{"id":3098,"date":"2023-01-30T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/?p=3098"},"modified":"2023-05-07T15:36:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T22:36:00","slug":"buzu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2023\/01\/30\/buzu\/","title":{"rendered":"b\u00f9z\u00fa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tb\u00f9z\u00fa<\/span>\n(b\u00f9\u00b7z\u00fa\nsectional \u00b7 {ethnic group} \u2192<\/span> [tribe]<\/span>\n\u90e8\u65cf)<\/span>\n\n \u2190 Tap\/click to show\/hide the \u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n

Appendix A2<\/a> of the English New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures<\/i> (Study Edition), entitled \u201cFeatures of This Revision\u201d, 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)<\/i><\/a>, Appendix A2<\/a> of the current Mandarin<\/em> version of the New World Translation<\/i> Bible (nwtsty) correspondingly discusses words that have been translated differently in the current revision of the Mandarin NWT<\/i> Bible, compared to how they had been translated before.<\/p>\n

Since we base what we say in Jehovah\u2019s service on his Word the Bible, the vocabulary used in it\u2014and the way those vocabulary words are translated\u2014should 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.<\/p>\n

Adding Context<\/h4>\n

In past Mandarin Bible translations, a name like \u201cY\u00f3ud\u00e0<\/i><\/span>\n(Judah<\/span>\n\u72b9\u5927\n\u7336\u5927<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d might be used to refer to a man, a tribe, a nation, etc., and this could cause readers to be confused. So, the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation<\/i> Bible (nwtsty) translates such names more clearly, for example using \u201cY\u00f3ud\u00e0<\/i><\/span>\n(Judah<\/span>\n\u72b9\u5927\n\u7336\u5927<\/span>)<\/span>\n\nb\u00f9z\u00fa<\/i><\/span>\n(b\u00f9\u00b7z\u00fa\nsectional \u00b7 {ethnic group} \u2192<\/span> [tribe]<\/span>\n\u90e8\u65cf)<\/span>\u201d to mean \u201cthe tribe of Judah\u201d, using \u201cY\u00f3ud\u00e0<\/i><\/span>\n(Judah<\/span>\n\u72b9\u5927\n\u7336\u5927<\/span>)<\/span>\n\ngu\u00f3<\/i><\/span>\n(nation<\/span>\n\u56fd\n\u570b<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d to mean \u201cthe nation of Judah\u201d, using \u201cY\u00f3ud\u00e0<\/i><\/span>\n(Judah<\/span>\n\u72b9\u5927\n\u7336\u5927<\/span>)<\/span>\n\nd\u00ecq\u016b<\/i><\/span>\n(d\u00ec\u00b7q\u016b\nland \u00b7 region<\/span>\n\u5730\u533a\n\u5730\u5340<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d to mean \u201cthe land of Judah\u201d, etc.\u2014M\u00ednsh\u00f9j\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n(M\u00edn\u00b7sh\u00f9\u00b7j\u00ec\n{The People} \u00b7 Numbers \u00b7 Record \u2192<\/span> [Numbers]<\/span>\n\u6c11\u6570\u8bb0\n\u6c11\u6578\u8a18<\/span>)<\/span> 1:7<\/a>; Li\u00e8w\u00e1ngj\u00ec Sh\u00e0ng<\/i><\/span>\n((Li\u00e8\u00b7w\u00e1ng\u00b7j\u00ec\n{Series of} \u00b7 Kings \u00b7 Record<\/span>\n\u5217\u738b\u7eaa\n\u5217\u738b\u7d00<\/span>)\n(Sh\u00e0ng\nUpper<\/span>\n\u4e0a)\n\u2192<\/span> [1 Kings]<\/span>)<\/span> 13:1<\/a>; N\u00edx\u012bm\u01d0j\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n(N\u00edx\u012bm\u01d0\u00b7j\u00ec\nNehemiah \u00b7 Record<\/span>\n\u5c3c\u5e0c\u7c73\u8bb0\n\u5c3c\u5e0c\u7c73\u8a18<\/span>)<\/span> 11:3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Numbers<\/p>\n

By the way, the \u201cb\u00f9<\/i><\/span>\n(part; section [\u2192 [unit; ministry; department; board]] | [mw for large books, films, machines, vehicles, etc.<\/i>]<\/span>\n\u90e8)<\/span>\u201d in \u201cb\u00f9z\u00fa<\/i><\/span>\n(b\u00f9\u00b7z\u00fa\nsectional \u00b7 {ethnic group} \u2192<\/span> [tribe]<\/span>\n\u90e8\u65cf)<\/span>\u201d (this week\u2019s MEotW) is also the one that appears in the well-known expression \u201cb\u00f9fen<\/i><\/span>\n(b\u00f9\u00b7fen\npart; section \u00b7 component; share; part; portion<\/span>\n\u90e8\u5206)<\/span>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Solving \u201cThe Homophone Problem\u201d<\/h4>\n

A section<\/a> of the article \u201cP\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n{Piecing Together} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> Was Plan A<\/a>\u201d addresses the common contention that P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n{Piecing Together} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> is not suitable as a writing system for Mandarin because of the high number of homophones in Mandarin:<\/p>\n

\nSome may object, saying that there are so many homophones in Chinese that the characters are needed to tell them apart from each other. (A homophone<\/a> is a word that has the same pronunciation<\/em> as another word, but that has a different meaning<\/em> from it.) However, consider: When people are just speaking<\/em> Mandarin, with no characters in sight to help them, do they have problems understanding each other because of all the homophones? Can blind Mandarin-speakers, who cannot see characters, still \u201csee\u201d what people mean when those people speak Mandarin? Native Mandarin-speakers have confirmed to me that no, homophones are not a significant problem in spoken Mandarin\u2014people can use the context and understand each other okay. So, people can use the context and understand each other okay when using P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i> too, since P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i> directly represents the sound of spoken Mandarin.<\/p>\n

\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026other ways [besides resorting to characters] to alleviate the problem. Those other ways could include:<\/p>\n