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Culture Language Learning Science Technology Theocratic

jīngmíng

jīngmíng (jīng·míng {[is] sharp; clever; shrewd; smart} · {[is] bright → [[is] understanding]} → [[is] shrewd; astute] 精明) ← 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 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.

Be Shrewd, not Naive

Like past MEotW “tiānzhēn (tiān·zhēn {(of) heaven → [natural]} · {(following) natural instincts} → [innocent; naive; simple and unaffected | (human) nature] 天真)”, this week’s MEotW, “jīngmíng (jīng·míng {[is] sharp; clever; shrewd; smart} · {[is] bright → [[is] understanding]} → [[is] shrewd; astute] 精明)”, occurs in Proverbs 14:15, which is quoted in the introductory section of the Origin of Life brochure, entitled, in English, “A Student’s Dilemma”. While the Origin of Life brochure, published in 2010, quotes older versions of the New World Translation Bible in its text, let us consider how this scripture is rendered in the current English and Mandarin translations of the NWT Bible:

English:

The naive person believes every word,
But the shrewd one ponders each step.

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

📖 📄 📘 Tiānzhēn (Tiān·zhēn {(of) heaven → [natural]} · {(following) natural instincts} → [naive] 天真) wúzhī (wú·zhī without · {knowing → [knowledge]} → [ignorant] 无知 無知) de (’s 的) rén (person 人), fán (every 凡 凡/凢) huà (word 话 話) dōu ({every one} 都) xìn (believes 信);
Jīngmíng (Jīng·míng shrewd · {bright → [understanding]} → [shrewd] 精明) shěnshèn (shěn·shèn {examining → [careful]} · cautious 审慎 審慎) de (’ 的) rén (person 人), bùbù (bù·bù step · step → [at every step] 步步) liúxīn (liú·xīn {makes to stay} · {heart} → [is careful] 留心).

Looking at the morphemes in “jīngmíng (jīng·míng {[is] sharp; clever; shrewd; smart} · {[is] bright → [[is] understanding]} → [[is] shrewd; astute] 精明)”, “jīng ({[(having)] energy; spirit} [→ [refined; excellent]] | {[is] sharp; clever; shrewd; smart} | {[is] skilled; proficient} | {[is] meticulous; precise} | essence | sperm; semen; seed 精)” here means “[is] sharp; clever; shrewd; smart”. In other contexts, it can have other meanings, as it does in “jīngdú (jīng·dú meticulous · reading 精读 精讀) běn ({root or stem} → [edition] 本)” (used in the name of the Mandarin New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)), “jīngshén (spirit [→ [mind; mental state; psycho-; -ism]] 精神)”, “shòujīng luǎn ((shòu·jīng received · sperm; semen; seed → [fertilized] 受精) (luǎn ovum; egg 卵) → [fertilized egg/ovum; zygote])”, etc.

As for “míng ({[is] bright} [→ [[is] understanding]] | {[make] clear; distinct [→ [sense of vision; sight | sharp-eyed; clear-sighted]]} | next (day/year…) 明)”, its basic literal meaning is “[is] bright”, and it also often has an effective meaning of “[is] understanding”, as it does in “jīngmíng (jīng·míng {[is] sharp; clever; shrewd; smart} · {[is] bright → [[is] understanding]} → [[is] shrewd; astute] 精明)” as well as in the well-known expression “míngbai (míng·bai {[is] bright [(about)] → [[is] understanding]} · clearly 明白)”.

Taken together, the morphemes in “jīngmíng (jīng·míng {[is] sharp; clever; shrewd; smart} · {[is] bright → [[is] understanding]} → [[is] shrewd; astute] 精明)” are used to effectively mean “[is] shrewd; astute”.

Being Shrewd with Regard to Evolution and Creation

Those who are truly shrewd will not be swayed by the prevailing winds blowing through the “air” of this world, “the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience”. These prevailing winds constantly push people in the direction of believing, among other things, the baseless fairy tales of evolution, which serve “the ruler of the authority of the air”, Satan the Devil, and distance us from our loving Creator Jehovah God.—Ephesians 2:2.

