Chinese Sayings

[AlexBrit]

Hi people, love this forum. Apologies, I haven't been on for while. Like, since July 2008!

Anyways, can you help me - I would like to know of any sayings in Chinese on the theme of humility... Any ideas?

[blackmeow]

try this?

三人行，必有我师焉。择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之。

:rolleyes:

[Glenn]

Does that basically mean that among three people (who I assume are traveling), one is to select the good one and make them their master, and select the bad one and make them better? That's probably not close to a good translation...

[required10]

“三”in sayings often has a meaning of "several", it doesn't need to be exactly three.

And the meaning of the saying above should be:

Among several people there must be one from whom I can learn something, if it's good property I should follow, if it's not good I should check it in myself and make myself better.

[blackmeow]

required10 made a perfect translation for that!!

this saying is all about: u can learn something from anyone.

[Glenn]

So 师 refers to property? Or 者 refers to property?

[xialei]

haha, so cute.. 师 means teacher referring to one who knows more than you do and behave better than you do. The whole saying simply means: Try to pick up virtues and good qualities from those who behaves better than you do. However, if there are people who have a lot flaws within their behaviors, try to consider self whether we have the same or not. If you do, correct it.

I'm a chinese. not sure if it offers help or not..

[xiaocai]

者, I think.

[blackmeow]

Glenn:

xiaocai is right here.

in this case: 者=property in the translation work of required10.

in classic chinese, 者 often means: something and somebody, but remember it is not anything or anybody, it just means: the word 'something ' or 'somebody' themselves. so it is just a half-word.

example1: 行者==traveler， in this case, 者=‘er’ or 'someone who is' This example (use 者 refers to somebody ) is been wildly used in both 现代文 白话文 and 文言文.

example2: 吾君在前,叱者何也? translation: why barking (something or that) in front of my king! 者here means the 'something' . This example (use 者 refers to something) is been wildly used only in 白话文 文言文 and even 先秦文， but hardly see any in 现代文.

example3: 二者不可得兼。 translation: one can't have both ( have to choice one and let the other one go ) 者 here means 'all of the subjects which has been mentioned above.' This example is been wildly used in all 现代文， 白话文，文言文

and there are so many other way to use 者, some only happened in 文言文 as 'that, which': 马之千里者,一食或尽粟一石。

and some are only used in 白话文 as 'frivolous' or 'false': 一时甜如蜜,一时辣如椒,没定准的冤家也,看你者到何时了?

and some are only used before the end of 汉朝 as 'many': 天下遇,者监和.

overall, u may only need to understand that 者 is used mostly as 'that, which ,who' in English， then u will be just fine.

:rolleyes:

[Glenn]

Alright, then I'll chalk this one up to "more complex than I can currently comprehend". Maybe in 3 years I can come back to it and it'll make sense to me. Thanks for the explanation.

[blackmeow]

Glenn don't worry! u're on the right track, and making good progress！

for 者 u just need to know in 现代文 it means '的人' that will be enough for most of ur 现代文 reading.

don't give up on 者 Glenn! may the force be with u!

[creamyhorror]

Alright, then I'll chalk this one up to "more complex than I can currently comprehend". Maybe in 3 years I can come back to it and it'll make sense to me. Thanks for the explanation.

必有我师焉。 = [must] [exist] [my-teacher] = there must be someone who [can be] my teacher.

其善者 = [that/those] [good] [things] = the good parts/things of that = the good parts/things among them

Thus,

择其善者而从之 = Choose that which is good and follow it;

其不善者而改之。 = [take] that which is not good and change it [in oneself].

I hope that helps!

[Glenn]

Ah, yes, that makes perfect sense! That use of 者 is a real surprise to me, and a bit of a shock, as I always thought of it as meaning person (although now that I think about it 後者 and 前者 typically don't refer to people...). Thanks for the breakdown!

don't give up on 者 Glenn! may the force be with u!

Thanks! And also with you! (That's kind of a Catholic joke)

[creamyhorror]

Yeah, 者 doesn't quite have its more common modern-day meaning here. That's classical Chinese for you - most words have different meanings from modern Mandarin, and without experience you often can't tell which meaning is intended. Glad it helped.