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Expert: - 12/3/2009


Question

Picture
I have this picture hanging in my living room and am a little embarrassed by not knowing what it means.  Please help!

Thanks,
Mandie

Answer
This is one of my favorite sayings in Chinese: "zhi1 zu2 chang2 le4" -- know when you have enough and you will always be happy.

I once studied painting with this Taiwanese artist who lived upstairs from me in Taipei, and he would give people a cup of coffee and then offer them the sugar bowl, with a wooden spoon in it. The sugar would fall off of the spoon the first time because it had a hole in the middle of the bowl part, and the handle said "Zhi1 zu2". Then he would say okay, I'll give you a spoon without a hole. But the second spoon was convex so of course all the sugar fell off of it as well. Its handle said "chang2 le4". He thought it was a great joke!

You could also translate this as "be content with what you have".
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentWow. This really applies to me and my station in life as well as my beliefs, that coincidentally stem from Buddhism. You have made my night, knowing that I unknowingly picked such a perfect thing to hang in my living room.


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Terry Thatcher Waltz

Expertise

I specialize in Chinese technical translation and conference interpretation, and terminology. I can answer questions about these topics, Chinese language pedagogy and learning issues, Chinese grammar for learners, and general issue related to Taiwan.

Experience

Full-time translator and conference interpreter since 1987; long-time resident of Taiwan. Qualified State Dept. language contractor (interpreter and translator) with extensive government and private sector experience.

Organizations
American Translators Association; The Translators' and Interpreters' Guild; ATA Interpreters' Division; ATA Chinese Division.

Publications
AIIC (International Association of Conference Interpreters) website

Education/Credentials
Ph.D., Chinese; MA, Conference Interpreting

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