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若烹小鲜

English translation: be gentle

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Chinese term or phrase:若烹小鲜
English translation:be gentle
Entered by: Denyce Seow

08:50 Apr 17, 2007
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Chinese term or phrase: 若烹小鲜
小区管理确实是一门学问，需要讲求一种“若烹小鲜”的精神和艺术。
Denyce Seow
Singapore
Local time: 10:48
handle it gently and delicately
Explanation:
60 治大國　若烹小鮮
老子道德經第六十章

治大國　若烹小鮮
以道蒞天下　其鬼不神
非其鬼不神　其神不傷人
非其神不傷人　聖人亦不傷人
夫兩不相傷　故德交歸焉

======
SIXTY

Ruling the country is like cooking a small fish.
Approach the universe with Tao,
And evil will have no power.
Not that evil is not powerful,
But its power will not be used to harm others.
Not only will it do no harm to others,
But the sage himself will also be protected.
They do not hurt each other,
And the Virtue in each refreshes both.

其他人的翻譯﹕
Beck-Leading a large country is like cooking a small fish.
Blackney-Rule a large country As small fish are cooked.
Bynner-Handle a large kingdom with as gentle a touch as if you were cooking a small fish.
Byrn-Governing a large country is like frying small fish. Too much poking spoils the meat.
Chan-Ruling a big country is like cooking a small fish.
Cleary-Governing a large nation is like cooking a little fish.
Crowley-The government of a kingdom is like the cooking of a fish.
Hansen-Ruling a large state Is like grilling a small bit of fresh food.
LaFargue-Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish.
Legge-Governing a great state is like cooking small fish.
Lindauer-Governing a great nation looks like cooking tiny fish.
LinYutan-Rule a big country as you would fry small fish.
Mabry-Govern a big country as you would fry a small fish.
McDonald-Ruling a big kingdom is like frying a small fish.
Merel-Manage a great nation as you would cook a delicate fish.
Mitchel-Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.
Muller-Ruling a large country is like cooking a small fish.
Red Pine-Ruling a great state is like cooking a small fish
Ta-Kao-Govern a great state as you would cook a small fish (do it gently).
Walker-Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish.
Wayism
Wieger-To govern a great state, one should act like someone cooking a very small fish (very delicately, otherwise they break up).
World-Ruling a country is like cooking a small fish. If you forget your oneness with the fish, you become confused in what you are doing.
Wu-Ruling a big kingdom is like cooking a small fish.

Selected response from:

pkchan
United States
Local time: 22:48
Grading comment
I used one word: gentle. I think in this case, the more elaborate I phrase it, the more I will lose the meaning. Hence, I decided to keep it simple.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3like frying small fish /as cooking small fish
Julia Zou
3 +1handle it gently and delicately
pkchan
3a piece of cake
David Shen


  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
like frying small fish /as cooking small fish


Explanation:
如果要翻译成形容词形式，是否可以用：like-frying-small-fish 呢？

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2007-04-17 09:06:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

“若烹小鲜”来自“治大国若烹小鲜”，在网上查到的翻译有：Governing a Large Country as Cooking Small Fishes和 Rule large countries like frying small fish 。不知两种译法是否可以稍做修改一下：Governing a Large Country as Cooking Small Fish和 Rule a large country like frying small fish 。


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-04-17 10:34:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

如果最终读者不懂汉语，这么翻译可能会让他们很困惑。所以，我觉得不妨尝试一下意译：
like doing simple things会不会太简单幼稚了呢？

我在网上又查到这么一段：
“治大国如烹小鲜”中的“小鲜”是整体数量的概念是指大多数，比喻芸芸众生。与小国寡民相反的，是大国多民，民众多如过江之鲫，人满为患。河上公说：“烹小鱼，不去肠，不去鳞，不敢挠，恐其糜也。”也就是说国家的施政纲领必须是简单和有效的，必须持续稳定。

根据这段解释，我想翻译成 simple and efficient 应该也是可以的吧。


Julia Zou
China
Local time: 10:48
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wenjer Leuschel (X)
7 mins
  -> Thank you, Wenjer!
agree  Jian Zhang
10 hrs
  -> Thank you, Jian Zhang!
agree  Naikei Wong
11 hrs
  -> Thank you, Naikei!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
handle it gently and delicately


Explanation:
60 治大國　若烹小鮮
老子道德經第六十章

治大國　若烹小鮮
以道蒞天下　其鬼不神
非其鬼不神　其神不傷人
非其神不傷人　聖人亦不傷人
夫兩不相傷　故德交歸焉

======
SIXTY

Ruling the country is like cooking a small fish.
Approach the universe with Tao,
And evil will have no power.
Not that evil is not powerful,
But its power will not be used to harm others.
Not only will it do no harm to others,
But the sage himself will also be protected.
They do not hurt each other,
And the Virtue in each refreshes both.

其他人的翻譯﹕
Beck-Leading a large country is like cooking a small fish.
Blackney-Rule a large country As small fish are cooked.
Bynner-Handle a large kingdom with as gentle a touch as if you were cooking a small fish.
Byrn-Governing a large country is like frying small fish. Too much poking spoils the meat.
Chan-Ruling a big country is like cooking a small fish.
Cleary-Governing a large nation is like cooking a little fish.
Crowley-The government of a kingdom is like the cooking of a fish.
Hansen-Ruling a large state Is like grilling a small bit of fresh food.
LaFargue-Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish.
Legge-Governing a great state is like cooking small fish.
Lindauer-Governing a great nation looks like cooking tiny fish.
LinYutan-Rule a big country as you would fry small fish.
Mabry-Govern a big country as you would fry a small fish.
McDonald-Ruling a big kingdom is like frying a small fish.
Merel-Manage a great nation as you would cook a delicate fish.
Mitchel-Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.
Muller-Ruling a large country is like cooking a small fish.
Red Pine-Ruling a great state is like cooking a small fish
Ta-Kao-Govern a great state as you would cook a small fish (do it gently).
Walker-Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish.
Wayism
Wieger-To govern a great state, one should act like someone cooking a very small fish (very delicately, otherwise they break up).
World-Ruling a country is like cooking a small fish. If you forget your oneness with the fish, you become confused in what you are doing.
Wu-Ruling a big kingdom is like cooking a small fish.



pkchan
United States
Local time: 22:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
I used one word: gentle. I think in this case, the more elaborate I phrase it, the more I will lose the meaning. Hence, I decided to keep it simple.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Huijun Suo: 先直译，再解释的方式较妥
1 day 22 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a piece of cake


Explanation:
Handle it as if you are having a piece of cake.

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Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2007-04-18 16:49:14 GMT)
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Most people on this side of the pond don't know how to cook fish, big or small. And if it is small, they don't even eat it even if it is well cooked. People only eat fish with no bones in it.

David Shen
United States
Local time: 19:48
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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