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shìjiè hépíng

shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent → [world] 世界)
hépíng (hé·píng {being (together) with (one another)} · {being flat, level, even} → [peace (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict)] 和平) 👈🏼 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 was featuring the No. 1 2026 issue of The Watchtower, the theme of which is “Is World Peace Possible?”. By comparing the English version of this issue with the Mandarin version, we can see that the organization is using this week’s MEotW, “shìjiè (shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent → [world] 世界) hépíng (hé·píng {being (together) with (one another)} · {being flat, level, even} → [peace (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict)] 和平)”, to translate the English expression “world peace” into Mandarin:

English:

Is World Peace Possible?

World peace is possible. In fact, it is a certainty—but not in the way you might expect.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Shìjiè (Shì·jiè {Generation → [World]} · Extent → [World] 世界) Hépíng (Hé·píng {Being (Together) with (One Another)} · {Being Flat, Level, Even} → [Peace (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict)] 和平) Zhǐshì (Zhǐ·shì Only · Is 只是) Mèng ({a Dream} 梦 夢) Ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)?

📖 📄 📘 Shìjiè (Shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent → [the world] 世界) yídìng (yí·dìng {(with) one} · {setting fixedly} → [definitely] 一定) huì (will 会 會) 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), dàn (but 但) shíxiàn (shí·xiàn (it) {solidly → [really]} · {will appear} → [(it) will come true] 实现 實現) de (’s 的) fāngshì (fāng·shì direction · style → [way] 方式) yěxǔ (yě·xǔ {on the whole} · maybe 也许 也許) shì ({will be} 是) nǐ (you 你) xiǎng‐budào ((xiǎng {thinking of} 想)‐(bu·dào not · {are arriving at} 不到) → [are not expecting]) de ({’s (way)} 的)!

A Specific Kind of Peace

“Shìjiè (Shì·jiè {generation → [world]} · extent → [world] 世界)” effectively means “world”, and as Appendix A2 of the Mandarin New World Translation Bible tells us, “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)” mainly refers to a specific kind of peace: the absence of war or conflict. So, it is the appropriate Mandarin expression to use to refer to the kind of peace that people generally have in mind when they use the English expression “world peace”.

Other Kinds of Peace

Past MEotW posts have discussed the Mandarin expressions used to refer to other kinds of peace, as discussed in Appendix A2 of the Mandarin New World Translation Bible. For example, the MEotW post on “ānníng ({being peaceful}; {being tranquil} [→ [peace; tranquillity]] 安宁 安寧)” has this to say:

Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) explains that “hépíng (peace | {[is] peaceful} (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict) 和平)” mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict. However, even in a situation in which there is no hépíng (peace | {[is] peaceful} (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict) 和平), God’s holy spirit can still help people to maintain the spiritual quality of ānníng ({being peaceful}; {being tranquil} 安宁 安寧) in their hearts—inner peace.

As for the MEotW post on “hémù ({[is] harmonious} [→ [harmony; peaceful relations]] 和睦)”, it says:

Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) explains that “hépíng (peace | {[is] peaceful} (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict) 和平)” mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict. In contrast, “hémù ({[is] harmonious} 和睦)” is used here in a more positive and precise way to refer to the peaceful harmony and unity that the Christ makes possible for “shuāngfāng (shuāng·fāng (the) two · {directions → [parties]} 双方 雙方)”, “the two groups”, Jews and non-Jews.

Additionally, the MEotW post on “héxié ({[is] harmonious} [→ [harmony]] 和谐 和諧)” says:

Why doesn’t the Mandarin translation use good old “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)” or “hépíng (peace | {[is] peaceful} (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict) 和平)” to translate “peace” in this verse? Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) explains that “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)” mainly refers to things being smooth and stable, safe and secure, free of danger, and that “hépíng (peace | {[is] peaceful} (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict) 和平)” mainly refers to the absence of war or conflict. These are specific aspects of peace that don’t necessarily apply in every context.

We can see that those who translated the current Mandarin NWT Bible felt that the context of 1 Corinthians 14:33, which discusses who should speak when during meetings for spiritual encouragement, calls for “héxié ({[is] harmonious} 和谐 和諧)” to be used in this verse to translate the Greek word ei·reʹne, since the harmony that “héxié ({[is] harmonious} 和谐 和諧)” refers to contrasts well with the dissonance and disorder that would result if a meeting degenerated into a free-for-all of people speaking whenever and however they pleased.

