Jan 10, 2008 13:41
16 yrs ago
5 viewers *
English term
fish or bearpaw
English to Chinese
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
expressions, proverbs
Or, alternatively, fish or bear's paw. I understand it's core meaning, but would you please enlighten me on its rhetorical connotaions and origins, which I suspect are Chinese.
Proposed translations
(Chinese)
4 +10 | 鱼和熊掌 | Frank Wang |
Change log
Jan 10, 2008 15:12: Jason Ma changed "Language pair" from "Chinese to English" to "English to Chinese"
Proposed translations
+10
5 mins
Selected
鱼和熊掌
鱼和熊掌, from an ancient Chinese essay
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Note added at 9 mins (2008-01-10 13:51:58 GMT)
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Versions of translation:
He who hunts two hares leaves one and loses the other.
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
...
成语“鱼与熊掌不可兼得”出自孟子《鱼我所欲章》。
“鱼,我所欲也,熊掌,亦我所欲也;二者不可得兼,舍鱼而取熊掌者也。生,亦我所欲也,义,亦我所欲也;二者不可得兼,舍生而取义者也。”孟子用人们生活中熟知的具体事物打了一个比方:鱼是我想得到的,熊掌也是我想得到的,在两者不能同时得到的情况下,我宁愿舍弃鱼而要熊掌;生命是我所珍爱的,义也是我所珍爱的,在两者不能同时得到的情况下,我宁愿舍弃生命而要义。在这里,孟子把生命比作鱼,把义比作熊掌,认为义比生命更珍贵就像熊掌比鱼更珍贵一样.
本文节选自《孟子·告子上》。《告子上》的主要内容是阐明“性善说”,即人性里天生就有向善的种子,所谓“恻隐之心,人皆有之;羞恶之心,人皆有之;恭敬之心,人皆有之;是非之心,人皆有之”。这种善的天性,就是人的“本心”。“本心”不可小视,因为它们分别是仁义礼智这几种道德的萌芽形态:“恻隐之心,仁之端也;羞恶之心,义之端也;辞让(意近“恭敬”)之心,礼之端也;是非之心,义之端也。”人应该推求本心,顺着“本心”的方向发展,并将它发扬光大,从而成为道德上完善的人。因此,放到《告子下》全文里看,本文讲的是每个人都有“本心”,无论在什么情况下,人都应该保有自己的“本心”。只要“本心”在,即使在生死关头,人也能经受住考验;而如果丧失了“本心”,人就会做出有损于人格的事来。
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Note added at 2 days23 hrs (2008-01-13 12:50:53 GMT)
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The ancient Chinese thinker Mencius compared fish to life, and bearpaw to righteousness. As "he who hunts two hares leaves one and loses the other", so he took bearpaw/pursued righteousness.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2008-01-10 13:51:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Versions of translation:
He who hunts two hares leaves one and loses the other.
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
...
成语“鱼与熊掌不可兼得”出自孟子《鱼我所欲章》。
“鱼,我所欲也,熊掌,亦我所欲也;二者不可得兼,舍鱼而取熊掌者也。生,亦我所欲也,义,亦我所欲也;二者不可得兼,舍生而取义者也。”孟子用人们生活中熟知的具体事物打了一个比方:鱼是我想得到的,熊掌也是我想得到的,在两者不能同时得到的情况下,我宁愿舍弃鱼而要熊掌;生命是我所珍爱的,义也是我所珍爱的,在两者不能同时得到的情况下,我宁愿舍弃生命而要义。在这里,孟子把生命比作鱼,把义比作熊掌,认为义比生命更珍贵就像熊掌比鱼更珍贵一样.
本文节选自《孟子·告子上》。《告子上》的主要内容是阐明“性善说”,即人性里天生就有向善的种子,所谓“恻隐之心,人皆有之;羞恶之心,人皆有之;恭敬之心,人皆有之;是非之心,人皆有之”。这种善的天性,就是人的“本心”。“本心”不可小视,因为它们分别是仁义礼智这几种道德的萌芽形态:“恻隐之心,仁之端也;羞恶之心,义之端也;辞让(意近“恭敬”)之心,礼之端也;是非之心,义之端也。”人应该推求本心,顺着“本心”的方向发展,并将它发扬光大,从而成为道德上完善的人。因此,放到《告子下》全文里看,本文讲的是每个人都有“本心”,无论在什么情况下,人都应该保有自己的“本心”。只要“本心”在,即使在生死关头,人也能经受住考验;而如果丧失了“本心”,人就会做出有损于人格的事来。
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days23 hrs (2008-01-13 12:50:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The ancient Chinese thinker Mencius compared fish to life, and bearpaw to righteousness. As "he who hunts two hares leaves one and loses the other", so he took bearpaw/pursued righteousness.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Naikei Wong
: 我们这边较常的说法“鱼与熊掌”(followed by 不可兼得) -- used even in daily conversation
5 mins
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Many thanks!
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agree |
Shirley Lao
20 mins
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Many thanks!
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agree |
franksf
39 mins
|
Many thanks!
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agree |
Jinhang Wang
59 mins
|
Many thanks!
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agree |
Jason Ma
1 hr
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Many thanks!
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agree |
CHEN-Ling
2 hrs
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Many thanks!
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agree |
orientalhorizon
: When you have to choose between exclusive alternatives, you shall choose the one of higher value.
11 hrs
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Many thanks!
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agree |
Han Li
15 hrs
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Many thanks!
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agree |
Smartrans He
18 hrs
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Many thanks!
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agree |
lhcm
: I think what the asker wanted to know is the meaning of this saying and the wisdom behind it. Not its writing in Chinese.
23 hrs
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Many thanks! You are right. He needs explanation instead fo translation.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
Discussion