Tag: Related Expressions

qiǎohé (qiǎo·hé {being coincidental → [coincidentally]} · {closing [with] → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coincidental] | coincidental · {closing → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coinciding | coincidence] 巧合) 👈🏼 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.]

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.

“Coincidences”! Sure…

This week’s MEotW, which appears in the first paragraph of the section of the Mandarin Was Life Created? brochure entitled “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)” (“The Living Planet”), is “qiǎohé (qiǎo·hé {being coincidental → [coincidentally]} · {closing [with] → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coincidental] | coincidental · {closing → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coinciding | coincidence] 巧合)”:

English:

Life on earth could never exist were it not for a series of very fortunate “coincidences,” …Those coincidences include the following:

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

📖 📄 📘 Dìqiú (Dì·qiú earth · globe 地球) zài (in 在) hěn (very 很) duō (many 多) fāngmiàn (fāng·miàn {directions → [sides]} · faces → [aspects] 方面) dōu ({all of them} 都) “qiǎohé (qiǎo·hé {being coincidental → [coincidentally]} · {closing → [matching]} → [coincidental] 巧合)” de (-ly 地) pèihe (pèi·he matches · {closes → [accords]} → [is suitable] 配合) de (getting 得) tiān‐yī‐wúfèng ((tiān (to be) heavenly 天)‐(yī garment 衣)‐(wú·fèng without · seams 无缝 無縫) → [to be flawless]), yào (if 要)‐bu ((it) not 不)‐shì ({would be} 是) zhèyàng (zhè·yàng this · {form → [way]} 这样 這樣), dìqiú (dì·qiú earth · globe 地球) shang (upon 上) gēnběn (gēn·běn {root (of a plant)} · {root or stem of a plant} → [basically] 根本) jiù (then 就) bù (not 不) kěnéng (could 可能) yǒu (have 有) shēngmìng (life 生命). … Zhèixiē (Zhèi·xiē this · {indefinite number of} → [these] 这些 這些) “qiǎohé (qiǎo·hé coincidental · {closings → [matchings]} → [coincidences] 巧合)” bāokuò (bāo·kuò wrap · {draw together} → [include] 包括):

In the above quote, “qiǎohé (qiǎo·hé {being coincidental → [coincidentally]} · {closing [with] → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coincidental] | coincidental · {closing → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coinciding | coincidence] 巧合)” is used as an adjective and as a noun, corresponding with “coincidental” and “coincidences”.

In “qiǎohé (qiǎo·hé {being coincidental → [coincidentally]} · {closing [with] → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coincidental] | coincidental · {closing → [suiting; fitting; matching]} → [coinciding | coincidence] 巧合)”, “qiǎo ({[is] clever; intelligent; skillful; ingenious} | {[being] opportune; coincidental} [→ [coincidentally]] 巧)” means “[being] coincidental”, which meaning it also has in “pèngqiǎo (pèng·qiǎo {having bumped into} · {being coincidental} → [by chance/coincidence] 碰巧)”, a past MEotW. As for “hé ({close; shut [with]} [→ [join; combine; gather [with] | accord [with]; conform [to]; suit; agree [with] | be fitting | be equal [to] | be proper; be appropriate | be matching [with]]] 合)”, it literally means “close/closing [with]”, and it can have various effective meanings that include “join; combine; gather [with]” and “suiting; fitting; matching”. This morpheme also appears in expressions as diverse as “hélǐ (hé·lǐ {[is] closing with → [[is] fitting/according with]} · reason → [[is] rational; reasonable; equitable] 合理)”, “Liánhé Guó ((Lián·hé United · {Closed → [Joined]} 联合 聯合) (Guó Nations 国 國) → [United Nations])”, and past MEotW “fēnzǐ jùhé‐tǐ ((fēn·zǐ {divided (off)} · {small and hard thing} → [molecular] 分子) (jù·hé assembled · {closed → [combined]} → [polymerized] 聚合)‐(tǐ body 体 體/体/躰) → [(protein) molecular machine])”.

“Coincidences”? Or Products of Purposeful Design?

The Was Life Created? brochure goes on to list the features of the earth that are discussed in that section of the brochure:

• Earth’s location in the Milky Way galaxy and the solar system, as well as the planet’s orbit, tilt, rotational speed, and unusual moon
• A magnetic field and an atmosphere that serve as a dual shield
• Natural cycles that replenish and cleanse the planet’s air and water supply

Next comes an invitation that we would do well to learn how to extend to those we speak to in the Mandarin field:

English:

As you consider each of these topics, ask yourself, ‘Are earth’s features a product of blind chance or of purposeful design?’

