Tag: Chinese Characters

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Culture Language Learning Theocratic

rènmìng

rènmìng (rèn·mìng appoint · assign 任命) ← 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.

The Curious Case of “膏”

Sometimes, some words just gradually get used less and less, and people turn to using other words instead. Appendix A2 of the English New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition) gives these examples of English words that have fallen out of fashion so much that they may no longer be correctly or easily understood by modern readers, and the words that the English NWT Bible now uses instead of them:

The now obsolete meaning of “dumb” was replaced with “speechless.” (Matthew 9:32, 33) The term “harlot” was changed to “prostitute.” (Genesis 38:15) In this revision, “fornication” is usually rendered as “sexual immorality”; “loose conduct” as “brazen conduct”; and “revelries” as “wild parties.”

One example of a word used in the previous major revision of the Mandarin NWT Bible that may no longer be correctly or easily understood by modern readers is “gào ({apply liquid, ointment, etc.}; moisten; grease; lubricate [→ [dip a brush in ink]] 膏)”, which is a verb, and which is pronounced with the fourth tone. When modern readers see the character “膏”, they probably think of “gāo (fat; grease; oil [→ [paste; cream; ointment; plaster | fertile; rich]] 膏)”, which is pronounced with the first tone, and which is usually a noun that is still in common use.

(This confusion is so pervasive that even the official Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) version of Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) incorrectly shows the first tone pronunciation of “膏” (gāo) when discussing its verb form, which is actually pronounced with the fourth tone (gào). While many more of the official publications are available in official Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) versions than before—unquestionably a good thing—it seems that it has been difficult to avoid occasional lapses in quality in the greater quantity of Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) now being made available.)

By the way, the same character “膏” having different pronunciations and different attached meanings in different contexts is an example showing us that characters are actually not the ultimate clarifiers of meaning in Chinese writing. Rather, the context is what clarifies for us how a character like “膏” should be pronounced and understood when we see it in a sentence, paragraph, etc. And in the case of the Hànzì (Hàn·zì {Han (Chinese)} · Character 汉字 漢字) (character) “膏”, with its multiple possible pronunciations and meanings, seeing the spoken Mandarin word it represents written in Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) as either “gāo (fat; grease; oil [→ [paste; cream; ointment; plaster | fertile; rich]] 膏)” or “gào ({apply liquid, ointment, etc.}; moisten; grease; lubricate [→ [dip a brush in ink]] 膏)” is actually less confusing and more clear re pronunciation and meaning than seeing that spoken word written in Hànzì (Hàn·zì {Han (Chinese)} · Character 汉字 漢字) form, even if one has indeed learned and can remember that complex character.

With the above in mind, note that instead of “gàolì (gào·lì {apply liquid, etc. → [anoint]} · {make to stand → [appoint]} (nwt-CHS Appx. A2 notes change from “gàolì” to “rènmìng”) 膏立)” and “shòugào (shòu·gào received · {applying (of liquid, etc.)} → [anointed (nwt-CHS Appx. A2 notes change from “shòugào” to “shòu rènmìng”)] 受膏)”, the current version of the Mandarin NWT Bible now uses “rènmìng (rèn·mìng appoint · assign 任命)” (this week’s MEotW) and “shòu (received 受) rènmìng (rèn·mìng appointing · assigning 任命)” instead.—Sāmǔ’ěrjì Shàng ((Sāmǔ’ěr·jì Samuel · Record 撒母耳记 撒母耳記) (Shàng Upper 上) → [1 Samuel]) 10:1; Sājiālìyàshū (Sājiālìyà·shū Zechariah · Book 撒迦利亚书 撒迦利亞書) 4:14.

