{"id":6363,"date":"2025-04-15T23:59:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T06:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/?p=6363"},"modified":"2025-04-20T21:22:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T04:22:28","slug":"jidu-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2025\/04\/15\/jidu-2\/","title":{"rendered":"j\u00edd\u00f9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tj\u00edd\u00f9<\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5ac9\u5992)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t \ud83d\udc48\ud83c\udffc Tap\/click to show\/hide the \u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span>\n<\/h3>\n\n

[Notes:<\/strong> Tap\/click on a P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> expression to reveal its <\/span>\u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span>; tap\/click on a <\/span>\u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span> or its P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> expression to hide the<\/span> \u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span>. \ud83d\udcd6<\/span> \ud83d\udcc4<\/span> \ud83d\udcd8 icons mean \ud83d\udcd6<\/span> Reveal All<\/strong>, \ud83d\udcc4<\/span> Reveal Advanced<\/strong>, and \ud83d\udcd8 Reveal None<\/strong> re all the \u201cflashcards\u201d<\/span> in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]<\/p>\n

I have long especially liked 1 Corinthians 13<\/a>. It contains counsel on what really does and doesn\u2019t matter in life, an extensive description and definition of the most important kind of love, and a sublime discussion about the need to become complete, mature, as a person. As these apply to life in general, so too do they apply to our lives as Mandarin field language learners.<\/p>\n

As Mandarin field language learners, it can benefit us greatly to consider what we can learn from 1 Corinthians 13, and along the way, we can also consider some of the Mandarin expressions used in that chapter<\/a> in the current version of the Mandarin New World Translation<\/i> Bible (nwtsty).<\/p>\n

Two Ways About It<\/h4>\n

This week\u2019s MEotW, \u201cj\u00edd\u00f9<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5ac9\u5992)<\/span>\u201d,<\/i> is used in verse 4 (WOL<\/a>) of 1 Corinthians 13:<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

(Dark mode for the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY (WOL) website, as shown in the above image, can be enabled in the Safari web browser by using the Noir<\/a> Safari extension. Other web browsers may also have extensions with similar functionality.)<\/p>\n

For comparison, here are the current English and P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> Plus renderings of 1 Corinthians 13:4:<\/p>\n

English<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\nLove is patient and kind. Love is not jealous.<\/strong> It does not brag, does not get puffed up,\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> Plus<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n\n\t\t\t\ud83d\udcd6<\/span> \ud83d\udcc4<\/span> \ud83d\udcd8<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u00c0i<\/span>\n\t\t\t(love<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u7231\n\t\t\t\u611b<\/span>)<\/span>,\n\n\t\t\ty\u01d2u<\/span>\n\t\t\t(has<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6709)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tn\u00e0ix\u012bn<\/span>\n\t\t\t(n\u00e0i\u00b7x\u012bn\n\t\t\t{being (of\/with) enduring} \u00b7 heart \u2192<\/span> [patience]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u8010\u5fc3)<\/span>,\n\n\t\t\ty\u00f2u<\/span>\n\t\t\t(also<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u53c8)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tr\u00e9nc\u00ed<\/span>\n\t\t\t(r\u00e9n\u00b7c\u00ed\n\t\t\t{is kind}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4ec1\u6148)<\/span>.\n\n\t\t\t\u00c0i<\/span>\n\t\t\t(love<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u7231\n\t\t\t\u611b<\/span>)<\/span>,\n\n\t\t\tb\u00f9<\/span>\n\t\t\t(not<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e0d)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tj\u00edd\u00f9<\/span>\n\t\t\t({is jealous}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5ac9\u5992)<\/span>,\n\t\t\t<\/strong>\n\n\t\t\tb\u00f9<\/span>\n\t\t\t(not<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e0d)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tchu\u012bx\u016b<\/span>\n\t\t\t(chu\u012b\u00b7x\u016b\n\t\t\t{does puff \u2192 [does brag]} \u00b7 {does sigh \u2192 [does praise]} \u2192<\/span> [does brag]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5439\u5618\n\t\t\t\u5439\u5653<\/span>)<\/span>,\n\n\t\t\tb\u00fa<\/span>\n\t\t\t(not<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e0d)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tz\u00ecd\u00e0<\/span>\n\t\t\t(z\u00ec\u00b7d\u00e0\n\t\t\t{(does consider) self} \u00b7 {to be big \u2192<\/span> [to be great]}<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\u81ea\u5927)<\/span>,\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Both of the morphemes<\/a> in \u201cj\u00edd\u00f9<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5ac9\u5992)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> mean \u201cbe jealous of\u201d or \u201cenvy\u201d. Interestingly, these morphemes can be reversed to produce \u201cd\u00f9j\u00ed<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5992\u5ac9)<\/span>\u201d,<\/i> which means the same thing as \u201cj\u00edd\u00f9<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5ac9\u5992)<\/span>\u201d.<\/i> In this respect, these expressions are like \u201cf\u01cel\u01dc<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6cd5\u5f8b)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> and \u201cl\u01dcf\u01ce<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5f8b\u6cd5)<\/span>\u201d.<\/i> The MEotW post<\/a> on \u201cf\u01cel\u01dc<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6cd5\u5f8b)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> had this to say about this situation:<\/p>\n