Rather than just going along with the fēngqì (fēng·qì {winds → [common practices]} · {airs → [attitudes]} 风气 風氣) of Satan’s world, let us take to heart the counsel at Ephesians 4:14:

So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes.

Being Shrewd with Regard to Learning Mandarin

Us Mandarin field language learners will also show ourselves to be shrewd if we stand firm against the prevailing winds of characters-first thinking that comes from traditional worldly Chinese culture. Such thinking serves to glorify and glamourize a vain and proud part of Satan’s world, the only nation that names itself the “Central Nation” (past MEotW Zhōngguó (Zhōng·guó Central · Nation → [China] 中国 中國)) of the world, and this kind of thinking’s focus on the extraordinarily and unnecessarily complex square wheels that are Chinese characters can end up bogging down our efforts in the Mandarin field to glorify Jehovah and give spiritual assistance to right-hearted Mandarin-speaking people.

Instead of going along with the world’s focus on the self-indulgently complex Chinese characters, let us focus in the Mandarin field on learning to be able to hear with comprehension and produce with clarity understandable speech, as the Bible itself emphasizes at 1 Corinthians 14:8–11:

For if the trumpet sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? In the same way, unless you with the tongue use speech that is easily understood [emphasis added—Ed.], how will anyone know what is being said? You will, in fact, be speaking into the air. It may be that there are many kinds of speech in the world, and yet no kind is without meaning. For if I do not understand the sense of the speech, I will be a foreigner to the one speaking, and the one speaking will be a foreigner to me.

Remember, while the Chinese people of times past may have invented Chinese characters, Jehovah God, who inspired the above passage of scripture, invented human language itself, and he knows way more than the ancient Chinese did about how us humans should learn and use language. Also, Jehovah is ultimately who we are working for in the Mandarin field, so that’s yet another reason to follow his direction over that of worldly Chinese people when it comes to how we should learn and use the Mandarin language in his service.

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:

The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Origin of Life 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 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.

Categories
Culture Language Learning Technology Theocratic

xīndé

xīndé (xīn·dé heart · {got/obtained(’s things)} → [(things) learned from work/study/experience/etc.] 心得) ← 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.]

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. An outstanding feature of this book is its extensive use of the post-paper technology of video, which enables information to be presented much more vividly than could be done with paper. Also, at this time, one of the unique features of Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus material is Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus video transcripts. These can help us Mandarin field language learners to analyze and understand the Mandarin speech used in the many videos referenced in the Mandarin Enjoy Life Forever! book. This in turn can help us make more effective use of these videos while participating in Mandarin Bible discussions using this book.

This week’s MEotW, “xīndé (xīn·dé heart · {got/obtained(’s things)} → [(things) learned from work/study/experience/etc.] 心得)”, occurs in subtitle 44 of the transcript for the video for lesson 11, point 4 of the Mandarin Enjoy Life Forever! book:

English:

You can better relate to the brothers’ and sisters’ comments

because you’ve read the material yourself, and I can comment too.

Mandarin:

43
00:01:41,503 → 00:01:44,799
📖 📄 📘 Tíqián (Tí·qián {carried (hanging down from the hand) → [raised] → [shifted to an earlier time]} · ahead → [beforehand] 提前) yùxí (yù·xí {in advance} · {having reviewed} → [having prepared] 预习 預習), jiù ({(I) then} 就) néng (can 能) cóng (from 从 從) dàjiā (dà·jiā big · family → [everyone] 大家) fēnxiǎng (fēn·xiǎng {divides → [distributes]} · {enjoying of} → [shares] 分享) de (’ 的) yàodiǎn (yào·diǎn important · points 要点 要點) huòyì (huò·yì {capture → [obtain]} · benefits 获益 獲益),

44
00:01:44,799 → 00:01:47,343
📖 📄 📘 wǒ (I 我) yě (also 也) néng (can 能) fābiǎo (fā·biǎo {issue → [utter]} · express 发表 發表) zìjǐ (self 自己) de (’s 的) xīndé (xīn·dé heart · {has obtained(’s things)} → [(things) learned from work/study/experience/etc.] 心得) tǐhuì (tǐ·huì {bodily → [personally]} · {has come to understand(’s things)} 体会 體會).

