(NPPLC) Chapters #33-36 莊子秋水 (1-4)

[lips]

焉 in this sentence is probably

 

1.  a modal particle, to signify a sound, and also pause the sentence when it is recited; or

2.  to emphasize the meaning of the sentence.  

[somethingfunny]

I've had a look at the last part of this section.  It's a lot more of the same stuff from Ruo of the North Sea.  I found a few places in this part where it seemed like the author was being especially stingy with the character count and a lot of interpretation was needed to get the gist of what was being said.  Anyway, here are a few points:

 

• 无拘而志，与道大蹇 Rouzer gives us “Do not restrain your aspirations, or else you will be in great trouble with the Way.”  I’m not very familiar with this use of 无 to mean “do not…”.  I also take 与 here to mean “with (the Way)” which makes me wonder how this “do not … or else …” structure comes about.  I kind of feel like the how sentence would make more sense without the 无 at the start.
• 无一而行 What the verb use of 一 here?  “To unite”?  If you don’t unite your actions, you will be at odds with the Way?
• 万物一齐  I don’t really get the point being made here.  If everything in the world is equal, then what is long and what is short?  Surely nothing is long or short, or everything is just as long or short as everything else?
• 夫固将自化 I get the idea here:  This, indeed, arises from change.  He’s trying to say that the right or wrong thing to do depends on the circumstances you are faced with.  I don’t see grammatically how this works though, particularly the 将.
• 无以人灭天，无以故灭命 There is no way with 人 to destroy 天, there is no way with 故 to destroy 命.  I’m not sure how I should be translating these words, especially 故.

 

That’ll do for now.  I’ll go ahead and post a thread for the last four chapters, although I’d like to come back to this and go through it all again so it’s clear in my mind before I move on.