Tag: Enjoy Life Forever! Br./Bk.

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Culture Experiences Theocratic

rénwù shēngpíng

rénwù shēngpíng+ ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story]) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

The new format of the Enjoy Life Forever! book, which incorporates post-paper technologies like video, enables the inclusion of a type of content that past publications used for Bible studies could not include—life stories. For example, the video for Lesson 04, point 5 of the Enjoy Life Forever! book, entitled My Search for the True God, contains the life story of Soten Yoeun, who endured many hardships but eventually found the true God Jehovah.

In the Mandarin version of this video, the expression “rénwù shēngpíng ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story])” is used to correspond with the expression “life story” that is used in the English version of the video. (A Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus transcript for the Mandarin version of this video is available here.)

A Mandarin Personage

“Rénwù (Rén·wù person · thing → [character; personage; figure] 人物)”, which literally means “person thing”, can mean “character; personage; figure”. For example, “Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) rénwù (rén·wù person · thing → [character] 人物)” has been used to correspond with “Bible character”, that is, a person depicted in the Bible. For example, “A Letter From the Governing Body” in the Mandarin version of the Learn From the Bible book uses this expression in this way.

What, though, shall we make of “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)”? While “shēng ({give birth to}/{was given birth to}; {give life to} | grow | exist; live | {[is] living}; {[is] alive} | {[is] unripe} | {[is] raw}; {[is] uncooked} | {[is] unfamiliar}; {[is] strange} | {[is] unprocessed}; {[is] crude} | existence; life; living | {be afflicted with}; get; have | very; keenly; much | pupil; student; scholar | [n suf used in names of occupations] 生)” can mean many different things, here it obviously means “life”, that is, a life or lifetime. It’s less obvious, though, how “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” fits into this expression.

On the Level

The “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” in question literally means “[is] flat; level; even”. What, though, does that have to do with one’s rénwù shēngpíng ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story]), one’s life story?

Perhaps we can get some clues by considering how “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” is used in other expressions. For example, another expression that contains “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” is “tiānpíng+ (tiān·píng heaven’s · {(being) level} → [balance; scales (to weigh things)] 天平)”, which means a balance or a set of scales used to weigh things.

Yet another expression with “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” in it, that may help us understand how “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” functions in “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)”, is “shuǐpíng+ (shuǐ·píng water · {(being) level} → [standard; level; proficiency] 水平)”. This word is used to refer to a standard or level (of quality, achievement, etc.).

Considering the above examples, it seems that “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)” is used to mean the “level” achieved over the entire course of a life. From a negative point of view, this could involve passing judgment or competitively comparing achievements as if life were but a game. However, from a more positive and charitable point of view, considering one’s “shēngpíng (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [[one’s] whole life] 生平)” could involve recognition of what one was able to accomplish over the course of one’s life.

(By the way, it may also be worth noting that the “píng ({[being] flat, level, even} [→ [[being] peaceful; calm | peace | [being] equal; fair; just | standard; level]] | {make [to be] flat, level, even} [→ [make peace; pacify; calm down]] 平)” in “rénwù shēngpíng ((rén·wù person · thing → [personage] 人物) (shēng·píng life · {(being) level} → [whole life] 生平) → [life story])” is also used in “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)” and in “hépíng (hé·píng {[is/being] (together) with (one another)} · {[is/being] flat, level, even} → [peace | [is] peaceful | peacefully (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict)] 和平)”. These expressions were discussed in the MEotW post on “hémù ({[is] harmonious} 和睦)”.)

For convenience:

The direct link for the current generation 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
Current Events Theocratic

kèchéng

kèchéng+ (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course; curriculum] 课程 課程) ← 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 + Symbols re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

As covered in the recent MEotW post on “āijiā‐āihù+ ((āi·jiā {one after another} · households 挨家)‐(āi·hù {one after another} · doors 挨户 挨戶) → [door[-/ ]to[-/ ]door; house[-/ ]to[-/ ]house])”, on September 1, we Jehovah’s Witnesses resumed house-to-house preaching. It is appropriate, then, that as of this writing, jw.org is featuring the article “What Is the Bible Study Course Offered by Jehovah’s Witnesses?”. The Mandarin version of this article makes use of the expression “kèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course; curriculum] 课程 課程)”, perhaps preceded by “Shèngjīng+ (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經)”, to correspond with the English expressions “Bible study course”, “Bible study program”, “Bible study”, “study”, “course”, “Bible course”, “Bible lessons” (from the title of the referenced Enjoy Life Forever!—Introductory Bible Lessons brochure), “study course”, “Bible study lessons”, and “lessons”.

