张承志－心灵史 third chapter help!

[_Vu]

Good evening, colleagues.

Recently I've set about translating several chapters from Zhang Chengzhi's "History of the Soul", and I ran into a sentence which causes me some troubles, at the end of the third chapter.

I post the entire period in order to provide you with some context. Here it is:

乾隆八年到十年之间，当那个在遥远神秘的“也门道堂”里长大的人，两脚又踏上了甘肃坚硬的黄土山道时，在空旷苍凉的黄土高原上，性情硬悍而毫无出路的回民们，已经把包括生命在内的一切都准备好了。

I can't figure out the meaning of the very last part "已经 ... 准备好了". Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[skylee]

Consider something like - The muslims had already got prepared, including (giving up) their lives.

[_Vu]

Thus meaning the muslims are one hundred percent ready?

I still can't understand the sentence structure.

I thought the following: 准备好了 is the main verb with modal 了.

都 must refer to the previous 一切 phrase.

把 ... 一切 is the phrase.

but 一切 looks to me as it's determined by two verbs, 包括 and 在内. Now it sounds like: everything which includes including life. (?)

Am I missing something about the function of 在内?

[skylee]

Perhaps we could parse it like this -

回民们已经把一切都准备好了。 -> The muslims had got everything prepared.

Then -

回民们已经把包括生命在内的一切都准备好了。 -> The muslims had got everything, including (giving up) their lives, prepared.

I don't really know what you don't understand, but this is probably because I am not a learner. Are you sure you want to translate this if you stumble on this sentence?

[_Vu]

Maybe I'm just drowning in a glass od water, but still: what is "giving up"? What are you translating it from?

[roddy]

Welcome to the forums, _Vu, hope you enjoy your stay. Give Skylee any more negative marks for trying to help you though, and it'll be a brief one.

[_Vu]

I'm sorry, thought the mark wasn't such a serious thing. I will be more careful.

[imron]

what is "giving up"? What are you translating it from?

It is implied (which is probably why skylee included it in brackets).

Basically, they are prepared with their lives, however unlike English where 'life' can have several meanings, in Chinese, 生命 here basically refers only to the meaning related to 'being alive' (a different word would be used for the other English meanings if so required). So, if they are prepared with their 生命, then it is implied that they are willing to give up their life if necessary.

[imron]

Now it sounds like: everything which includes including life. (?)

Am I missing something

Yes. If you try to translate everything word by word, then it will be difficult to create a meaningful translation because the way you might express something in Chinese is not necessarily the same way you would express the same thing in English (see your above attempt for a good example).

As for what function 在内 serves and why it is necessary, compare the difference between:

包括生命的一切 - including everything to do with life

包括生命在内的一切 - everything, including life [in the definition of everything].

[_Vu]

Okay, now I got it. Thanks for your help!

[creamyhorror]

Structure: 包括 X 在内 = including X (in itself)

-- As imron said, 在内 helps to make X explicit by delimiting it.

Here's a progressive analysis of the sentence:

包括生命在内 = including life

包括生命在内的一切 = including-life everything

= "everything, including life"

回民们已经把包括生命在内的一切都准备好了。 = The Muslims had already prepared including-life everything.

= "The Muslims had already prepared everything, including [their] lives."

(Nothing new here that skylee and imron haven't already said, though.)