Translation for a Tattoo

[skylee]

It is not ambigious. It means "noble spirit inspiring solemn respect" (I think Quest's translation is also OK). But if it is a tattoo on your body it means "I AM a noble spirit inspiring solemn respect".

[Theo Moore]

Ah, I see where you guys are coming from now.

[skylee]

Theo, I see from your original post that you also had "Leave nothing but footprints" in mind.

Here is the first half of a poem written by Su Shi, a great poet of Song Dynasty -

人生到處知何似 恰似飛鴻踏雪泥

泥上偶然留指爪 鴻飛哪復計東西

It translates to -

"To what can our life on earth be likened?

To a flock of geese,

alighting on the snow.

Sometimes leaving a trace of their passage.

(skylee adds - and then vanish.)"

Similar to wild geese sometimes we leave some footprints on the snow, and sometims we don't. So perhaps you could consider -

飛鴻踏雪泥 (wild geese alighting on the snow)

泥上指爪 (footprints on the mud)

雪泥鴻爪 (wild geese's footprints on the snow) (but it sounds like the name of a dish, e.g. 蒜泥鳳爪 )

[Theo Moore]

I've e-mailed the translator with your comments. I hope some of you won't mind my quoting your concerns (Quest and skylee).

Skylee, I didn't see your last reply until after I sent the e-mail, but really, that poem is more than perfect (I'm amazed you were able to find such a fine match to nearly everything I said).

I'll keep you guys posted on what happens.

[Quest]

I have reservations with Skylee's suggestions. It would be nice if you are willing to tattoo the whole poem, but

飛鴻踏雪泥

泥上指爪

雪泥鴻爪

are too abstract. I would not know what you are trying to convey if you didn't show me the entire poem.

[Theo Moore]

They refunded me the payment with the note,

"We normally do not entertain "open" custom orders [...] but the "translation" is subject to the opinions of different parties with different mind set, and thus subject to many changes down the line, which is not cost effective for us.

Your order is too open or vague and difficult to satisfy, but we tried."

It appears I'll have to tackle down an actual 'phrase'

At the current time, this seems to be my best option,

留下生命的记号 -- Lit. Leave life's mark -- is nice. Someone can compact it for him. or 生命足迹 (life's footprints) etc

Any other variations along this same vein?

[in_lab]

I remember coming across the phrase 鴻爪 in a text in class. The teacher recognized it as an elliptical reference to 雪泥鴻爪. The teacher recognized the reference, but said that not everyone would recognize it. In the text, the meaning was traces of the past.

[Theo Moore]

I asked them if they could figure a suitable translation for "leave nothing by footprints", but they told me they were stumped.

If any of you have some more ideas, please do share. I guess the closest we've come to are the two suggestions by Quest.

It doesn't have to be in the words I suggested. Just something that conveys the fact that we should do something significant before we pass away so we're remembered.

[Quest]

How about 人生在世，志在留名

[jsku]

If you want to be remembered forever and you have done many good deeds, why don't you use 留芳百世.

On the other hand, you may prefer 遺臭萬年 if you want to be eternalized in infamy.

If you are really into Chinese tattoos, there is no other phrase more appropriate than 精忠報國. But then you'll have to have it done on your back.

[Theo Moore]

遺臭萬年<-- LOL, did i understand that right?

Is there a way to play around with the thought "noble spirit forever there" that would make it appropriate for a tattoo (and of course, not as pretentious as "noble spirit inspiring respect")

edit:

Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What is a possible translation for "footprints on the sands of time"

[jsku]

If you like "noble spirit", how about 浩氣尤存 [noble spirit still there]. That does not sound as "funeral-ish" as 長存. Otherwise, just use 浩氣 or 浩然之氣.

Another alternative is 浩氣重揚 [noble spirit being spread].

Whatever you do, don't use the calligrapher who wrote 浩氣凜然!

[Quest]

壮志凌云

[Theo Moore]

壮志凌云

What does that mean? Something about reaching the clouds?

浩然之氣

And this?

Is there a way to say "footprints in the sands of time" in 5 characters or less? I suppose if that doesn't work, "eternal footprints" can easily be done in 4 characters (similar to quests' 生命足迹).

[jsku]

浩然之氣 is noble spirit...the longer version!

[Theo Moore]

Sorry for my ignorance. but what's the difference?

[nearl]

上面所有的词汇都不是很适用，因为都有纪念的意思，如果按照我的意思，你可以用“浩然”

[skylee]

壯志凌雲, as Quests suggests, means having ambitions as high as (or higher than) the clouds. I think such a tattoo is acceptable and would not be too odd.

Theo, I have given more thoughts to your first post and have some further suggestions -

"My life - forever remembered" ~ "forget me not" (flower name) -> 毋忘我 (Chinese name of the same flower)

"My life - forever remembered" ~ do not forget ~ 莫失莫忘 ~ Do not lose (the memory of me), do not forget

[Theo Moore]

Wow, Skylee, that was very helpful!

I was intending on getting a picture of a lotus along with a translation, the lotus representing evolution and such, but perhaps a forget-me-not flower along with the name. My favorites so far are:

生命足迹- Life's footprints

毋忘我 - Forget me not

莫失莫忘 - Do not lose, do not forget

壯志凌雲- With soaring aspirations

Perhaps a forget-me-not flower along with 莫失莫忘....I will have to stew it over.

Nobody has commented on my other question though. Is there a 4-5 character translation for "footprints in sands of time"?

[skylee]

Perhaps a forget-me-not flower along with 莫失莫忘....

Good idea (that is, as long as you can stand the pain of the additional flower ...)

And show us a photo of the tattoo when you've got it done. Like this -> http://www.chinese-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=3628&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=20