\n

But, Why?<\/h4>\n

If \u201cl\u01dcf\u01ce<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5f8b\u6cd5)<\/span>\u201d and \u201cf\u01cel\u01dc<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6cd5\u5f8b)<\/span>\u201d both mean basically the same thing, why did the world\u2019s Mandarin-speaking population bother to switch the order of \u201cl\u01dc<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law; statute; rule; regulation<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5f8b)<\/span>\u201d and \u201cf\u01ce<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law | method; way; mode | standard; model | {magic arts} | {follow; model after}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6cd5)<\/span>\u201d in popular usage? Who knows? Appendix A2 of the Mandarin NWT<\/i> Bible, probably wisely, does not get into the why of it, just mentioning that \u201cf\u01cel\u01dc<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6cd5\u5f8b)<\/span>\u201d is now the more common usage. Even if it turns out that there was a reason, it may not be what most would consider a good reason. Sometimes people are just weird, and, speaking as a Chinese person myself, that includes Chinese people\u2014just look at some of the arbitrary ways in which Chinese characters have been designed, that have turned trying to figure out the pronunciations and meanings of unfamiliar Chinese characters into a guessing game.<\/p>\n

Speaking of what\u2019s commonplace or popular and why, I am reminded of this quote<\/a> from William Goldman, who wrote the screenplay for The Princess Bride<\/i> as well as the screenplays for several other successful, well-known movies:<\/p>\n

\nNobody knows anything\u2026Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what\u2019s going to work. Every time out it\u2019s a guess\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Regarding which Mandarin expression for \u201cbe jealous of\u201d is better to use in the Mandarin field, in the Chinese Mandarin (Simplified) version of the Watchtower Online Library (WOL), searching yielded only 6 occurrences of \u201c\u5992\u5ac9\u201d (\u201cd\u00f9j\u00ed<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5992\u5ac9)<\/span>\u201d),<\/i> occurring between 1960 and 1974 and fitting on a single page, while there were multiple pages of results for \u201c\u5ac9\u5992\u201d (\u201cj\u00edd\u00f9<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5ac9\u5992)<\/span>\u201d),<\/i> including many occurrences in the current Mandarin New World Translation<\/i> Study Bible (nwtsty). So, clearly, the organization now uses \u201cj\u00edd\u00f9<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5ac9\u5992)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> regularly, and no longer uses \u201cd\u00f9j\u00ed<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({being jealous [of]}; envying<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5992\u5ac9)<\/span>\u201d.<\/i><\/p>\n

