Tag: Translation

Categories
Theocratic

guānxīn

guānxīn (guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心) ← 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. The section of this book entitled “Kāishǐ (Kāi·shǐ Open · Begin 开始 開始) Dú (Reading 读 讀) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) Ba ([ptcl indicating a suggestion, request, or mild command] 吧/叭)!” (“Get Started Reading the Bible”) cites 1 Peter 5:7, which in English says that God “cares for you”. This week’s MEotW, guānxīn (guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心), is used to translate “cares for” in this scripture in the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible.

The Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus unofficial rendering of this scripture, which can be found on the web here, is:

📖 📄 📘 Yào ({(you) must} 要) bǎ (hold 把) suǒyǒu (suǒ·yǒu {(all) which} · {(you) have’s} → [all (your)] 所有) yōulǜ ({being anxious} → [anxiety] 忧虑 憂慮) xiègěi (xiè·gěi {to be unloaded} · {to be given to} 卸给 卸給) Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · {Emperor → [God]} → [God] 上帝), yīnwei (yīn·wei because · for 因为 因為) tā (he 他) guānxīn (guān·xīn {closes → [concerns]} · heart (with) → [cares for] 关心 關心) nǐmen (nǐ·men you · [pl] 你们 你們).

Closing Off One’s Heart?

“Guānxīn (Guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心)” literally means “to close heart”, which may seem odd for an expression that effectively means “to care (about/for)”. However, whereas in English a closed heart means one that is closed off from others, Mandarin seems to use “guān (shut; {close [up]} [→ [{lock up}; confine | concern; involve; implicate | connection | crux; {critical juncture}; {turning/key point} | {mountain pass}]] 关 關/関)” in this and related expressions to refer to closing with or approaching someone or something, or perhaps to refer to enclosing or embracing someone or something—apparently it’s all in the (implied) prepositions.

Related Expressions

Considering some other Mandarin expressions with “guān (shut; {close [up]} [→ [{lock up}; confine | concern; involve; implicate | connection | crux; {critical juncture}; {turning/key point} | {mountain pass}]] 关 關/関)” in them may help to improve our understanding of how this morpheme is used in Mandarin:

  • guān’ài (guān’·ài {closing [with] → [being concerned [about]]} · love 关爱 關愛)
  • guānhuái (guān·huái {close [with] → [[be] concerned [about]]} · {(carry in) bosom → [think of; be thoughtful toward; cherish]} 关怀 關懷)
  • guānxi (guān·xi {closing [with] → [involving]} · {tying → [relating]} → [relationship; relation | (sexual) relations | bearing; impact; relevance; significance; influence] 关系 關係)
  • guānyú (guān·yú {closing → [concerning; involving; relating]} · to; towards 关于 關於)
  • guānzhù (guān·zhù {close with → [be concerned about]} · {pour into → [concentrate on]} [→ [follow with interest; pay close attention to; follow (on social media)]] 关注 關注)

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

dòngdàng‐bù’ān

dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安) ← 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 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 article “2022: A Year of Turmoil—What Does the Bible Say?”. Although we do not participate in New Year’s celebrations, we may find it beneficial to talk to people who are looking back on the past year at around this time, and who may be a little more contemplative than usual about the significance of the things that happened over the course of that tumultuous year.

To correspond with the sense of the English word “turmoil” (a noun), the Mandarin version of the above-mentioned article uses this week’s MEotW, “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” (an adjective phrase which can mean “suffered turmoil”), to describe the year 2022.

Related Expressions

The “dòng (move [→ [stir | arouse | change; alter]] 动 動)” in “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” literally means “moving”, and is used in a wide variety of other expressions. These include expressions as different as “dòngcí (dòng·cí moving · word → [verb] 动词 動詞)”, “dònglì (dòng·lì moving · force 动力 動力)”, “gǎndòng (gǎn·dòng feeling · moved | {make to feel} · move 感动 感動)”, and “dòngwù (dòng·wù moving · thing → [animal] 动物 動物)”.

