User Comments - michele

Posted on: Missing Luggage

Hi Changye, it's a pleasure to give this information:

Judith Leyster (1609-1660), JUNGER FLÖTEN SPIELER, Oil on Canvas, 73 x 62 cm, Nationalmuseum Stockolm.

my avatar is a quick self-made digital variation over a page from a musical magazine, hope this will not put me in some odd and annoying copyright problem....

When I was speaking in my previous post about woods, I was aware this possibly could push the discussion into Japanese culture, and its passion for this noble ancient material. I know from books, films, and other indirect sources how Japanese craftmans are extremely skilful, and how all Japanese are passionate of every sort of wood manufacts; I hope soon or later I will visit Japan and have a direct experience of these beauties.

By the way, I have here the chance to ask you a negligible question: I've heard that in Japan is commonly used a kind of saw (or a jigsaw, I'm not sure which is the more correct term), (I mean that ancient simple hand tool used by each kraftman for cutting wood), well, the Japanese jigsaws cuts while pulling it, and not pushing like most of the western ones do. Is it true? It would be quite interesting, because the source of this possible information, not sure if I remeber well, was pointing out this peculiarity in a wider comparison, in which language differences was the first feature to be considerd, among many others. If this information is it correct, I'd like to know something about Chinese traditional krafts too, and if are they using the same type of working of the Japanese one or not. I do apologize in advance for this odd matter, completely off topic(!!), at least I should have treat it using Chinese.... but for the moment...

P.S. Changye, when you speak about violin making, you are quite near to my real current occupation, but don't say it too much louder, because if some of my customers would see how much time I'm spending here on Praxis, he could be, with some good reason, a little bit worried...

Posted on: Missing Luggage

oh... that's funny!

Changye, the fact is that in my professional life I have to do with many different, mostly precious ones, timbers. So it was easy for me to think that plumwood, like pearwood, applewood, apricotwood too, could be an excellent material, even for a beautiful case. I'd say that all this fruit-woods could be suitable for  their  fine grain, colour, easy carving, their comparatively lightness, and easy polishing...

Regarding the shift in the usage of a word from its first meaning of a plant, or a vegetable, to a surname, I suppose that this could be seen as a common  phenomenon  under most different cultures and languages, for the simple reason that agriculture, and craftsmanship are among the most ancient activities of mankind. So could be  a sponctaneus fact that a family, or a group of people which was excercising an activity would leave to their offspring a  sign of their  abilities.

Always interesting to discuss with you... and sharing your "juicy" references to many different Chinese dictionaries.

Posted on: Missing Luggage

hi Changye,

your last post seems to me the simplest,and the more convincing one.  In its first meaning 李 it is a plum, or a plum tree, thus I guess that has become a popular surname only afterwards. Isn't it?

So 行李箱 would  be nothing more than a box, a case, made out of plum wood, for travelling if I've clearly understood your words.

Only a guess, as you say, but I like it!

Posted on: Missing Luggage

..  and italian valigia/valigie is feminine too!

hi pulosm, if you're Greek I've just a question for you:

does still exist in modern Greek besides singular and plural the "dual" like in ancient did?

Post Scriptum: what about a GreekPod here at Praxis? I'd like it!

Posted on: Missing Luggage

but in Italian bagagli is a masculine word...

A technical question: since today I've noticed something strange, not only here  on CP, but on IP too. On my computer, every page like this having a list of comments (but it's the same for the list of lessons)  displays its first frames in a quite normal time, then it takes an unusual long time, up to twenty-thirty seconds or so to show the whole list of comments...

Am I the only one to see it??

Posted on: Who is that?

hi sophie,

so, if I got the sense, 女大十八变 it could be read as

女 a girl (when has become great, that is, grow up) 大 great (up to) 十八 eighteen (years old), 变 changes.

But in that case, where do you find a character suggesting your final 很多?

I mean, that if you use 大 for the meaning of growing up, then, seemingly, you should have nothing remaining about the changes entity, great, small or what ever... More, I'd say, that in your free translation you pick up some of the current meaning of 大 to transfer it to the "change" chunk, in fact you say "very much" 很多.

What do you think about it? thanks a lot for your kind attention!

再见，Michele.

Posted on: Who is that?

thanks a lot changye,

your reply introduces more interesting stuff about the splitting in two parts of a two character word.

I  also guess that, even though this seems not to  be a particularly tricky one, a saying, not perfectly following all the current grammar rules, perhaps has some good poetical, phonetic purpose; it's always acceptable a poetic licence!

Posted on: Who is that?

hi changye,

do you think is there any chance to get some hint for the best possible translation, looking at the order of the five charcters?

I'm thinking about  大十八变 . I'm wondering why 大 and 变 ,that is "the big change" has to be splitted, separated by 十八. 

Does this  sequence  could be read as the will of constructing a single strong chunk, like "is to be expected  a big change when eighteen years old is reached"? or even better, "it's great the change that happens on the eighteen years" In other words, how would you express this concept in currently spoken Chinese?

At any case I don't mean here to destroy the beutiful liquid uncertainty of a Chinese saying, in order to get an improbable definitive translatione!

Posted on: Who is that?

thanks John, everything works fine now, but I have to say that I even did'nt realized there was something wrong...

I would like to say something that may appears odd said from an user, or a customer who pays for a service...

did you ever think there should be some right, for you all of the CP staff, both academic, technical, or of any sort else, to have some little weekly... rest, like most of the people in word usually have. I know, I know... modern life, fear for other possible business competitors, the will to do more and more, and better and better.... that's all true, but I have to say that, sometimes, I feel a little worried about you...

After all, this is not an hospital, or an electric generator station, or even a blast furnace! isnt'it?

I remember the old times of CP when on saturday there was no lessons, but Aric's Saturdays'show, and on sunday nothing at all... well, this seemed to me quite normal, even useful for everyone, for you and for me too.

Yes, I'm wondering if what I'm saying now has something to do with the fact that, wrongly, I'd like to follow too much levels and too much lessons. In this perspective, a little break in this (precious, beautiful and rich, I reckon..) waterfall of lerning material would not be somehow.... healthy? Perhaps, sometimes, less could be better.

OK guys, don't take this too much seriously, only if you like it tell me what you think about. At any rate, it's clear, it is useful to warn you about some malfunction, and I've already done,  nevertheless, on sunday, I feel somewhat empathetic with you, that must rush to fix some bug under pressing request...

ciao Michele.

Posted on: Pageant Final Episode

.... that's why now I feel a little more at ease with intermediate lessons!

I do appreciate this new balance between ele and int, thanks to CP for this choice, and to Jenny, who has clearly revealed it.