The study of TCM (Brian)

[Guest guest]

A highly efficient method of learning to read any foreign language is using

parallel texts (following original text and a translation in parallel);

especially if you have multiple/alternative translations.

 

This path is readily available, as many English TCM texts are translations

of modern Chinese books, which are sometimes available in Western

Chinatowns. One thing one notices quickly, is that English translation

takes much more volume of words relative to the volume of Chinese

characters in the original. For instance, I have a translation of a TuiNa

text book (by Yu DaFang from Shanghai) which is two thick volumes, large

format in English, while the Chinese original, with the same graphic

illustrations, is one thin, small format book.

 

While TCM texts are relatively precise and unambiguous (essentially Western

in style), classical texts are a different matter. Here the use of multiple

translations to compare is almost essential. That's because the meanings

are not precise (in the sense in which European languages, notably German,

are precise), and Chinese authorities/translators are not in substantial

agreement as to the meaning. Didactic style and precision in the modern

texts is largely an artifact of contact/imitation of the West.

 

If you want to be able to converse, read newspapers, signs, etc., best is

the route of " total immersion " - live there, preferably having minimal

contact with speakers of your own language. Helpful is watching TV or

movies, especially synchronized/dubbed American movies, if available. This

will seem impossibly taxing for a while. After several months to a year or

so, it will start to click. One knows, when one begins to dream in the

language. But I'm speaking from the perspective of a native English speaker

learning a " foreign " European language. Chinese involves much more rote

memorization, as there's a much more difficult step involved - the

non-phonetic relationship between how a character looks and how it sounds.

It's a fundamentally different sense of linguistic realty.

 

Back when I was in college, the two fellow students I remember as the most

stressed-out were a pre-med student, and a student of the Chinese language.

And putting the two together… Liberal doses of herbal tonics and

moving-meditative practice are probably prerequisite to preserving one's

health in this endeavor.

 

Good luck,

 

[Guest guest]

Chris,

 

This is a point well taken!

 

> Liberal doses of herbal tonics and

> moving-meditative practice are probably prerequisite to preserving

one's

> health in this endeavor.

>

> Good luck,

>