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

📖 📄 📘 Jiē ({coming into contact with} → [taking hold of] (the baton next) 接) xialai (xia·lai down · {to come} 下来 下來), wǒmen (wǒ·men we · [pl] 我们 我們) huì (will 会 會) zhúyī (zhú·yī {one after another} · one → [one by one] 逐一) tántan (tán·tan discuss · discuss 谈谈 談談) zhè (these 这 這) jǐ (few 几 幾) fāngmiàn (fāng·miàn {directions → [sides]} · faces → [aspects] 方面). Nǐ (you 你) yuèdú (read 阅读 閱/閲讀) xiàwén (xià·wén below’s · writing → [following text] 下文) shí ({(particular) times} 时 時), bùfáng (bù·fáng {(there is) not} · hindering (in) → [there is no harm in] 不妨) wènwen (wèn·wen asking · asking 问问 問問) zìjǐ (self 自己): “Dìqiú (Dì·qiú earth · globe 地球) yǒu (having 有) zhèixiē (zhèi·xiē this · {indefinite number of} → [these] 这些 這些) dútè (dú·tè singular · special → [distinctive] 独特 獨特) xiànxiàng (xiàn·xiàng appearings · appearances → [phenomena] 现象 現象) chúncuì ({being pure} → [purely] 纯粹 純粹) shì (is 是) chūyú (chū·yú {having come out} · from 出于 出於) qiǎohé (qiǎo·hé coincidental · {closing → [suiting]} → [coincidence] 巧合), háishi (hái·shi {still more → [or]} · {is (it)} 还是 還是) chūyú (chū·yú {having come out} · from 出于 出於) Zàowù‐Zhǔ ((Zào·wù Created · Things 造物)‐(Zhǔ Master 主) → [Creator]) de (’s 的) jīngxīn (jīng·xīn {(with) meticulous} · heart 精心) shèjì (shè·jì {setting up} · planning → [design] 设计 設計) ne ([? ptcl] 呢)?”

---

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:

• Was Life Created? Br. (Pīnyīn Plus, Web)

The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Was Life Created? brochure is:

• Was Life Created? Brochure Links (tiandi.info/lc)

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.

xiāngduì (xiāng·duì {[with] each other}; {one another}; mutually · {facing; opposing [→ [compared]]} → [[being] opposite each other; face to face | relative/relatively; comparatively; vis-à-vis] 相对 相對) 👈🏼 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.]

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.

It’s Relative?

This week’s MEotW, “xiāngduì (xiāng·duì {[with] each other}; {one another}; mutually · {facing; opposing [→ [compared]]} → [[being] opposite each other; face to face | relative/relatively; comparatively; vis-à-vis] 相对 相對)”, occurs in paragraph 3 of the QUESTION 2 section of the Origin of Life brochure, which section is entitled, in English, “Is Any Form of Life Really Simple?”:

English:

Since prokaryotic cells are relatively less complex than eukaryotic cells, many believe that animal and plant cells must have evolved from bacterial cells.

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

📖 📄 📘 Xiāngduì (Xiāng·duì {one another} · {facing → [compared]} → [relatively] 相对 相對) lái (coming 来 來) shuō ({to say} 说 說/説), yuánhé (yuán·hé primitive · {pit (of a fruit) → [nucleus]} → [prokaryotic] 原核) xìbāo (xì·bāo tiny · wombs → [cells] 细胞 細胞) de (’ 的) gòuzào (gòu·zào {constructings → [structures]} · makings → [structures] 构造 構造) bǐ ({compared to} 比) zhēnhé (zhēn·hé true · {pit (of a fruit) → [nucleus]} → [eukaryotic] 真核) xìbāo (xì·bāo tiny · wombs → [cells] 细胞 細胞) jiǎndān (jiǎn·dān {are simple} · {are single → [are simple]} → [are simple] 简单 簡單), suǒyǐ (suǒ·yǐ {that which} · {is the reason/cause} → [so] 所以) xǔduō (xǔ·duō numbers · many 许多 許多) kēxué‐jiā ((kē·xué {branches of study} · learning → [science] 科学 科學)‐(jiā -ists 家) → [scientists]) rènwéi (rèn·wéi identify · {(it) to be (that)} 认为 認為) dòng‐zhíwù ((dòng moving 动 動)‐(zhí·wù planted · things 植物) → [plants and animals]) de (’ 的) xìbāo (xì·bāo tiny · wombs → [cells] 细胞 細胞) dōu (all 都) bìdìng (bì·dìng certainly · {(it) has been set} 必定) shì (are 是) cóng (from 从 從) xìjūn (xì·jūn tiny · bacteria → [bacterial] 细菌 細菌) xìbāo (xì·bāo tiny · wombs → [cells] 细胞 細胞) yǎnshēng (yǎn·shēng {spilling over} · {given life to} → [evolved] 衍生) chulai (chu·lai out · {to come} 出来 出來) de ({’s (cells)} 的).