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Current Events Science Technology Theocratic

réngōng zhìnéng

réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工)
zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能) 👈🏼 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.

As of this writing, jw.org is again featuring the article referred to below. So, this is basically a reposting of a post from a few years back.]

At the time of this writing, jw.org was featuring the article “Artificial Intelligence—A Blessing or a Curse?—What Does the Bible Say?”. Where the English version of this article uses the expression “artificial intelligence”, the Mandarin version uses this week’s MEotW, “réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能)”:

English:

Recently, world leaders, scientists, and technologists have commented on the power of artificial intelligence (AI). While acknowledging its value, they have also expressed concern over its potential misuse.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Jìnqī (Jìn·qī {near → [recent]} · {period of time} → [recently] 近期), xǔduō (xǔ·duō numbers · many 许多 許多) guójiā (guó·jiā nation · family → [national] 国家 國家) lǐngdǎorén (lǐngdǎo·rén leading · persons → [leaders] 领导人 領導人), kēxuéjiā (kē·xué·jiā {{branches of study} · learning → [science]} · -ists → [scientists] 科学家 科學家), yǐjí (and 以及) kējì (kē·jì {branches of study → [science]} · {skills → [technology]} → [technology] 科技) jīngyīng (jīng·yīng elite · {flowers → [outstanding persons]} → [elite] 精英) dōu ({all of them} 都) duì (towards 对 對) réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能) (AI) de (’s 的) yòngtú (yòng·tú {to be used} · routes → [applications] 用途) shēn (deeply 深) biǎo ({have expressed} 表) guānzhù (guān·zhù {closing with (them) → [being concerned about (them)]} · {pouring into (them) → [concentrating on (them)]} → [paying close attention to (them)] 关注 關注). Suīrán (Suī·rán although · -ly 虽然 雖然) tāmen (tā·men he/she · [pl] → [they] 他们 他們) dōu (all 都) zàntóng (zàn·tóng favour · {are with} → [approve of] 赞同 贊/讚同) réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能) yǒu (having 有) hěn (very 很) duō (many 多) yìchu (yì·chu beneficial · places → [benefits] 益处 益處), dàn (however 但) yě ((they) also 也) hěn ({very much} 很) dānxīn (dān·xīn {carry on shoulder poles → [bear (heavy)]} · hearts → [worry] 担/耽心 擔/耽心) zhèi (this 这 這) xiàng ({item of} 项 項) kējì (kē·jì {branches of study → [science]} · {skills → [technology]} → [technology] 科技) huì (will 会 會) bèi ([passive signifier] → [be] 被) lànyòng (làn·yòng {overflowingly → [indiscriminately]} · used → [misused] 滥用 濫用).

Related Expressions

The “zhìnéng (zhì·néng wisdom; knowledge; intelligence; resourcefulness; wit; cleverness · ability → [intelligence; intellectual power/ability | smart(phone, etc.)] 智能)” in “réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能)” also appears in “zhìnéng shǒujī ((zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [smart] 智能) (shǒu·jī hand · machine → [mobile phone] 手机 手機) → [smartphone])”, which is used in China to mean “smartphone”. As pointed out by the Referenced Theo. Expressions (RTE) resource, this expression appears in the November 2009 issue of Awake! magazine, on page 3.

It’s also noteworthy that the “zhì (wisdom; knowledge; intelligence; resourcefulness; wit; cleverness 智)” in “réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能)” appears in “zhìhuì (zhì·huì wisdom · intelligence → [wisdom] 智慧)”, the Mandarin word for “wisdom”. It also appears in “zhōngxìn (zhōng·xìn faithful · {believing → [having faith]} → [faithful] 忠信) ruìzhì (ruì·zhì {having foresight} · {(having) wisdom} 睿智) de (’s 的) núlì (slave 奴隶 奴隸)”, the Mandarin expression for “faithful and discreet slave”.—Matthew 24:45 (English; Mandarin).

A Beginning? Or Not?

Regarding intelligence, artificial or otherwise, it’s illuminating to consider these verses in Proverbs:

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge.
Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.
—Proverbs 1:7

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom,
And knowledge of the Most Holy One is understanding.
—Proverbs 9:10

To show true knowledge and wisdom—and indeed, intelligence—in life, we need to consider all the factors that are relevant in life, and we especially need to not have insufficient regard for the biggest, most relevant factor of all in life—Jehovah God, who created human intelligence (which was perfect in the first human couple, but which that couple caused to become imperfect and corrupted). Humans who do not have fear of (or “reverence for”, as per the footnote for Pr. 1:7) Jehovah—the Creator of human life and human intelligence—do not even begin to have true knowledge or wisdom, and thus are not equipped to develop artificial intelligence with true knowledge or wisdom.

