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Category Archives: Japanese
The impossible wisdom
…of, you know, not deliberately endangering people. 明哲保身mei.tetsu.ho.shin Literally: bright – clear / philosophy – preserve – person Alternately: The wise and rational person avoids danger and thus remains safe. Alternately (through a common misinterpretation of 保身), this phrase may … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Chinese literature, Classic of Poetry, 防身, 詩経, 詩經, 诗经, safety, wisdom, 明哲, 保身
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Riker, to Picard
He was always calling him “number one” even though the captain is the actual #1 officer in a ship. So…. 唯一無二yui.itsu.mu.ni Literally: only – one – not – two Alternately: Unique. “The one and only.” There’s nothing else like it … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 無三, 無二, TNG, unique, value from scarcity, 唯一, 不二
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Somebody remind the CEOs
Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”A plutocrat: “… I went to space. Best day ever!” 一将功成りて万骨枯る(Isshoukou narite bankotsu karu;“A general achieves glory; ten thousand bones dry out”) Definition: For each … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Chinese Antiquity, Chinese literature, classical Japanese grammar, 黄巣, large small, pyramid schemes, sacrifice, the cost of glory, 功成る, 己亥歳, 曹松, 枯れる, 一将, 万骨
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For acting poetry
起承転結ki.shou.ten.ketsu Literally: wake up – receive – revolve – bind Alternately: The four phases of a text, according to traditional analysis: “introduction, development, turn, and conclusion.” In other words, the setup, development, climax (or major change, twist, etc.), and resolution … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Chinese literature, classical poetry, 絶句, 起承転結, 起承転合, four-act structure, literary analysis, poetry, story structure
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You kiss your mother with that mouth?
“No, but I do eat reptiles.” あの声で蜥蜴食らうか時鳥(Ano koe de tokage kurau ka hototogisu;“With such a sweet voice, do you devour lizards, o lesser cuckoo?”) Definition: You can’t judge a book by its cover. People and things often have aspects that … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged appearance versus reality, トカゲ, ホトトギス, carnivores, cuckoo, don't judge, Enomoto Kikaku, 蜥蜴を食らう, haiku, perception, songbirds, Takarai Kikaku, 宝井其角, 時鳥, 榎本其角
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Make like a tree and endure
Of course, the way things are going, extreme-heat resistance is probably going to be more valuable than cold resistance. 歳寒松柏sai.kan.shou.haku Literally: year-end – cold – pine tree – cypress tree Alternately: Seeing one’s convictions through even when times are bad. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Analects, endurance, 雪中, 論語, 论语, hardship, perseverance, trees, 松柏, 歳寒
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Verweilst du in der Welt, sie flieht als Traum
(Goethe) 京の夢大阪の夢(Kyou no yume Osaka no yume;“Capital dreams; Osaka dreams”) Definition: Dreams are mysterious and one can’t expect them to make any sense. Alternately, dreams are where one’s desires are most easily manifested; or by extension, a statement that different … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged differences, different dreams, dream logic, dreams, Iroha karuta, 大阪の夢, 京の夢, 京都
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Wouldn’t it be nice
Imagine 安穏無事an.non.bu.ji Literally: peace – calm / quiet – no – thing Alternately: Peace and quiet; safety and calm. Uneventful, in a good way. This phrase evokes the pleasant side of mundane day-to-day life, on both the personal and the … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged calm, 無事, ideals, peaceful, quiet, uneventful, 安穏, 平穏, 平和
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Squeezed by one’s vices
Crunch crunch crunch 粋が身を食う(Sui ga mi wo kuu;“Worldly pleasures devour the man”) Definition: Too much pleasure will destroy you. A man, specifically, who spends all his time and money on dissolution with geisha (i.e. entertainers who provide music, song and … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 粋, dissolution, entertainment, excess, 芸, 身の仇, 身を食う, Iroha karuta, pleasure, self-destruction, 大通どらの巻, 洒落本
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