It is naive to think that there is a one-to-one equivalency for every word in English and Chinese. There are always the “oddballs” that simply do not have corresponding counterparts in the other language. Even for those that do, their translation varies depending on the context and meaning. One that is particularly perplexing is “感動”…
Author: yubo.du
Down the Memory Lane
As I promised, I shall boldly attempt to share some tips on upgrading our working memory during live interpretation. Working memory is the technical term for our ability to keep track of the original speech while comprehending it and figuring out how to interpret it (see the anatomy of interpretation). Not exactly a champion of memory skills, I…
The Almighty Name, Revisited
In this post, we touched on the origin of God’s name in various languages and how the approach in English and Hebrew resulted in the choice of “The LORD” for what is “耶和華” in Chinese. But what about “萬軍之耶和華”? In literal terms, it means “The LORD of Myriad Armies”, which sounds unmistakably awesome, but where does that…
Boast in Weaknesses
2 Corinthians 12:9, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. We’ve all heard it. We sometimes quote it. But we almost rarely do it….
Ephesians
以弗所書/以弗所书 {yi3-fu2-suo3-shu1}New Testament – Epistles Ephesians, read as [i-FEE-zhuhnz], is a theological treasure trove. New believers can come here to gain a solid grasp on the foundation of the Faith. “Seasoned” Christians can always take a deeper dive and receive yet another insight into how to glorify God with their lives. It is for that reason,…
Bread and Cup
Important things, no matter how many times they are repeated, should remain important, but our minds tend to have their ways of “diminishing returns” when it comes to repetition. Sadly, one such importance that easily gets diminished, is that of the Communion, 主餐 {zhu3-can1} (a.k.a. Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper). The upside is that within…
What’s Easter About?
Putting the rabbits, eggs, and chocolates aside (yes, they are all very delicious), what is Easter really? The obvious answer is the time to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which took place during a Passover in the early 1st century. But why “Easter”? What’s so “east” about it? The name “Easter” has a…
Why?
Having walked through so many “what” and “how” about interpretation, I feel it burning in my bones to explore the “why”. Our lives are crowded with so many “what” and “how” that we can barely catch our breath. The laundry list of life is endless and growing. We are exhausted, we are demoralized, and worst of…
The Lord’s Prayer
主禱文 {zhu3-dao3-wen2}Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4 There’s no better place to learn how to pray than from the lips of the Son of God. It’s short enough to memorize and profound enough that many pastors have expounded countless sermons on it. Suffice it to say, maybe it IS a good idea to memorize it and meditate on…
By the Book
I think many of us got off on the wrong foot with the Bible. It has, in most cases, been thrown into our laps like an assignment that takes us away from our “productive and meaningful” lives. Yet we fail to see that the Bible is the very secret that gives clarity, meaning, and strategy…