Morphemic Breakdown and Interaction

The morphemes in “xīndé (xīn·dé heart · {got/obtained(’s things)} → [(things) learned from work/study/experience/etc.] 心得)” are probably quite familiar to even beginning students of Mandarin—“xīn (heart 心)” means “heart”, and “dé (get; obtain 得)” literally means “get” or “obtain”. When we put these two simple and well known expressions together, though, they mean “heart got/obtained(’s things)”, and we end up with an effective meaning that’s greater than the sum of its parts: “(things) learned from work/study/experience/etc.”

(By the way, note that the sister quoted in the video said that advance preparation helps her to be able to effectively share her xīndé (xīn·dé heart · {has obtained(’s things)} → [(things) learned from work/study/experience/etc.] 心得). As Mandarin field language learners, we may especially benefit from advance preparation so that we can more effectively use Mandarin to share with Mandarin-speaking people the things our hearts have learned. Yes, as boring and unglamorous as it may seem, our Mandarin abilities can be significantly enhanced by good old preparation and practice!)

Matters of the Heart

Going back to “xīn (heart 心)”, which means “heart”, it’s good to remember how important the heart is to our Mandarin field ministry. While the mind has much to do when one is learning Mandarin for the Mandarin field, and while some like to focus on how much knowledge of Chinese characters their minds have soaked up, the MEotW post on “xìnxīn (xìn·xīn believing · heart → [faith; confidence] 信心)” points out the following about speaking to Mandarin-speaking people about spiritual things:

The Mandarin culture and language correctly recognize that the heart is deeply involved in spirituality. In fact, as mentioned in Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty), one of the expressions that the current version of the Mandarin NWT Bible uses to translate the English word “spiritual” is “xīnlíng (xīn·líng heart · spirit [→ [spiritual]] 心灵 心靈)”, which is a past MEotW. This expression literally means “heart spirit”.

So, let us not be quick, in our pride, to dismiss talk of the heart as sentimental nonsense. As expressed by the Mandarin expression “àixīn (ài·xīn loving · heart → [love] 爱心 愛心)” (a past MEotW), we love with our hearts, and as God’s Word tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, if we don’t have love, then any knowledge, skills, abilities, etc. that we have, and that we may be proud of, are meaningless.

Serving in the Mandarin field—or any language field, really—is not just a matter of sharing knowledge and applying language or other mental skills. As this week’s MEotW reminds us, it’s also about sharing our hearts and the things our hearts have learned. And as we age, even if our physical and mental abilities may not be what they used to be, we naturally come to have more and more experience and heart lessons to share. Let us Mandarin field language learners apply ourselves out of love, not to glorify ourselves or anything like that, but so that we can share with Mandarin-speaking people the valuable things that Jehovah has helped our hearts to learn, in a way that they can tell is from the heart.

For convenience:

The direct link for the 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
Culture Language Learning Science Technology Theocratic

suíjī

suíjī (suí·jī {coming along with} · chance → [random[ly]; stochastic[ly]] 随机 隨機) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

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 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.

How It Started?

“In the beginning, some random, undirected events took place that somehow led to life as we know it on earth today.” That is basically the story that evolutionists tell about how life came to be. So, it’s good for us Mandarin field language learners to know that in its Introduction, the Mandarin Was Life Created? brochure uses this week’s MEotW, “suíjī (suí·jī {coming along with} · chance → [random[ly]; stochastic[ly]] 随机 隨機)”, where the English version of this brochure uses the word “random”.