“Anointed Christian”

Speaking of “shòugào (shòu·gào received · {applying (of liquid, etc.)} → [anointed (nwt-CHS Appx. A2 notes change from “shòugào” to “shòu rènmìng”)] 受膏)”, before, the English expression “anointed Christian” was translated by the organization into Mandarin as “shòugào (shòu·gào received · {applying (of liquid, etc.)} → [anointed (nwt-CHS Appx. A2 notes change from “shòugào” to “shòu rènmìng”)] 受膏) de (’s 的) Jīdūtú (Jī·dū·tú {Foundation · {Directing (Person)} → [Christ]} · Follower → [Christian] 基督徒)”. However, as indicated above, going forward the organization has decided to use “shòu (received 受) rènmìng (rèn·mìng appointing · assigning 任命)” instead of “shòugào (shòu·gào received · {applying (of liquid, etc.)} → [anointed (nwt-CHS Appx. A2 notes change from “shòugào” to “shòu rènmìng”)] 受膏)”. This seems to indeed apply to how “anointed Christian” is to be translated into Mandarin. For example, the Mandarin version of the January 2020 Watchtower (Study Edition) here uses “bèi ([passive signifier] → [got] 被) rènmìng (rèn·mìng appointed · assigned 任命) de (’s 的) Jīdūtú (Jī·dū·tú {Foundation · {Directing (Person)} → [Christ]} · Follower → [Christian] 基督徒)” to translate “anointed Christian”. (The meanings of “shòu (received 受)” and “bèi ([passive signifier] → [got] 被)” are practically the same.)

Alternately, note that the Mandarin version (2021) of the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY Glossary entry for “Israel” translates “anointed Christians” as “shòu (received 受) hūzhào (hū·zhào {breathing out → [calling]} · summoning 呼召) dào ({to arrive at} 到) tiānshang (tiān·shang heaven · upon 天上) qù ({to go} 去) de (’s 的) Jīdūtú (Jī·dū·tú {Foundation · {Directing (Person)} → [Christ]} · Followers → [Christians] 基督徒)”.

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Culture History Language Learning Technology

zhǐnán‐zhēn

zhǐnán‐zhēn ((zhǐ·nán {(points with) finger → [points]} · south 指南)‐(zhēn needle 针 針) → [compass]) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

Jehovah’s organization has pointed out that it is significant that the Psalms rhyme in meaning, whether or not the words rhyme in sound.

The July 15, 1979 issue of The Watchtower expresses it this way:

THE book of Psalms constituted the book of poetry and song of the ancient Hebrew nation. …The poetry was not based on the rhyming of words, nor altogether on meter. Often, there is parallelism in thought, sometimes synonymous, sometimes contrasting. This enables the mind and the spirit of the reader to follow the thought smoothly so that much better understanding and motivation result.

Similarly, while many Westerners especially may be fascinated by the Chinese characters usually used to write Mandarin words, characters are ultimately merely superficial visual representations, as are idols used in idol worship. A much more truly meaningful (pun totally intended) benefit to Westerners of learning Mandarin words involves learning about the meanings of those Mandarin words, and how they reveal the contrastingly different ways that Chinese people have thought about things. As 2 Corinthians 4:18 says:

while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.

One classic example of the contrastingly different ways that Chinese people have thought about things is this week’s MEotW, “zhǐnán‐zhēn ((zhǐ·nán {(points with) finger → [points]} · south 指南)‐(zhēn needle 针 針) → [compass])”. While Westerners think of a compass as having a needle that points north, the literal meaning of the Mandarin word “zhǐnán‐zhēn ((zhǐ·nán {(points with) finger → [points]} · south 指南)‐(zhēn needle 针 針) → [compass])” is “points south needle”. Did the Chinese get it wrong? Are Westerners wrong? Neither! The fact is that as one end of a compass needle points north, the other end simultaneously points south. So, in this case, Westerners and Chinese people are both right—they’re just looking at the same thing from different points of view.

Sometimes, considering a different point of view, a different perspective, can help give one the mental—or even emotional—leverage needed to make a leap of progress that one would not otherwise make, if one was limited to one way of looking at things.

The fact that different languages come from different cultures, with their different perspectives and ways of thinking, is also why there is truth in the quote from Charlemagne that “to have another language is to possess a second soul.” (Of course, we know that by “soul” he meant what is described in the Insight on the Scriptures book entry for “Spirit”, under the subheading “Impelling Mental Inclination”.)

A Great Invention

Speaking of the compass, it’s also noteworthy that the compass is one of what are called the Four Great Inventions (Sì (Four 四) Dà (Big → [Great] 大) Fāmíng (Fā·míng {Sendings Out → [Bringings into Existence]} · {to Be Distinct} → [Inventions] 发明 發明)) from ancient China.

