {to be bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [to be glorious]} → [glorify] | honourable; glorious · {bright; dazzling; brilliant; shining → [glorious]} → [honourable; glorious] 荣耀 榮耀)” is flexible regarding what part of speech it can be—it can mean “glory; honour”, “glorify”, or “honourable; glorious”. In the Mandarin field, what kinds of glory should we be mindful of? Whom should we seek to glorify? What kind of glory is truly glorious?

“Glory from Men” Who Glorify Worldly Human Chinese Culture

Some in the Mandarin field may focus on gaining knowledge of Chinese characters so as to obtain glory from certain humans. Ones who do this are taking a different approach from that of Jesus, who said at John 5:41–44:

I do not accept glory from men, but I well know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in the name of my Father, but you do not receive me. If someone else came in his own name, you would receive that one. How can you believe, when you are accepting glory from one another and you are not seeking the glory that is from the only God?

Why do some humans heap praise and glory on those who have acquired extensive knowledge of Chinese characters? For one thing, Chinese characters are famously extraordinarily hard to learn and remember (unnecessarily so, actually), and so there is the natural glory given to those who have been able to accomplish a hard thing. Also, though, Chinese characters are glamourized by many as distinctive symbols of worldly human Chinese culture, and many are proud of them, and proud of worldly human Chinese culture. This is a big reason why traditional Mandarin language instruction and traditional Mandarin language teachers in general focus on Chinese characters so much and encourage Mandarin learners to prioritize them.

It is only natural for a student of Mandarin to want to receive glory from his teacher and others like him. Unfortunately, though, experience has shown that going along with a traditional Mandarin language teacher’s focus on characters may lead to a Mandarin learner actually being diverted into a deep rabbit hole and hindered from actually learning how speak Mandarin well. While such ones may, after many years of intense effort, come to be able to recognize many Chinese characters, they may not be able to, say, glorify Jehovah while speaking powerfully and persuasively to Mandarin-speaking people, the way Jesus spoke to people. (Mark 1:22) That’s because this traditional focus on characters has all along been mainly meant, not to help Mandarin learners actually learn to speak Mandarin, but to perpetuate and glorify worldly human Chinese culture.

Glory for Worldly Chinese Political Systems

In this world, certain aspects of Chinese culture can unfortunately get politicized. For example, Simplified characters and Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) were created in mainland China, so some may promote these systems so as to glorify the political system of mainland China. On the other hand, Traditional characters and Zhùyīn (Zhù·yīn {Annotating of} · Sounds → [Zhuyin] 注音 註/注音) continued to be used in Taiwan after the mainland pivoted away from them, so some may promote these systems so as to glorify the political system of Taiwan. Even the Mandarin expression that people use to refer to the Mandarin language (Guóyǔ (Guó·yǔ National · Language → [(Modern Standard) Mandarin (term commonly used in Taiwan)] 国语 國語)/pǔtōnghuà (pǔ·tōng·huà common; universal · {through(out) → [common]} · speech → [(Modern Standard) Mandarin (term commonly used in China)] 普通话 普通話)/Huáyǔ (Huá·yǔ {Magnificent; Splendid; Flowery; Florescent → [Chinese]} · Language → [(Modern Standard) Mandarin (term commonly used in Singapore)] 华语 華語)/etc.) can be made to take on political connotations. Of course, as Jehovah’s politically neutral servants, we must avoid doing things just to glorify one human political system over another.

Another thing that we Mandarin field language learners must beware of is the erroneous idea that Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, etc. are just “dialects” of “Chinese”. This misconception has been widely spread as political propaganda, to bolster the idea that China should be united under one political system. So, if we parrot that erroneous view regarding so-called Chinese “dialects” that in reality function like distinct languages, then we are actually parroting political propaganda that is designed to glorify China’s central government regardless of any confusion or other negative effects that may result from such spreading of falsehood.

Glory for Jehovah

Rather than allowing ourselves to be used to glorify humans or things in this worldly human system, we can show that we seek to glorify Jehovah, the God of truth. (John 17:17; 4:23, 24) One way we can do so in the Chinese language fields is by rejecting the many untruths that have been spread about the Chinese languages. Also, we can do so by seeking to choose and use systems and methods based on what really works best to help us to praise and glorify Jehovah, not based on what serves to glorify ourselves or worldly humans, and not based on what serves to perpetuate and glorify worldly human cultures, traditions, and political systems.

As Jesus’ words above showed, Jehovah gives “the glory that is from the only God” to those who seek to give glory to him, rather than to mere humans. So, let us follow song 159’s simple but profound admonition, and give glory to Jehovah!