Interestingly, “[Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經)] yánjiū (yán·jiū {grinding → [studying]} · {studying carefully} → [study] 研究)”, an expression that has long been used in the past to mean “[Bible] study”, does not appear at all in the above-mentioned article.

Related Expressions

The “kè+ (subject; course; class | lesson 课 課)” in “kèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course; curriculum] 课程 課程)” may be familiar to those who have used the Mandarin versions of publications like the Good News brochure and the Enjoy Life Forever! brochure/book, since that is the Mandarin word used to correspond with the English word “lesson”. For example, “Lesson 10” is “Dì‐10 ((Dì [pref to form ordinal numbers] 第)‐(Shí Ten 10) → [10th]) Kè+ (Lesson 课 課)”.

Besides “kèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course; curriculum] 课程 課程)”, another word that “kè (subject; course; class | lesson 课 課)” appears in is “kèběn+ (kè·běn {course | lessons} · {root or stem → [mw for books, etc.]} → [textbook; coursebook] 课本 課本)”, which the above-mentioned article uses in reference to the Enjoy Life Forever! book that is now officially recommended for use on Bible studies. (Interestingly, the English version of the article does not use the word “textbook”, which is the main dictionary definition for “kèběn (kè·běn {course | lessons} · {root or stem → [mw for books, etc.]} → [textbook; coursebook] 课本 課本)”. It does, though, refer to the Enjoy Life Forever! book as an “interactive Bible course”. So, “coursebook” may be a better match for “kèběn (kè·běn {course | lessons} · {root or stem → [mw for books, etc.]} → [textbook; coursebook] 课本 課本)” in this case.)

As for the second morpheme in “kèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course; curriculum] 课程 課程)”, it is also used, perhaps unexpectedly, in “gōngchéng+ (gōng·chéng work · {procedure → [journey]} → [engineering | [engineering/work] project] 工程)” and in “gōngchéngshī+ (gōng·chéng·shī {work · {procedures → [journeys]} → [engineering]} · {master → [skilled person; expert; specialist]} → [engineer] 工程师 工程師)”.

Usage Examples

Here are a couple of examples of “kèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course; curriculum] 课程 課程)” in use, taken from the above-mentioned article:

English:

Our Bible study program can help you to:

  • Have a happy life
  • Become God’s friend
  • Learn what the Bible promises for the future

Mandarin:

📖 📄 ➕ Wǒmen de ((Wǒ·men us · [pl] 我们 我們) (de ’s 的) → [our]) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) kèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course] 课程 課程) kěyǐ (kě·yǐ can · [suf] 可以) bāngzhù (help 帮助 幫助) nǐ (you 你):

  • 📖 📄 ➕ Guò ({to pass} 过 過) kuàilè (happy 快乐 快樂) de (’s 的) shēnghuó (shēng·huó life · living 生活)

  • 📖 📄 ➕ Gēn (with 跟) Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · {Emperor → [God]} → [God] 上帝) jiànlì (jiàn·lì {to build} · {to make to stand} → [to establish] 建立) yǒuyì+ (yǒu·yì friendly · friendship → [friendship] 友谊 友誼)

  • 📖 📄 ➕ Liǎojiě+ (Liǎo·jiě {to understand} · {to untie → [to solve]} → [to understand] 了解 了/瞭解) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) gěi (gives 给 給) rén (people 人) de (’s 的) xīwàng (xī·wàng hoping · {gazing (into the distance) → [hoping]} → [hope] 希望)

English:

These interactive lessons answer some of life’s most important questions.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 ➕ Zhèige (Zhèi·ge this · [mw] 这个 這個) hùdòng+ (hù·dòng {each other} · moving → [interactive] 互动 互動) shì (type 式) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) kèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · procedure → [course] 课程 課程) huì (will 会 會) huídá (huí·dá {circle back} · {to answer} 回答) yìxiē (yì·xiē one · {indefinite number of} → [some] 一些) zhòngyào (zhòng·yào weighty · important 重要) wèntí (wèn·tí asking · subjects → [questions] 问题 問題).