Indeed, while humans can now store, read, and perform some basic processes on data, even huge amounts of data, human researchers have limited understanding about, and disagree about, how a system like the human brain or an artificial intelligence system can truly—not just appear to—know or understand something, or have wisdom (scientific paper, Medium article) about something. This may help to partly explain why a significant percentage of the time, current artificial intelligence systems output incorrect statements with complete confidence, as if they were true.

Yes, while many are now fascinated by, and/or concerned about, the increasing power of artificial intelligence, people should be focusing first on Jehovah God’s divine intelligence, the most powerful intelligence in the entire universe, that thankfully is motivated by love, guided by wisdom, and dedicated to justice.—1 John 4:8; Romans 11:33; Deuteronomy 32: 3, 4.

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Current Events History Science Technology Theocratic

néngyuán

néngyuán (néng·yuán energy · {source (of a river)} → [energy [source]] 能源) 👈🏼 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 is featuring the article “Meeting Mankind’s Energy Needs—What the Bible Says”. This week’s MEotW, “néngyuán (néng·yuán energy · {source (of a river)} → [energy [source]] 能源), occurs often in the Mandarin version of this article, including in the title:

English:

Meeting Mankind’s Energy Needs—What the Bible Says

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Néngyuán (néng·yuán Energy · {Sources (of Rivers)} → [Energy [Sources]] 能源) Kùnjú (Kùn·jú {Surrounded → [Hard-Pressed]} · Situation 困局) Yǒu ({Will Have} 有) Jiějué (Jiě·jué {Being Untied → [Being Solved]} · {Being Decided} → [Being Resolved] 解决 解決) de (’s 的) Yì (One 一) Tiān (Sky → [Day] 天) ma ([? ptcl for “yes/no” questions] 吗 嗎)? Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) de (’s 的) Guāndiǎn (Guān·diǎn {Looking at → [View]} · Point → [Viewpoint] 观点 觀點) Shì (Is 是) Shénme (Shén·me What · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼)?

The Importance of Energy

That the current fighting in the Middle East around the Strait of Hormuz is driving up gas prices in many places is undoubtedly a big reason why the above-mentioned article is being featured on jw.org at this time. Yes, energy is more than just an abstract scientific concept.

In physics, energy is defined as “the capacity for doing work”, which in turn involves applying force to move something a certain distance. So, practically speaking, energy provides the ability to move physical things, like our cars. And since heat is connected to temperature, which “reflects the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system”, energy also provides the ability to heat things, like our homes. (By the way, in physics, “power is defined as the rate of producing or consuming energy.”)

Looking back in history, oil—along with other fossil fuels still the dominant source of energy down to this day, in spite of increasing use of clean energy—was a big factor in why Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in 1941, and in why Nazi Germany ultimately lost to the Allies in World War II.

Coming back to the present day, besides gas prices being driven up by the ongoing fighting in the Middle East, another reason why energy is now of concern to many is that oodles and gobs of energy are needed to train and operate artificial intelligence (AI) models, which are increasingly being hyped and used by many.

Another Usage Example

Regarding “néngyuán (néng·yuán energy · {source (of a river)} → [energy [source]] 能源)”, note that its morphemes literally mean “energy · source (of a river)”. However, the expression as a whole is at times used to effectively mean just “energy”.

To help Mandarin field language learners get more of a feel for how to use this expression, here is another usage example, taken from the above-mentioned jw.org article:

English:

Challenge: international conflict. Some regions are rich in energy resources, but they suffer from wars, conflicts, and disputes over territory. And when conflicts disrupt supply chains for oil or gas, many people face shortages and higher prices.

The Bible says: “Jehovah…is bringing an end to wars throughout the earth.”—Psalm 46:8, 9.