The “ān ({set (sb.’s mind) at ease; calm} | {rest content; be satisfied} | {place in a suitable position [→ [install; fix; fit; set up]]} | {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm; quiet [→ [[is] safe; secure; in good health]]} 安)” in “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” has several different meanings, and it appears in well-known expressions such as “ānníng ({being peaceful}; {being tranquil} [→ [peace; tranquillity]] 安宁 安寧)”, “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)”, “ānquán (ān·quán {[being] safe} · {[being] whole} → [[being] safe; secure | safety; security] 安全)”, and “ānpái (ān·pái {placing in a suitable position} · {arranging; putting in order; sequencing; lining up} → [arranging | arrangement] 安排)”. It was also chosen to be included in the Mandarin version of the name “Anna”, “Ānnà (Anna 安娜)”, which is a past MEotW.

Neeta introduces herself to Jade (with Mandarin subtitle)
“Wǒ (I 我) jiào ({am called} 叫 叫/呌) Ānnà (Anna 安娜)”

Usage Example

Here is an example of “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” in use, adapted from the above-mentioned article:

English:

2022 was a year of turmoil. During 2022, war, economic hardship, and environmental disasters have dominated the news.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Dòngdàng (Dòng·dàng moved · swayed → [suffered turmoil] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · peaceful 不安) de (’s 的) 2022 nián (year 年 年/秊), zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng war · contending → [war] 战争 戰爭), jīngjì (jīng·jì {(of) managing of} · {crossing of a river → [helping]} → [economic] 经济 經濟) wēijī (wēi·jī {(for) ridge of a roof → [(for) danger]} · occasions → [crises] 危机 危機), huánjìng (huán·jìng surrounding · {boundaries → [(bounded) place] → [situation]} → [environmental] 环境 環境) wèntí (wèn·tí asking · problems → [problems] 问题 問題) zhī (’ 之) lèi (kind 类 類) de (’s 的) bàodǎo (bào·dǎo reporting · instructing (things) → [news reports] 报导 報導) zhànjùle (zhàn·jù·le seized · occupied · [indicates a change] 占据了 占/佔據了) xīnwén (xīn·wén new · {(that which) is heard} → [news] 新闻 新聞) tóutiáo (tóu·tiáo head · {strips → [articles]} → [lead news stories] 头条 頭條).

Categories
Theocratic

dìqū

dìqū (dì·qū land · area; district; region [→ [territory]] 地区 地區) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

Appendix A2 of the English New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), entitled “Features of This Revision”, discusses vocabulary changes that have been made in the current revision, words that have been translated differently than before. As noted in various entries in the excellent resource Referenced Theo. Expressions (RTE), Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) correspondingly discusses words that have been translated differently in the current revision of the Mandarin NWT Bible, compared to how they had been translated before.

Since we base what we say in Jehovah’s service on his Word the Bible, the vocabulary used in it—and the way those vocabulary words are translated—should be reflected in how we speak in our ministry, at our meetings, etc. So, it is beneficial for us Mandarin field language learners to be familiar with the latest thinking from the organization on how Bible terms should be translated into Mandarin.

The Land of…

Past versions of the Mandarin NWT Bible added “Dì (Land (of) 地)” after the names of lands, as in “Āijí (Egypt 埃及) Dì (Land (of) 地)” (“the Land of Egypt”). However, that isn’t the usual way to render the names of lands in Mandarin Chinese, resulting in readers finding such renderings unnatural.

So, the current Mandarin version of the NWT Bible (nwtsty) now renders the names of lands differently. For example, “Āijí (Egypt 埃及) Dì (Land (of) 地)” is now rendered as “Āijí (Egypt 埃及) Dìqū (Dì·qū Land · Region (of) 地区 地區)”, as can be seen at Genesis 13:10:

Genesis 13:10 (WOL CHS+Pinyin Parallel Translations)

The Territory of…

Incidentally, “dìqū (dì·qū land · area; district; region [→ [territory]] 地区 地區)” has also long been the expression used in Mandarin groups and congregations to refer to the “territory” that a group or congregation carries out the preaching work in. As with the English expression “territory”, one could speak of a congregation’s “dìqū (dì·qū land · region → [territory] 地区 地區)” as a whole, or of a particular “dìqū (dì·qū land · region → [territory] 地区 地區)” within that whole that, say, a car group of publishers is working.