Chinese compass held at Queensland Museum c. 1938
Chinese compass held at Queensland Museum c. 1938
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As the Wikipedia article on the compass summarizes for us:

Among the Four Great Inventions, the magnetic compass was first invented as a device for divination as early as the Chinese Han Dynasty (since c. 206 BC),[source][source] and later adopted for navigation by the Song Dynasty Chinese during the 11th century.[source][source][source] The first usage of a compass recorded in Western Europe and the Islamic world occurred around 1190.[source][source]

So, maybe the Chinese actually got first dibs on getting to say which way a compass needle points, for whatever that’s worth, considering that a compass needle simultaneously points in two opposite directions. 😄

But Wait, There’s More!

In addition to the weirdness about a compass needle pointing both north and south simultaneously, I found the below weirdness summarized in the Wikipedia article on the North Magnetic Pole:

All magnets have two poles, where the lines of magnetic flux enter and emerge. By analogy with Earth’s magnetic field, these are called the magnet’s “north” and “south” poles. The convention in early compasses was to call the end of the needle pointing to Earth’s North Magnetic Pole the “north pole” (or “north-seeking pole”) and the other end the “south pole” (the names are often abbreviated to “N” and “S”). Because opposite poles attract, this definition means that Earth’s North Magnetic Pole is actually a magnetic south pole and Earth’s South Magnetic Pole is a magnetic north pole.[source][source]

Categories
Culture Language Learning Theocratic

fǎlǜ

fǎlǜ (law 法律) ← 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 (nwt) 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.

Legal Reversals

One relatively simple type of change that we should be aware of is that the ordering of the morphemes in some of the words used in previous versions of the Mandarin NWT Bible has become reversed in more modern usage.

Morphemes are the smallest units of language sound with meaning. Morphemes sometimes are words on their own, but not always. For example, “cat” is both a morpheme and a word. However, while the “s” at the end of “cats” is a morpheme (meaning that we are now talking about more than one cat), it is not a word on its own.

Regarding Mandarin morphemes, the introductions of Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resources point out the following:

In Mandarin, morphemes usually correspond with syllables, but some syllables are sound-only (without meaning) and thus not morphemes, and some morphemes have more than one syllable.

One example of a word that has had its morpheme order reversed in the current revision of the Mandarin NWT Bible is “lǜfǎ (law 律法)”. Now, “fǎlǜ (law 法律)”, this week’s MEotW, is often used instead.—Chū’āijíjì (Chū’·āijí·jì {Going Out from} · Egypt · Record → [Exodus] 出埃及记 出埃及記) 12:49.

As used in both “lǜfǎ (law 律法)” and “fǎlǜ (law 法律)”, “fǎ (law | method; way; mode | standard; model | {magic arts} | {follow; model after} 法)” and “lǜ (law; statute; rule; regulation 律)” both mean “law”, and whichever one is put first, together they also mean “law”. (By the way, when it’s capitalized, “Fǎ (France | French 法)” can mean “France” or “French”. This particular Mandarin morpheme was undoubtedly chosen for this meaning because its pronunciation starts with the sound of an “f”, like “France” does.)

But, Why?

If “lǜfǎ (law 律法)” and “fǎlǜ (law 法律)” both mean basically the same thing, why did the world’s Mandarin-speaking population bother to switch the order of “lǜ (law; statute; rule; regulation 律)” and “fǎ (law | method; way; mode | standard; model | {magic arts} | {follow; model after} 法)” in popular usage? Who knows? Appendix A2 of the Mandarin NWT Bible, probably wisely, does not get into the why of it, just mentioning that “fǎlǜ (law 法律)” is now the more common usage. Even if it turns out that there was a reason, it may not be what most would consider a good reason. Sometimes people are just weird, and, speaking as a Chinese person myself, that includes Chinese people—just look at some of the arbitrary ways in which Chinese characters have been designed, that have turned trying to figure out the pronunciations and meanings of unfamiliar Chinese characters into a guessing game.

Speaking of what’s commonplace or popular and why, I am reminded of this quote from William Goldman, who wrote the screenplay for The Princess Bride as well as the screenplays for several other successful, well-known movies:

Nobody knows anything…Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work. Every time out it’s a guess

Speaking of The Princess Bride, that movie is a treasure trove of quotable quotes, including this one that serves as a precautionary admonition to us Mandarin language-learners:

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.