No Way to Live, or Love<\/h4>\n

While there may be two ways of saying \u201cbeing jealous\u201d in Mandarin, being jealous is no way to live, or love. Regarding jealousy, the recent MEotW post<\/a> on \u201csh\u00edj\u00ed<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(sh\u00ed\u00b7j\u00ed\n\t\t\tten \u00b7 {(stair)step [\u2192 [level; rank; grade; class]]} [\u2192 [master\/expert level (coll)]]<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5341\u7ea7\n\t\t\t\u5341\u7d1a<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> said:<\/p>\n

\nSpeaking of being an expert, is that a bad thing? Some of those around us, perhaps out of insecurity or jealousy<\/a>, may seek to \u201ckeep us in our place\u201d if we get \u201cuppity\u201d, exhibit \u201cpretensions of grandeur\u201d, and actually try to be good at something, perhaps better at it than they are. (Matthew 13:54\u201358<\/a>)\u2026<\/p>\n

However, God\u2019s Word\u2026encourages us to actually give Jehovah the best \u201csacrifice of praise\u201d that we can. (Malachi 1:6\u20138<\/a>; Hebrews 11:4<\/a>; 13:15<\/a>) So, ignore any insecure or jealous naysayers around you, and as Jesus said, \u201clet your light shine\u201d in the Mandarin field, even at sh\u00edj\u00ed<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(sh\u00ed\u00b7j\u00ed\n\t\t\tten \u00b7 {(stair)step \u2192 [level]} \u2192<\/span> [expert level (coll)]<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5341\u7ea7\n\t\t\t\u5341\u7d1a<\/span>)<\/span> if you can, not to glorify yourself, but to glorify our heavenly Father Jehovah.\u2014Matthew 5:16<\/a>.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Also, the MEotW post<\/a> on \u201cgu\u012bju<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(gu\u012b\u00b7ju\n\t\t\t[([is] following)] {compasses; dividers \u2192 [rules; regulations]} \u00b7 {carpenter\u2019s squares \u2192 [rules; regulations]} \u2192<\/span> [[[is] following] rules; customs; established practices\/standards | [[is] following] social etiquette; manners | [is] well-behaved; well-disciplined]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u89c4\u77e9\n\t\t\t\u898f\u77e9<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> contains the following:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cStrife and Jealousy\u201d<\/h4>\n

In the New World Translation<\/i> Bible in the Watchtower Online Library, one of the scriptures linked to 1 Corinthians 13:5<\/a> with regard to \u201cindecently\u201d is Romans 13:13<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\nLet us walk decently as in the daytime, not in wild parties and drunkenness, not in immoral intercourse and brazen conduct, not in strife and jealousy.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Note that among the things that God\u2019s Word lists as being indecent, along with things like drunkenness and sexual immorality, are \u201cstrife and jealousy\u201d.<\/p>\n

If someone makes an issue of a Mandarin field language learner who, say, uses P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> instead of following tradition and exclusively focusing on characters, is that person not being like those who made an issue of Jesus healing on the Sabbath? Instead of being happy and joyful because of the good that Jesus was doing, those opposers of Jesus were jealous of how \u201cthe entire crowd began to rejoice at all the glorious things he did\u201d. (Luke 13:17<\/a>) Opposers of P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> use today may similarly be jealous of how those who make good use of P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> can accomplish much in Jehovah\u2019s service without having to put the kind of blood, sweat, and tears into learning characters the traditional way that they did. In their tradition-loving eyes, breaking from tradition and using innovative and game-changingly effective new tools like P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n\t\t\t{Piecing Together of} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> [Pinyin]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> may seem \u201cindecent\u201d, but in God\u2019s<\/em> eyes, it is the jealousy-motivated strife such ones cause over people doing good in his service that is truly<\/em> indecent.<\/p>\n

\n

In God's organization, our unity is based on God's truth, not on human tradition.<\/p>\n

[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n

— tiandi, Links News (@tiandilinksnews.bsky.social<\/a>) February 2, 2025 at 8:27 AM<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n