It’s Complex, Absolutely

In “xiāngduì (xiāng·duì {[with] each other}; {one another}; mutually · {facing; opposing [→ [compared]]} → [[being] opposite each other; face to face | relative/relatively; comparatively; vis-à-vis] 相对 相對)”, “xiāng ({[with] each other}; {one another}; mutually 相)” means “each other”, or “one another”. “Duì ({trained on}; {directed at}; facing; opposite; opposing; {[is] towards} [→ [to | treat | [is] correct; [is] right | pair; couple [of] | comparing; checking; verifying]] 对 對)” literally means “facing” or “opposing”, and can effectively mean “compared”. Together, these morphemes can be taken to effectively mean “relative” or “relatively”, as they are in the above example.

The opposite of “relative” or “relatively” is “absolute” or “absolutely”, and the Mandarin word for that is “juéduì (jué·duì {being cut off → [asolutely]} · {facing → [compared]} → [[is] absolute[ly]; perfect[ly]; definite[ly]] 绝对 絕對)”. The “jué ({cut off}; severed [→ [exhausted; used up; finished; terminated | unique; superb; matchless | died; has become extinct]] | {being cut off} → [absolutely; extremely] 绝 絕/絶)” used here literally means “cut off”, and can effectively mean “absolutely” or “extremely”. The “duì ({trained on}; {directed at}; facing; opposite; opposing; {[is] towards} [→ [to | treat | [is] correct; [is] right | pair; couple [of] | comparing; checking; verifying]] 对 對)” in “juéduì (jué·duì {being cut off → [asolutely]} · {facing → [compared]} → [[is] absolute[ly]; perfect[ly]; definite[ly]] 绝对 絕對)” is the same one that’s in “xiāngduì (xiāng·duì {[with] each other}; {one another}; mutually · {facing; opposing [→ [compared]]} → [[being] opposite each other; face to face | relative/relatively; comparatively; vis-à-vis] 相对 相對)”.

Relatively speaking, some cells are simpler than other cells, and as mentioned in the example above, some latch on to that and suggest that more complex cells must have evolved from relatively simpler cells. However, as the Origin of Life brochure goes on to show us, any cell is still highly, highly complex in absolute terms, when it comes to what could be formed by random chance.

Relatively and Absolutely “Far Too Complex to Have Arisen by Chance”

The following statement, which occurs towards the end of the QUESTION 2 section of the Origin of Life brochure, describes the complexity of even relatively “simple” cells:

English:

Fact: Some respected scientists say that even a “simple” cell is far too complex to have arisen by chance on earth.

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

📖 📄 📘 Shìshí (Shì·shí matter · {being solid} → [fact] 事实 事實): Yǒuxiē (Yǒu·xiē {(there) are having → [(there) are]} · some 有些) bèishòu (bèi·shòu fully · receive 备受 備受) zūnzhòng (zūn·zhòng respecting · {(viewing as) weighty} 尊重) de (’s 的) kēxué‐jiā ((kē·xué {branches of study} · learning → [science] 科学 科學)‐(jiā -ists 家) → [scientists]) shuō (saying 说 說/説), jiùsuàn (jiù·suàn {even if} · {figuring → [considering]} 就算) shì ({(it) is} 是) yí (one 一) ge ([mw] 个 個/个) “jiǎndān (jiǎn·dān simple · {single → [simple]} → [simple] 简单 簡單)” de (’s 的) xìbāo (xì·bāo tiny · womb → [cell] 细胞 細胞) yě ((it) also 也) shífēn (shí·fēn ten · portions → [very much] 十分) fùzá (fù·zá {is turned around → [is complex]} · {is mixed} → [is complex] 复杂 複雜), bù (not 不) kěnéng (kě·néng maybe · {being able} → [possibly] 可能) shì ({had been} 是) pèngqiǎo (pèng·qiǎo {having bumped into} · {being coincidental} → [by chance] 碰巧) zài (on 在) dìqiú (dì·qiú earth · globe 地球) shang (upon 上) xíngchéng (xíng·chéng {form (n)} · {came to be} → [formed] 形成) de ({’s (thing)} 的).

Let us, then, continue to do what we can to help Mandarin-speaking people to get acquainted with the abundant evidence that life was indeed created, and let us help them to get to know our loving Creator.

---

For convenience:

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

• Origin of Life Br. (Pīnyīn Plus, Web)

The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Origin of Life brochure is:

• Origin of Life Brochure Links (tiandi.info/lf)

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 Origin of Life brochure will be made available in the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource as time allows.