Tag: Creation

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shēngjī‐bóbó

shēngjī+ (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó+ (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃) 👈🏼 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 + Symbols re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

The Shēngmìng Láizì Chuàngzào Ma? ((Shēngmìng Life 生命) (Lái·zì Came · From 来自 來自) (Chuàng·zào Initiating · {Making, Creating} → [Creating] 创造 創造) (Ma [? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)? → [Was Life Created? (lc)]) (Was Life Created? (lc)) brochure and the Shēngmìng de Qǐyuán—Zhíde Sīkǎo de Wǔ Ge Wèntí ((Shēngmìng Life 生命) (de ’s 的) (Qǐ·yuán {Rising → [Starting]} · Source → [Origin] 起源/原)—(Zhí·de Worth · Getting → [Worth] 值得) (Sī·kǎo {Thinking About} · Examining 思考) (de ’s 的) (Wǔ Five 五) (Ge [mw] 个 個/个) (Wèn·tí Asking · Subjects → [Questions] 问题 問題) → [The Origin of Life—Five Questions Worth Asking (lf)]) (The Origin of Life—Five Questions Worth Asking (lf)) brochure were originally published back in 2010, but relatively recently, the English version of the Was Life Created? brochure was updated to the December 2022 Printing, and the Mandarin version of it was updated to the February 2023 Printing. Also, the Was Life Created? brochure and the Origin of Life brochure are now in the Teaching Toolbox section in the JW Library app. So, it would be good to consider some of the expressions used in the Mandarin versions of these publications that can be so helpful when discussing whether life was created.

“Living”

This week’s MEotW, which appears in the title of one of the sections of the Mandarin Was Life Created? brochure, is “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)”:

English:

The Living Planet

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

📖 📄 ➕ Shēngjī+ (Shēng·jī Life · {Mechanism → [Being Organic]} → [Life] 生机 生機)‐Bóbó (Bó·bó Flourishing · Flourishing 勃勃) de (’s 的) Dìqiú (Dì·qiú Earth · Globe 地球)

As can be seen from the above quotes, the Mandarin Was Life Created? brochure uses “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)” to effectively mean “living”. Considering the morphemes in it, this expression could also be translated as “brimming with life”, or something similar.

Mechanisms, Organisms, and Crises

The “jī ({machine; mechanism [→ [airplane; aircraft | being organic]]} | {incipient moment; crucial point} | chance; opportunity; occasion | intention; idea 机 機/机)” in “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)” is a particularly polysemous morpheme, meaning that it has many possible related meanings. For example, it can literally mean “mechanism”, and it can effectively mean “organic”. This seems to indicate that worldly Chinese culture recognizes that living things contain what are effectively mechanisms. Indeed, scientists (and Jehovah’s organization) speak of the molecular machines inside living cells.

A computer-animated visualization of how tiny molecular machines inside our cells copy DNA

The “jī ({machine; mechanism [→ [airplane; aircraft | being organic]]} | {incipient moment; crucial point} | chance; opportunity; occasion | intention; idea 机 機/机)” in “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)” also appears in the Mandarin expression for “crisis”, “wēijī (wēi·jī {ridge of a roof → [dangerous | endangering]} · {incipient moment; crucial point | occasion} | {(for) ridge of a roof → [(for) danger]} · occasion; opportunity → [crisis] 危机 危機)”, which some have misconstrued as meaning that there is positive opportunity in danger. For more information about that, check out the MEotW post discussing that expression.

Reduplications and Idioms

The latter half of “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)” is an example of reduplication, which is quite common in Mandarin. Another expression which features reduplication is past MEotW “rénxīn (rén·xīn people’s · hearts → [popular/public feeling] 人心)‐huánghuáng (huáng·huáng {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} · {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} 惶惶)”, which has a similar structure to that of “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)”.

Speaking of structure, the MEotW post on “rénxīn (rén·xīn people’s · hearts → [popular/public feeling] 人心)‐huánghuáng (huáng·huáng {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} · {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} 惶惶)” said the following about whether expressions like “rénxīn (rén·xīn people’s · hearts → [popular/public feeling] 人心)‐huánghuáng (huáng·huáng {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} · {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} 惶惶)” and “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)” qualify as chéngyǔ+ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters)] 成语 成語):

