Speak Chinese - Solving the riddle of a lost translation

ENTERTAINMENT / Hot Pot Column






Solving the riddle of a lost translation

By Chad Swanson (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-05-29 15:53



In English-speaking countries, there is a saying that the Chinese use the
same word for "crisis" as they use for "opportunity". It is a saying that
has been used in motivational seminars, self-help books, and courses for
thinking outside the box. It has been used by John F. Kennedy, Al Gore,
Condeleeza Rice, and even entered an episode of The Simpsons.

I, like many other Westerners, have found the saying to be quite
inspiring. It seems to have that wisdom-of-the-ages feel that I like.
When difficult times have fallen upon me, I have sometimes thought about
the wisdom of the East in order to guide me through.

Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that the saying is a myth. I was
telling a Chinese lady about my latest dilemma, and I said that I would
take inspiration from the traditional Chinese philosophy of seeing a
crisis as an opportunity.

Much to my surprise, instead of praising me for knowing China's ancient
history and culture so well, she just said the words for crisis and
opportunity were completely different.

Her answer was not what I was expecting. I looked at her strangely, and
inquired if she was sure. Once more she repeated that not only did she
not interchange the two words, but that they were so different that there
is no possible way that there could be any confusion between the two.
Admittedly, both use the "ji" syllable, however in English both
"constipation" and "contest" use the "con" syllable, but that doesn't
mean that having trouble going to the toilet is celebrated as some kind
of competition.

The revelation was initially quite difficult for me to accept and so I
went searching for a second, then third, then fourth opinion. As I kept
getting the same answer, I had to conclude that either the Chinese didn't
know their own language, or that all those seminars, self-books, and even
The Simpsons might be wrong. Grudgingly, I accepted that the latter was
probably the truth.

After accepting that the saying was probably based on a myth, I returned
to the original lady who had informed me of my mistake.

I explained that it was a very easy saying to believe because Chinese
people do seem very capable of turning a crisis into an opportunity.

I even gave an example of a scholar involved in researching organic
farming, and how he is benefiting from concerns about food quality
standards.

Again, my attempts at conveying an intimate knowledge of Chinese culture
failed to resonate with her. I was duly informed that seeing a crisis as
an opportunity was quite a negative way of thinking as it implied that a
crisis is something that is inherently good, and that Chinese would
therefore seek it out. In reality, stability and harmony are far more
highly valued.

I had to agree that there seemed to be some wisdom in her answer, and
that the saying was more of a reflection of the West than the East.

With that, I conceded that I still had much to learn, and that this
grasshopper was a long way off ever becoming a grand sage.


(China Daily 05/29/2007 page20)














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