{"id":6624,"date":"2025-07-25T22:08:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T05:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/?p=6624"},"modified":"2025-08-08T15:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T22:22:12","slug":"liyi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2025\/07\/25\/liyi\/","title":{"rendered":"l\u00ecy\u00ec"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tl\u00ecy\u00ec<\/span>\n\t\t\t(l\u00ec\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\t{sharpening \u2192 [advantage; benefit; gain | profit; interest]} \u00b7 benefit; advantage; profit \u2192<\/span> [benefit; profit]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5229\u76ca)<\/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

\u201cLookin\u2019 Out for #1\u201d?<\/h4>\n

This week\u2019s MEotW, \u201cl\u00ecy\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(l\u00ec\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\t{sharpening \u2192 [advantage; benefit; gain | profit; interest]} \u00b7 benefit; advantage; profit \u2192<\/span> [benefit; profit]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5229\u76ca)<\/span>\u201d,<\/i> is used in verse 5 (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 13:5:<\/p>\n

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

\ndoes not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests,<\/strong> does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury.\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\tb\u00fa<\/span>\n\t\t\t(not<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e0d)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tzu\u00f2<\/span>\n\t\t\t({does do}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u505a)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tb\u00f9<\/span>\n\t\t\t(not<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e0d)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tgu\u012bju<\/span>\n\t\t\t(gu\u012b\u00b7ju\n\t\t\t(following) {dividers \u2192 [rules]} \u00b7 {carpenter\u2019s squares \u2192 [regulations]} \u2192<\/span> [following established standards]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u89c4\u77e9\n\t\t\t\u898f\u77e9<\/span>)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tde<\/span>\n\t\t\t(\u2019<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u7684)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tsh\u00ec<\/span>\n\t\t\t(things<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e8b)<\/span>,\n\n\t\t\tb\u00f9<\/span>\n\t\t\t(not<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e0d)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tqi\u00fa<\/span>\n\t\t\t({does seek}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6c42)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tz\u00ecj\u01d0<\/span>\n\t\t\t(self<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u81ea\u5df1)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tde<\/span>\n\t\t\t(\u2019s<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u7684)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tl\u00ecy\u00ec<\/span>\n\t\t\t(l\u00ec\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\t{sharpening \u2192 [advantage]} \u00b7 benefit \u2192<\/span> [benefit]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5229\u76ca)<\/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\tq\u012bngy\u00ec<\/span>\n\t\t\t(q\u012bng\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\tlightly \u00b7 easily<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u8f7b\u6613\n\t\t\t\u8f15\u6613<\/span>)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\td\u00f2ngn\u00f9<\/span>\n\t\t\t(d\u00f2ng\u00b7n\u00f9\n\t\t\t{does have moved} \u00b7 anger \u2192<\/span> [does get angry]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u52a8\u6012\n\t\t\t\u52d5\u6012<\/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\tj\u00ecji\u00e0o<\/span>\n\t\t\t(j\u00ec\u00b7ji\u00e0o\n\t\t\t{does count} \u00b7 {does dispute}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u8ba1\u8f83\n\t\t\t\u8a08\u8f03<\/span>)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tbi\u00e9ren<\/span>\n\t\t\t(bi\u00e9\u00b7ren\n\t\t\tother \u00b7 people<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u522b\u4eba\n\t\t\t\u5225\u4eba<\/span>)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tz\u00e0och\u00e9ng<\/span>\n\t\t\t(z\u00e0o\u00b7ch\u00e9ng\n\t\t\t{have created} \u00b7 {to come to be}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u9020\u6210)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tde<\/span>\n\t\t\t(\u2019s<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u7684)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tsh\u0101ngh\u00e0i<\/span>\n\t\t\t(injuring \u2192<\/span> [injury]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4f24\u5bb3\n\t\t\t\u50b7\u5bb3<\/span>)<\/span>,\n\n\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The \u201cl\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(sharpen [\u2192 [do good [for\/to]; be beneficial [for\/to]]] | sharpened [\u2192 [sharp | favourable; advantageous; good; beneficial; smooth; convenient]] | sharpening [\u2192 [advantage; benefit; gain | profit; interest]]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5229)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> in \u201cl\u00ecy\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(l\u00ec\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\t{sharpening \u2192 [advantage; benefit; gain | profit; interest]} \u00b7 benefit; advantage; profit \u2192<\/span> [benefit; profit]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5229\u76ca)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> literally means \u201csharpening\u201d, and can effectively mean \u201cadvantage; benefit; gain\u201d. Similarly, the \u201cy\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(benefit; good; advantage; profit; increase | beneficial; profitable | {to increase; to benefit}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u76ca)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> in \u201cl\u00ecy\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(l\u00ec\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\t{sharpening \u2192 [advantage; benefit; gain | profit; interest]} \u00b7 benefit; advantage; profit \u2192<\/span> [benefit; profit]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5229\u76ca)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> means \u201cbenefit; advantage; profit\u201d. We can see then, why in 1 Corinthians 13:5 in the current English and Mandarin versions of the New World Translation<\/i> Bible, \u201cb\u00f9<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(not<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e0d)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tqi\u00fa<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t({does seek}<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6c42)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tz\u00ecj\u01d0<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(self<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u81ea\u5df1)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\tde<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(\u2019s<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u7684)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tl\u00ecy\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(l\u00ec\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\t{sharpening \u2192 [advantage]} \u00b7 benefit \u2192<\/span> [benefit]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u5229\u76ca)<\/span>\u201d<\/i>\n\t\t\t<\/strong> corresponds with the English phrase \u201cdoes not look for its own interests\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this regard, true Christian love is completely opposite from the norm in Satan\u2019s world, which is the kind of self-interest and lovelessness that\u2019s expressed by this excerpt from the lyrics<\/a> of the song \u201cLookin\u2019 Out for #1<\/a>\u201d:<\/p>\n

\nEvery night is a different game
\nWe gotta work for our fortune and fame
\nSuccess is a ladder, take a step at a time
\nAnd the people will remember your name<\/p>\n

Yes, I found out all the tricks of the trade
\nAnd that\u2019s there\u2019s only one way you\u2019re gonna get things done
\nI found out the only way to the top
\nIs looking out for number one
\nAnd that\u2019s me, I\u2019m looking out for number one\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not Looking For Our Own Interests in the Mandarin Field<\/h4>\n

Unlike the self-seeking people of Satan\u2019s world, Mandarin field language learners who seek to show Christian love must not view their language learning and ministry as just a game, nor should they be seeking fortune and fame, or success as defined by the world. And rather than wanting people to remember their names, they seek to proclaim Jehovah\u2019s<\/em> name. Rather than trying to get to the top, they try to help Mandarin-speaking people to get everlasting life. Yes, rather than looking out for number one (themselves), they exert themselves and make sacrifices to help others as spiritual rescue workers, and they seek to glorify, not themselves, but rather, Jehovah,<\/em> as admonished by our recently introduced song \u201cGive Jehovah Glory<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

To help us gain insight on how well we are doing when it comes to not looking for our own interests in the Mandarin field, we could consider the following: <\/p>\n