Considering its structure, we can say that “rénxīn (rén·xīn people’s · hearts → [popular/public feeling] 人心)‐huánghuáng (huáng·huáng {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} · {being afraid; fearful; scared; frightened [→ [being anxious; uneasy; nervous]]} 惶惶)” is an idiom. However, it does not seem to be a chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(sth. that) has become} · saying → [set phrase (typically of 4 characters); idiom] 成语 成語). This excerpt from the MEotW post on “chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(sth. that) has become} · saying → [set phrase (typically of 4 characters); idiom] 成语 成語)” discusses the difference:

So, it appears that while chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters); idioms] 成语 成語) can be called idioms in English, not all Chinese idioms are chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters); idioms] 成语 成語). It seems that “chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters); idioms] 成语 成語)” specifically refers to Chinese idioms that originated in Classical Chinese, or Literary Chinese. This writing style has largely been replaced by written vernacular Chinese, which has been the standard style of writing for Modern Standard Mandarin for about a century now.

Since they originated in Classical Chinese, which hasn’t been current for about a century, chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters); idioms] 成语 成語) often cannot be fully understood by modern speakers and readers of Mandarin, since knowledge about the source material for chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters); idioms] 成语 成語) has naturally been fading with the passing of time.

Lots and Lots of Life

Whether or not “shēngjī (shēng·jī life · {mechanism → [being organic]} → [life] 生机 生機)‐bóbó (bó·bó flourishing; thriving; vigorous · flourishing; thriving; vigorous 勃勃)” is a chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(sth. that) has become} · saying → [set phrase (typically of 4 characters); idiom] 成语 成語), it’s certainly appropriate for describing an earth that is well-suited for, and that is filled with, a huge variety of exquisitely designed living things. It is fitting that the Was Life Created? brochure quotes Psalm 104:24 in this regard:

How many your works are, O Jehovah!
You have made all of them in wisdom.
The earth is full of what you have made.

For convenience:

The direct link for the current-generation Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resource for the Was Life Created? brochure is:

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

Categories
Culture Current Events Names Science Theocratic

Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán

Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán+ ((Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabian] 天方)‐(Yè Night 夜 夜/亱)‐(Tán Chats 谭 譚) → [Arabian Nights; One Thousand and One Nights]) 👈🏼 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 + Symbols re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

Recently, the No. 1 2025 issue of The Watchtower, entitled “An End to War—How?”, became available on jw.org. This week’s MEotW, “Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán ((Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabian] 天方)‐(Yè Night 夜 夜/亱)‐(Tán Chats 谭 譚) → [Arabian Nights; One Thousand and One Nights])”, appears in the first paragraph of the introduction of the Mandarin version of this issue:

English:

Do you long to live in a world without war or violent conflict? For many, that idea sounds appealing but unrealistic.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 ➕ Nǐ (you 你) shì (are 是) bu (not 不) shì (are 是) hěn ({very much} 很) xiǎng (wanting 想) shēnghuó ({to live} 生活) zài (in 在) yí (one 一) ge ([mw] 个 個/个) méiyǒu (méi·yǒu not · having 没有 沒有) zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng war · contending → [war] 战争 戰爭) de (’s 的) shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent → [world] 世界) li (inside 里 裡/裏) ne ([? ptcl] 呢)? Duì (towards → [to] 对 對) hěn (very 很) duō (many 多) rén (people 人) lái (coming 来 來) shuō ({to be saying} 说 說/説), zhè (this 这 這) jiǎnzhí+ (jiǎn·zhí {being simple} · {being straight} → [simply] 简直 簡直) shì (is 是) Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán+ ((Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabian] 天方)‐(Yè Night 夜 夜/亱)‐(Tán Chats 谭 譚) → [Arabian Nights; One Thousand and One Nights]).

The Tale of the Morphemes

In “Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán ((Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabian] 天方)‐(Yè Night 夜 夜/亱)‐(Tán Chats 谭 譚) → [Arabian Nights; One Thousand and One Nights])”, “Tiānfāng (Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabia | Arabian] 天方)”, meaning “Heaven’s Region”, is a Mandarin expression used to refer to “Arabia” or “Arabian”. “Yè (night; evening 夜 夜/亱)” here means “Night”, and “Tán ({talk; speak; converse; chat; discuss [about]} 谭 譚)” here means “Chats”.

When these morphemes are put together in “Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán ((Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabian] 天方)‐(Yè Night 夜 夜/亱)‐(Tán Chats 谭 譚) → [Arabian Nights; One Thousand and One Nights])”, they on one level of literalness mean “Arabian Night Chats”, and they are used to refer to the collection of Middle Eastern folktales known in English as Arabian Nights, or One Thousand and One Nights.