Jehovah God will eliminate conflict and wars.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Zǔ’ài (Zǔ’·ài obstructing · hindering (thing) → [obstacle] 阻碍 阻礙): guójì (guó·jì nations · {boundaries → [among]} → [international] 国际 國際) jiān (among 间 間/閑) de (’s 的) chōngtū (chōng·tū {dashings → [clashings]} · {chimneys → [chargings]} → [conflicts] 冲突 衝突). Yǒuxiē (Yǒu·xiē {(there) are having → [(there) are]} · some 有些) dìqū (dì·qū lands · regions 地区 地區) yōngyǒu (yōng·yǒu {holding in their arms} · having → [having] 拥有 擁有) chōngzú (chōng·zú filled · ample 充足) de (’s 的) shíyóu (shí·yóu rock · oil → [oil] 石油) hé ({(together) with} → [and] 和 和/龢) tiānrán (tiān·rán {(of) heaven → [natural]} · so → [natural] 天然)‐qì (gas 气 氣/气), dànshì (dàn·shì but · {(it) is (the case that)} 但是) yīnwei (yīn·wei {because of} · {on account of} 因为 因為) zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng wars · contendings → [wars] 战争 戰爭), chōngtū (chōng·tū {dashings → [clashings]} · {chimneys → [chargings]} → [conflicts] 冲突 衝突), lǐngtǔ (lǐng·tǔ {neck → [collar] → [have jurisdiction over]} · {soil → [land]} → [territory] 领土 領土) jiūfēn (jiū·fēn (things) {being entangled in} · {being tangled} → [disputes] 纠纷 糾紛), dǎozhì (dǎo·zhì {(these) lead} · {to extend to} 导致 導致) néngyuán (néng·yuán energy · {source (of a river)} → [energy [source]] 能源) gōngyìng (gōng·yìng supplying · {responding (to the needs/requests)} → [supply] 供应 供應) liàn (chains 链 鏈) shòudào (shòu·dào {being subjected to} · {arriving at} 受到) yǐngxiǎng (yǐng·xiǎng relfection · sound → [being affected] 影响 影響). Jiéguǒ (Jié·guǒ {tied (into a knot) → [formed]} · fruit → [as a result] 结果 結果), hěn (very 很) duō (many 多) rén (people 人) miànlín (miàn·lín face · {are near to} 面临 面臨) néngyuán (néng·yuán energy · {source (of a river)} → [energy [source]] 能源) duǎnquē (duǎn·quē {being short → [being lacking]} · {being lacking} → [shortages] 短缺) huòzhě (huò·zhě or · [suf] 或者) néngyuán (néng·yuán energy · {source (of a river)} → [energy [source]] 能源) jiàgé (jià·gé price · {grid → [pattern]} → [prices] 价格 價格) shàngzhǎng (shàng·zhǎng upward · {rising (of water/prices/etc.)} 上涨 上漲) de (’s 的) wèntí (wèn·tí asking · problems → [problems] 问题 問題).

📖 📄 📘 Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) shuō (says 说 說/説): “Yēhéhuá (Jehovah 耶和华 耶和華)…zhōngzhǐ (zhōng·zhǐ {is ending} · {is halting} 终止 終止) zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng wars · contendings → [wars] 战争 戰爭), píngdìng (píng·dìng {is making to be flat, level, even → [is making to be peaceful]} · {is making to be settled → [is making to be calm]} 平定) tiānxià (tiān·xià heaven · under → [the whole world] 天下)” (Shīpiān (Shī·piān {Sacred Song} · {Piece of Writing} → [Psalm] 诗篇 詩篇) 46:8, 9)

📖 📄 📘 Yēhéhuá (Jehovah 耶和华 耶和華) huì (will 会 會) xiāochú (xiāo·chú eliminate · {get rid of} 消除) zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng wars · contendings → [wars] 战争 戰爭) hé ({(together) with} → [and] 和 和/龢) chōngtū (chōng·tū {dashings → [clashings]} · {chimneys → [chargings]} → [conflicts] 冲突 衝突).

Jehovah’s Energy

Yes, Jehovah can and will resolve the issues the world is facing involving energy. Regarding the sheer amount of energy that Jehovah has at his disposal, a past MEotW post said:

As an example of just how powerful Jehovah’s holy spirit is even compared to humans’ nuclear bombs, according to my research and calculations, every day, the sun, produced with power from the holy spirit, puts out the energy of almost 8 quadrillion (1015) 1-megaton nuclear bombs. (A single 1-megaton nuclear bomb would release about 67 times the amount of energy released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.) And according to NASA, “it turns out that our Sun is an average-sized star. There are bigger stars, and there are smaller stars. We have found stars that are 100 times bigger in diameter than our sun.”

And of course, as we who have gotten to know Jehovah have learned, Jehovah God is far from being all muscle and no brains or heart or conscience. In addition to having unlimited power, we can rest assured that he also has the wisdom, the justice, and most importantly, the love required to best beneficially use all that power and energy—he is truly the ultimate Néngyuán (Néng·yuán Energy · {Source (of a River)} → [Energy Source] 能源)!