pull down to refresh
31 sats \ 5 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Jun \ parent \ on: Legacy Series: I love English BooksAndArticles
Cool. Thanks for sharing. I have a mixed experience with English. When it comes to speaking, I think much faster (and am
funnier) in Chinese - probably because I grew up speaking it n still use it outside work with my friends. But when it comes to writing, it’s English hands down. Though I didn’t include it as part of my list because I don’t know whether my propensity for writing in English partly arises from the fact that I don’t remember how to write many Chinese characters these days without the help of the dictionary. Haha
I think that might be it! I don't know a word in chinese, but had the fortune to meet some chinese students who explained to me the language structure and it seems more flexible than English (correct me if wrong). I'm sure it's partially the reason you think faster in Chinese, and I'm also sure it's the reason that unparalleled masterpieces as The Tao and The Art of War where written in it. I want to learn Chinese for that reason alone (and to read those books in original text).
reply
You made me wanna read some Chinese books so that I can make observations about the structure n get back to you. Haha.
Off the top of my head, I will say Chinese is a highly compact language. We have lotsa 4-character idioms that are the crystallisation of five thousand years of wisdom. Some of these idioms will require a lot of words in English if we translate them. For example, 不劳而获 means to gain something without working for it - sounds cumbersome.
Yes I think it’s amazing how the Art of War is still applicable to our modern lives!
reply
I appreciate you took the time to do that :)
That's fascinating to me, I want to learn Chinese for that reason, it will unblock other thought abilities I don't know of. It will be many years until I can devote to it the way it deserves, but will do so for sure.
reply
Given how cerebral you are, I’m curious to know what cognitive abilities you think you lack
reply
I'm flattered, thank you :)
You will see this too: by being able to compare the abilities of expression the different languages you can speak allow, you can infer that there has to be something you are not being able to clearly picture in your mind, that other language can. Need not other example than the one you gave above. Call it "schemes of concept amalgamation" if you wish, within a word and between them, for which combinations are endless, prompting past and future languages.
reply