Please translate this tattoo to English!!

[Ktkp]

My friends horrid ex got a tattoo and posted it on his story - we would love to know what it means in English but can’t seem to get an answer... any ideas? 

[Jim]

Looks to be a random list of virtues, including a couple where it's two characters squeezed together. It's in full form but I'm using simplified characters, from top:

义 https://www.zdic.net/hans/义

礼 https://www.zdic.net/hans/礼

勇 https://www.zdic.net/hans/勇

名誉 https://www.zdic.net/hans/名誉

仁 https://www.zdic.net/hans/仁

真 https://www.zdic.net/hans/真

忠义 https://www.zdic.net/hans/忠义

[杰.克]

I'm really quite keen to get a tattoo down my forearm of a chengyu 滴水穿石 which basically means perseverance overcomes the greatest difficulties (literally - dripping water perforates rock/ similar to the wester idiom - small strokes fell great oaks etc)

 

I think when you get a tattoo its a really personal thing, its confers deep meaning to you, and perhaps summarises a life lesson you learnt, or a culmination of experience and hard-earned wisdom. It's a permanent, reminder to yourself of a truth you once found and hope will continue to be central to your life. I lived in China for 7 years (these years where very formative and gave me alot), am fluent in mandarin, my job is related to China, many close friends & colleagues are Chinese, my past present and future is heavily tied up in its language and culture. And this process of learning and life has been one that really has been a case of perseverance overcoming difficulties.

 

Whenever i feel down in life, or tired, or wanting to give up - I would be able to look at this deep, meaningful, emotive idiom on my arm and illicit strong positive memories and feelings of achievements i have accomplished, and deep lessons and wisdom I have learnt along the way.

 

Well it would be able to do this, but thanks to people like in the photo, I CANT. Because if you get Chinese characters in the west your basically signposting to anyone in your vicinity that doesnt know your backstory, that you are trash. Strangers will look at you and think oh god not another loser getting what is supposed to be a meaningful self message in a language that they cant even f*cking read.  (bit exaggerated for comic effect- but you get the drift)

[Ktkp]

Thanks for the responses!!! Really helped me know what he was saying... dread to think what he actually thinks it says. Yeah he’s an idiot anyway, no idea why he felt it was a good idea! No doubt he will regret it soon.

[杰.克]

Can we get some more background story on the fella (obviously no personal info or revealing) but would love to her a generalised life story of this guy! Fill out my picture of someone who gets a permanent message on their body that they are unable to understand.

[Demonic_Duck]

It's a shame actually, it's almost not a terrible tattoo. If it wasn't for those two-character-smooshed-into-one bits, you'd have seven characters, which has a certain poetic quality in Chinese.

 

If it was 義禮勇譽仁真忠, it would still be kinda trite and meaningless (a shopping list of "things that are good", reminds me of the so-called "Socialist Core Values"), but at least it would have that pleasing aesthetic.

 

Instead, it's 義禮勇名譽仁真忠義. And one of the characters, 義, is repeated as a part of the final smooshed word.

[Lu]

1 hour ago, Demonic_Duck said:

It's a shame actually, it's almost not a terrible tattoo.

The calligraphy is pretty bad too though.

[7800]

Also, some os the characters are in traditional script while others are in simplified script...

[edelweis]

On 7/24/2020 at 11:45 AM, Jim said:

Looks to be a random list of virtues

 

Google "seven virtues of bushido"

 

seems like 真 is a typo for 誠

https://kansaichick.com/japanese-kanji-blog/is-my-tattoo-correct-the-7-virtues-of-bushido/

 

apparently some versions have 8 virtues

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido#Eight_virtues_of_Bushidō_(as_envisioned_by_Nitobe_Inazō)

 

[Demonic_Duck]

Whoah nice find! Guess that explains the 礼 instead of 禮 as well.

 

This tattoo has now been upgraded from terrible to mediocre.