Paradoxical "Paradox"

The formal way to say paradox in Mandarin is "矛盾"。　　It literally translates to "spear shield".

For instance, instead of saying "Serving breakfast for dinner is paradoxical, "Serving breakfast for dinner is spear shield."  (If you serve breakfast food at dinner, it's still dinner!)

Sometimes words in Chinese are too antiquated.

Here's one of the earliest uses of  矛盾：

《韓非子》

Han Feizi

Translated by YoYo

楚人有鬻矛與盾者

Of the State of Chu there one who sold spears and one who sold shields

譽之曰：「吾盾之堅，物莫能陷也。」

[One] boastfully said, "My shield is tough, nothing can penetrate it."

又譽其矛曰：「吾矛之利，於物無不陷也。」

Another boastfully said, "My spear is sharp, there is nothing it can't penetrate."

或 曰："以子之矛陷子之盾，何如？」

Someone said, "With his spear and his shield, what would happen?"

其人弗能應也。

They were unable to answer.

夫不可陷之盾與無不陷之矛,

An impenetrable shield and a spear that can pierce anything,

不可同世而立。

cannot be on earth at the same time.

Silly Rabbit

As I wait for the number of views on my blog to grow, I can’t help but think of a popular idiom “Waiting by a stump for a rabbit”.  It means you can’t do nothing to wait for opportunity to suddenly appear.  I’m learning that blogging isn’t just about posting your own views, but engaging in other fellow bloggers and commenting on their work as well.

On a side note I was watching Avenue Q last night in West Hollywood with my friends.  There’s a puppet Princeton who wants to find his purpose in life with his BA in English.  Penelope Trunk argues that the perfect career is like 守株待兔. Princeton should get career counseling from Penelope.

Anywho, enjoy this cute story from the Warring States period!



 

守株待兔

Waiting by a stump for a rabbit

韓非子

Han Feizi

宋人有耕田者

Of the Song people there was a farmer.

田中有株

In the middle of the there was a tree trunk.

兔走触株

The rabbit runs into the tree trunk.

折颈而死

It snaps its neck and dies.

因释其耒而守株

Thereupon he let go of his hoe and waited by the trunk,

冀复得兔

wishing to obtain another rabbit.

兔不可复得

Another rabbit does not come,

而身为宋国笑

and he himself is laughable of Song countrymen.

 

 

It sucks to be the farmer.

 

 

Notes on the text:
Often parables in Classical Chinese literature convinced the king to act in certain ways.  In this case I think Han Feizi is warning the king of not acting out some military maneuver.  More primary text on the issue would be helpful.