For convenience:

The direct link for the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)+ resource for the Enjoy Life Forever! brochure is:

The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Enjoy Life Forever! brochure is:

Categories
Culture Language Learning Theocratic

fùlù

fùlù+ (fù·lù appended · record → [appendix; endnotes] 附录 附錄) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

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. In this book, the Mandarin word “fùlù (fù·lù appended · record → [appendix; endnotes] 附录 附錄)”, this week’s MEotW, is used to translate the English word “endnotes”. In other official publications, such as the Biànmíng Shèngjīng de Zhēnlǐ ((Biàn·míng Differentiating · {to Be Clear} 辨明) (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) (de ’s 的) (Zhēn·lǐ True · Reasoning → [Truth] 真理) → [What Does the Bible Really Teach? (bh)]) (Bible Teach (bh)) book, “fùlù (fù·lù appended · record → [appendix; endnotes] 附录 附錄)” has been used to translate the English word “appendix”.

“Added” Meanings

The “fù (add; attach; enclose; append 附 附/坿)” in “fùlù (fù·lù appended · record → [appendix; endnotes] 附录 附錄)” can mean “add”, “attach”, “enclose”, or “append”. With such a set of meanings, it’s not surprising that “fù (add; attach; enclose; append 附 附/坿)” also occurs in many other Mandarin expressions, such as the following:

  • fùjìn+ (fù·jìn {[is] attached → [[is] nearby]} · {[is] near} [(area) → [vicinity]] 附近)
  • fùlán+ (fù·lán attached · {bounded area → [box]} 附栏 附欄)
  • fùshēn+ (fù·shēn {attached to} · body → [possessed] 附身)

Attachment for Advancement

One interesting use of “fù (add; attach; enclose; append 附 附/坿)” is in the chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(sth. that) has become} · saying → [set phrase (typically of 4 characters)] 成语 成語) (type of Chinese idiom) “pānlóng‐fùjì ((pān·lóng {hang on to} · dragon 攀龙 攀龍)‐(fù·jì {attach to} · {thoroughbred horse} 附骥 附驥) → [ride on the coattails of a brilliant master; follow the lead of a great man; attach oneself to a celebrity; bask in reflected glory])”, which literally means “hang on to dragon, attach to thoroughbred horse”, and which can have effective meanings such as “ride on the coattails of a brilliant master; follow the lead of a great man; attach oneself to a celebrity; bask in reflected glory”.

A similar but slightly different chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(sth. that) has become} · saying → [set phrase (typically of 4 characters)] 成语 成語) is “pānlóng‐fùfèng ((pān·lóng {hang on to} · dragon 攀龙 攀龍)‐(fù·fèng {attach to} · phoenix 附凤 附鳳) → [curry favour with powerful and influential people])”, which literally means “hang on to dragon, attach to phoenix”, and which effectively means “curry favour with powerful and influential people”.

One of the things that the meanings of the above chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters)] 成语 成語) make me think of is that while many in the Mandarin field put a lot of time and effort into learning Chinese characters because of sincerely believing that doing so may help them to praise Jehovah and help people more effectively in this Chinese language field, it may be the case that some do so because of wanting to bask in the exotic glory of Chinese characters and their exalted place in worldly Chinese culture.

This glorification of the characters writing system is actually in contrast to the basic principle of modern linguistics that speech is primary and writing is secondary. Also, the Bible itself emphasizes the primary importance in our spiritual preaching and teaching work of understandable speech, which experience has shown can get neglected by those who focus on learning the extraordinarily complex Chinese characters.—1 Corinthians 14:8–11.

“Phoenix” and Christians

Going back to the literal meanings of the above chéngyǔ (chéng·yǔ {(things that) have become} · sayings → [set phrases (typically of 4 characters)] 成语 成語), note that while it’s relatively well known that “dragon” occurs in the Bible, “Phoenix” only seems to occur in the Bible as the name of a “harbor of Crete”. (Revelation 12:9; Acts 27:12) It is well known, though, that the phoenix is associated with worldly mythologies, such as Egyptian mythology. In the Mandarin field, we of course need to be aware that the phoenix features in Chinese mythology. So, a Christian may not want to personally use an expression that refers to the mythological phoenix. However, it may still be beneficial to at least be familiar with expressions like the one above.

Speaking of phoenixes, I am reminded of a Taiwanese sister I know who regretted that her unbelieving parents had made “Fèng (Phoenix 凤 鳳)”, the word for “phoenix”, part of her name. How unfortunate! At least we can probably look forward to getting new names in the new system, especially in cases like hers, as we transition to speaking and writing in the new world way and leave behind old world systems like Chinese characters.

For convenience:

The direct link for the current generation 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.