In the context of the above quote from the Mandarin version of The Watchtower, saying that the idea of a world without war “jiǎnzhí+ (jiǎn·zhí {being simple} · {being straight} → [simply] 简直 簡直) shì (is 是) Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán ((Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabian] 天方)‐(Yè Night 夜 夜/亱)‐(Tán Chats 谭 譚) → [Arabian Nights; One Thousand and One Nights])” is kind of like saying in English that this idea is “just a fairy tale”.

Just a Fairy Tale?

Considering mankind’s ongoing failure to bring about a world without war, it may indeed seem reasonable to doubt how realistic such an idea is. However, the paragraph of The Watchtower quoted above goes on to say:

English:

The Bible reveals why mankind’s efforts to end war have failed. It also explains how you can be sure that worldwide peace is possible and will soon become a reality.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 ➕ Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) gàosu (tells 告诉 告訴) wǒmen (wǒ·men us · [pl] 我们 我們), wèi‐shénme ((wèi for 为 為)‐(shén·me what · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼) → [why]) rén (humans 人) bù (not 不) kěnéng ({are able} 可能) kào ({to lean on} → [to rely on] 靠) zìjǐ (selves 自己) de (’ 的) lìliang (lì·liang strength · quantity 力量) ràng ({to make} 让 讓) shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent → [world] 世界) hépíng (hé·píng {be (together) with (one another)} · {be flat, level, even} → [be peaceful (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict)] 和平). Búguò (Bú·guò not · {do pass} → [however] 不过 不過) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) yě (also 也) shuō (says 说 說/説), tiānxià+ (tiān·xià heaven · under → [the whole world] 天下) yídìng (yí·dìng {(with) one} · {setting fixedly} → [definitely] 一定) huì (will 会 會) tàipíng (tài·píng supremely · {be flat, level, even → [be peaceful]} 太平), érqiě (ér·qiě and · moreover 而且) zhè (this 这 這) yi (one 一) tiān (sky → [day] 天) yǐjing (yǐ·jing already · {has gone through} 已经 已經) lí ({being apart from} 离 離/离) wǒmen (wǒ·men us · [pl] 我们 我們) bù (not 不) yuǎn (far 远 遠) le ([(at the end of a phrase/sentence) indicates a change] 了)!

So, let us take advantage of whatever opportunities we have to make good use of the above-mentioned issue of The Watchtower (and its Mandarin version’s available Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)) in the Mandarin field. Let us do what we can to help Mandarin-speaking sheeplike ones to know that despite the wars now raging in Ukraine and elsewhere, and despite the conflicts threatening to break out, including a possible conflict between China and the USA over Taiwan, “tiānxià+ (tiān·xià heaven · under → [the whole world] 天下) (a past MEotW) yídìng (yí·dìng {(with) one} · {setting fixedly} → [definitely] 一定) huì (will 会 會) tàipíng (tài·píng supremely · {be flat, level, even → [be peaceful]} 太平)”—there will definitely be worldwide peace—because of what Jehovah God, our loving Almighty Creator, will accomplish through his own very real Kingdom government.

Evidently an Actual Fairy Tale

In contrast to what the above-mentioned issue of The Watchtower says about the realistic hope of seeing God’s Kingdom make the earth into a peaceful paradise, I recently came across an interesting article entitled “Statistically Speaking, We Should Have Heard from Aliens by Now”, which says:

The paper presents a model to explore the Fermi Paradox and assess the value of SETI in the search for intelligent life. Despite its limitations, the model suggests that the absence of detected electromagnetic signals from alien civilizations can place limits on how many such civilizations exist. Under certain assumptions, the model predicts a 99% chance of detecting at least one signal if the estimated number of civilizations (based on the Drake equation) is around 1.

[For reference, here are the links to the Wikipedia articles regarding some of the terms mentioned above: Fermi paradox; SETI; Drake equation.]

So, while some people these days hope to make contact with space aliens who could maybe help us solve our problems, it seems that scientific evidence is starting to accumulate that shows that such a hope actually is just Tiānfāng‐Yè‐Tán ((Tiān·fāng Heaven’s · {Direction → [Region]} → [Arabian] 天方)‐(Yè Night 夜 夜/亱)‐(Tán Chats 谭 譚) → [Arabian Nights; One Thousand and One Nights]), like a story out of Arabian Nights.

Rather than looking to space aliens out of science fiction, how much better it would be for people, including those in the Mandarin field, to look to the true God Jehovah, the Extraterrestrial Superintelligence who, as shown by much evidence, created us and has already made contact with us through his Word the Bible and his organization!

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 + Symbols 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.