hpa88 Posted July 28, 2011 at 01:36 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 01:36 PM Hello to everybody. I'm traslating this renminribao article on a Confucious statue and I can't work out the meaning of the conclusive sentence. The article has just enumerated the positive features of the masterpiece and then concludes as following: 正是通过这一特殊的媒介而获得雕塑的社会意义和审美价值 I just cannot understand what's the sentence structure and what is the main verb (if there's one) thank you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbradfor Posted July 28, 2011 at 02:13 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 02:13 PM [stares at sentence for 5 minutes...... starts to get headache....] I think the verb here is "获得". 正是 -- in summary, 通过这一特殊的媒介 -- through the use of this special medium (material?) 而获得 -- one obtains 雕塑的社会意义和审美价值 -- a statue that represents the meaning of society and the value of aesthetics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny同志 Posted July 28, 2011 at 03:00 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 03:00 PM 正是通过这一特殊的媒介而获得雕塑的社会意义和审美价值。 It was through this special medium that the statue’s social and aesthetic value were realized.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted July 28, 2011 at 03:13 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 03:13 PM You can easily find the original article on the internet. I wonder what the medium is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpa88 Posted July 28, 2011 at 03:46 PM Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 03:46 PM i guess that the "medium" here is the statue itself. by the way, there's anothere obscure sentence. here it is 新国博建筑面积由过去的6.5万平方米增加到近20万平方米，800至2000平方米展厅达到49个，藏品数量达到105万件 only the part in bold. I just can't understand what the last GE is referred to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creamyhorror Posted July 28, 2011 at 05:24 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 05:24 PM 正是 -- in summary,通过这一特殊的媒介 -- through the use of this special medium (material?) 而获得 -- one obtains 雕塑的社会意义和审美价值 -- a statue that represents the meaning of society and the value of aesthetics. I think your parsing of 雕塑的社会意义和审美价值 is a little off. 雕塑 的 [社会意义 和 审美价值] = the statue's societal significance and aesthetic value. Basic structure of the sentence: unmentioned subject 通过 媒介 而 获得 意义和价值 The subject is receiving/grasping the societal significance and aesthetic value of the statue via the medium in question (and not obtaining a statue through the medium; that isn't allowed by the grammatical structure of the sentence). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted July 28, 2011 at 06:18 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 06:18 PM Lets find the paragraph we're dealing with 孔子是中国文化的名片 (yuck) 吕章申告诉记者，孔子在我国家喻户晓、历代被称为“圣人”，是中国传统文化的代表，也是中国文化的名片，在国际社会有着广泛而深刻的影响。中国人对孔子形象的向往和憧憬，几千年来有不同的表达方式，艺术家用各自的智慧将他们心目中的孔子形象作出了不同的演绎，成为人们瞻仰和礼拜的圣像。今天当人们面对这尊塑像时，会发出许多文化的感慨，会产生与孔子思想相关的许多联想，所谓的“思接千古”，正是通过这一特殊的媒介而获得雕塑的社会意义和审美价值。 I would say the 媒介 is the thoughts it provokes in the observer. I just can't understand what the last GE is referred to. 展厅s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbradfor Posted July 28, 2011 at 09:59 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 09:59 PM In reading it, I'm not sure there is an actual physical statue being referred to?? hpa88, any chance you can post your translation? I'd be interested in seeing what anyone can get out of that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny同志 Posted July 28, 2011 at 11:16 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 11:16 PM 今天当人们面对这尊塑像时，会发出许多文化的感慨，会产生与孔子思想相关的许多联想，所谓的“思接千古”，正是通过这一特殊的媒介而获得雕塑的社会意义和审美价值。 Now we have got the context, it's easier to parse the sentence. As I understand it, the medium here is the statue itself – we can’t find any other object that fits. The later part doesn’t make sense. The so-called 思接千古 (an invisible action) can't have the statue's societal significance and aesthetic value. The intended meaning is more likely to be 人们通过雕像“思接千古”，从而实现了雕像的社会价值( we connect our thoughts with that of the ancients through this statue of Confucius and thus its societal significance is realized).Btw, I think the aesthetic value is inherent in the statue itself. So it is often the case that it is not that your Chinese is not good enough, but that the writer's Chinese is not good enough to be readily understood. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny同志 Posted July 28, 2011 at 11:25 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 11:25 PM Any writing in any language should be as plain as possible, and more importantly, sincere. 牵强附会 often results in confusion and make people laugh, and in more serious cases, sick. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted July 28, 2011 at 11:27 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 at 11:27 PM The later part doesn’t make sense. I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creamyhorror Posted July 29, 2011 at 03:16 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 at 03:16 PM The later part doesn’t make sense. Yeah, I was wondering how “思接千古” can 获得雕塑的社会意义和审美价值, since 思接千古 is a state/action, and states/actions can't receive or obtain a statue's significance. Lousy grammar, basically (and that's not even considering the abstract subject matter so typical of arts writing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted July 29, 2011 at 03:24 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 at 03:24 PM What he's trying to say is that the statue arouses thoughts of the past, and this is what makes the statue significant and gives it its beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creamyhorror Posted July 29, 2011 at 03:49 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 at 03:49 PM What he's trying to say is that the statue arouses thoughts of the past, and this is what makes the statue significant and gives it its beauty. If that was meant for me, I was agreeing with kennywoo's point that the grammar of that segment is wrong. I understand the intended meaning of the sentence just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted July 29, 2011 at 04:11 PM Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 at 04:11 PM Any writing in any language should be as plain as possible, and more importantly, sincere. I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter2010 Posted July 30, 2011 at 02:37 AM Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 at 02:37 AM The later part doesn’t make sense. How about "正是通过这一特殊的方式而获得雕塑的社会意义和审美价值"？ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny同志 Posted July 30, 2011 at 02:47 AM Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 at 02:47 AM I don’t think it can be corrected by the addition of the word 方式. It is the subject that is flawed, that is, as I mentioned, 思接千古 (the subject, also an invisible action) can't have the statue's societal significance and aesthetic value in any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter2010 Posted July 30, 2011 at 03:19 AM Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 at 03:19 AM I think subject(人们) is omitted here。 The full version is: "今天当人们面对这尊塑像时，会发出许多文化的感慨，会产生与孔子思想相关的许多联想，所谓的“思接千古”，(人们)正是通过这一特殊的方式（思接千古）而获得雕塑的社会意义和审美价值。" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creamyhorror Posted July 30, 2011 at 03:25 AM Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 at 03:25 AM I think subject(人们) is omitted here。 That's what kennywoo said earlier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny同志 Posted July 30, 2011 at 03:26 AM Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 at 03:26 AM Peter, that is not how I understand it. I think other native speakers will concur with me. @Creamy I didn't say that. Read my post again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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