How It Breaks Down

The “suí (follow; {[come/go] along with}; {vary according to} [→ [comply with; adapt to]] 随 隨)” in “suíjī (suí·jī {coming along with} · chance → [random[ly]; stochastic[ly]] 随机 隨機)” basically means “follow”, or “come/go along with”. Some of the other Mandarin expressions that it appears in include “gēnsuí (follow 跟随 跟隨)”, “suíbiàn (suí·biàn following; {[going] along with} · convenience → [[is] casual; random; informal | [is] as one pleases | [is] careless; negligent | [is] wanton; arbitrary] 随便 隨便)”, and “suíshí (suí·shí {coming/going along with} · {(particular) time} → [at any time; anytime; at all times] 随时 隨時)‐suídì (suí·dì {coming/going along with} · {ground → [place]} → [any place; anywhere; everywhere] 随地 隨地)”.

The “jī ({machine; mechanism [→ [airplane; aircraft | being organic]]} | {incipient moment; crucial point} | chance; opportunity; occasion | intention; idea 机 機/机)” in “suíjī (suí·jī {coming along with} · chance → [random[ly]; stochastic[ly]] 随机 隨機)” can mean “chance; opportunity; occasion”, and it is also the “jī ({machine; mechanism [→ [airplane; aircraft | being organic]]} | {incipient moment; crucial point} | chance; opportunity; occasion | intention; idea 机 機/机)” in “jīhuì (opportunity 机会 機會)” and in “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, as a past MEotW post emphasizes, does NOT mean that there is opportunity in danger).

How It Comes Together

When put together, the morphemes in “suíjī (suí·jī {coming along with} · chance → [random[ly]; stochastic[ly]] 随机 隨機)” literally mean “coming along with chance/opportunity”, and effectively mean “random” or “randomly”. Yes, while the Bible speaks of a loving Creator, evolution’s adherents, in holding that life is the result of suíjī (suí·jī {coming along with} · chance/opportunity → [random] 随机 隨機) events, thus portray evolution as a mere opportunist.

Those who bet on evolution may say that it’s not totally impossible that life came to exist suíjī (suí·jī {coming along with} · chance/opportunity → [randomly] 随机 隨機), by chance, but they may not realize—or they may have no faith—that their bet is not merely academic—they are ultimately unnecessarily betting their very lives. As John 17:3 says, coming to know God and Jesus leads to everlasting life, whereas those who continue to deny their Creator will eventually just die. So, let us continue to do our best to learn how to use the Mandarin language to help Mandarin-speaking ones to understand that they should bet their lives on Jehovah God, our Creator, not on the empty falsehoods of evolution.

How the Py+ Material Is Going

A while ago, I got the feeling that I should shift focus to get to work on producing current-generation Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus material for the Was Life Created? brochure, which I had last produced older-style material for several years earlier. The official material for this brochure had also not been changed for several years, with the last Mandarin printing of it being dated 2016-12. However, not long after I had started working on new Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus material for this brochure, I noticed that a new printing, dated 2022-12, had been put out for the English version of the Was Life Created? brochure, and then, a new printing, dated 2023-02, appeared in the JW Library app for the Mandarin version of this brochure. Also, the Was Life Created? brochure and the Origin of Life brochure were added to the Teaching Toolbox section in the JW Library app at around this time. It seems that Jehovah had decided that the time had come for renewed focus on these brochures, and it seems that the work of producing Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus material for the Was Life Created? brochure is privileged to be part of this renewed focus.

At the time of this writing, the old 3-line files (iPad-Letter-A4, XLP-iPhone-A5) together with the new Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource cover the entire Was Life Created? brochure. (The 3-line files were based on an older version of the brochure, though.) Also, the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource (which can be used offline in supporting browsers) contains no more Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)-only material that has only been partially proofread—all the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音)-only material has now been fully proofread.

Additionally, there is now a similar Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource for the Origin of Life brochure as well.

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.