Oct 13, 2011 05:47
12 yrs ago
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Japanese term
小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し
Japanese to English
Other
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Hello. I am translating something that contains both 君子の交わりは淡きこと水の如し, and 小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し.
I found 君子の交わりは淡きこと水の如し as "friends agree best at a distance".
What would be a good translation for 小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し, that would make sense alongside "friends agree best at a distance"?
Thanks in advance.
I found 君子の交わりは淡きこと水の如し as "friends agree best at a distance".
What would be a good translation for 小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し, that would make sense alongside "friends agree best at a distance"?
Thanks in advance.
Proposed translations
1 day 7 hrs
Friendship between small people is sweet like wine
Declined
Literally I believe this translates as Friendship (or relationships) between small people is sweet like wine (sweet sake). This is originally a Chinese proverb. Little or small people refers to the emotionally shallow or immature. 小人 those with small hearts versus 大人 used to mean adults, mature people, those with large hearts. Sweet as wine refers to the ease in which they can become friends and while it tastes sweet, it will end quickly just as wine will spoil if left out.
1 day 11 hrs
Evelyn Xian
Japan
Japan
Japan
Native in: Chinese (Variants: Mandarin, Simplified) 
Works in: English to Chinese, Japanese to Chinese, Japanese to English
The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate;
Declined
2.君子之交淡如水，小人之交甘如醴。君子淡以亲，小人甘以绝。
The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate; the friendship between men without virtue is sweet like wine, yet easily broken.
http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/34058991.html
The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate; the friendship between men without virtue is sweet like wine, yet easily broken.
http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/34058991.html
30 days
Pierrick Jaouen, CFA
France
France
Native in English
Works in field
France
Financial and business translator
Native in: English (Variants: US, UK) , French (Variants: Belgian, Swiss, Standard-France)
Works in: Arabic to English, Chinese to English, Japanese to English, and 13 more.
Relationships among common people are like sweet rice wine - sugary and murky
We hereby emphasize the contrast in the type of relationships:
- sugary and murky (i.e. untrustworthy) among common people
- a bit distant but pure and transparent among noble-hearted people
A very nice image and a very interesting insight on the (traditional) Japanese "bushido" psyche !
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Note added at 35 gün (2011-11-17 10:29:27 GMT)
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or we could say "amazake sweet rice wine" to give it a more local color
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Note added at 356 days (2012-10-03 06:26:54 GMT)
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.
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Note added at 469 days (2013-01-24 10:40:57 GMT)
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OK ?
- sugary and murky (i.e. untrustworthy) among common people
- a bit distant but pure and transparent among noble-hearted people
A very nice image and a very interesting insight on the (traditional) Japanese "bushido" psyche !
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 gün (2011-11-17 10:29:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
or we could say "amazake sweet rice wine" to give it a more local color
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 356 days (2012-10-03 06:26:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 469 days (2013-01-24 10:40:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
OK ?
Reference comments
1 hr
Reference:
定訳？
The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate; the friendship between men without virtue is sweet like wine, yet easily broken.
検索すると結構ヒットするので、定訳かもしれません。
検索すると結構ヒットするので、定訳かもしれません。
1 day 5 hrs
1 day 11 hrs
Reference:
君子之交淡若水，小人之交甘若醴
荘子『山木篇』の「且君子之交淡若水，小人之交甘若醴」が原文で、http://ctext.org/zhuangzi/tree-on-the-mountain/zh?en=on にて下記のように訳されています。
Moreover, the intercourse of superior men is tasteless as water, while that of mean men is sweet as new wine.
Superior men / mean men 以外にも、Benshin さんの men of virtue という訳や、例えば gentlemen と lesser / mean men という対比でも場合によっては良いかもしれません。Intercourse 以外にも、interaction, relationship や friendship などの訳があると思います。
また、この場合、君子と小人の交わりの違いは物理的距離にあるわけではないので、distance / close と訳す場合は注意が必要かもしれません。
Moreover, the intercourse of superior men is tasteless as water, while that of mean men is sweet as new wine.
Superior men / mean men 以外にも、Benshin さんの men of virtue という訳や、例えば gentlemen と lesser / mean men という対比でも場合によっては良いかもしれません。Intercourse 以外にも、interaction, relationship や friendship などの訳があると思います。
また、この場合、君子と小人の交わりの違いは物理的距離にあるわけではないので、distance / close と訳す場合は注意が必要かもしれません。
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
humbird
: Agree, this is not about distance (whether physical or mental). This is about transparency in relationship. In olden days wines were murky, unlike most of alcohol beverages of today. Such background must be taken into consideration.
1 day 1 hr
|
| agree |
Pierrick Jaouen, CFA
: Yes, sweet and murky like sweet rice wine (amazake)
29 days
|
Discussion
［意味］物事をよくわきまえた人の交際は水のようだ。つまらぬ小人物の交際は、まるで甘酒のように甘く、ベタべタした関係であり、一時的には濃密のように見えても、長続きせず、破綻を招きやすいものだ
(But I am looking for the English)