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People will literally be doing anything on ao3

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sometimes rpf is literally just the most logical conclusion

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I cant believe im going to make it i just cant

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idk who needs to hear this but if you have been putting something off bc it doesn't need to be done until the end of the month. we are almost done with the teens we are approaching the big numbers (the twenties). that date shall dawn upon you swiftly and without mercy before you know it. psa for everyone except me i got plany off time

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I’m just going to leave this here

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last week I described my email inbox as a Sisyphean task to my coworker because that day I genuinely just could not get my email count down lower than 15, every email I opened and replied to would immediately be replaced with another new message, and today I walked into that coworkers office looking dejected again and she said “what’s wrong? Another syphilis day or whatever?”

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(source)

one of the most beautiful vitiligo creatures, pelt like marbled stone, worthy to adorn a temple

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A Night at the Patrician’s palace

(by mari.o)

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Resources for Writing Injuries

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

–

Head Injuries

General Information | More

Hematoma

Hemorrhage

Concussion

Edema

Skull Fracture

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Neck

General Information

Neck sprain

Herniated Disk

Pinched Nerve

Cervical Fracture

Broken Neck

Chest (Thoracic)

General Information

Aortic disruption

Blunt cardiac injury

Cardiac tamponade

Flail chest

Hemothorax

Pneumothorax (traumatic pneumothorax, open pneumothorax, and tension pneumothorax)

Pulmonary contusion

Broken Ribs

Broken Collarbone

Abdominal

General Information

Blunt trauma

Penetrating injuries (see also, gunshot wound & stab wound sections)

Broken Spine

Lung Trauma

Heart (Blunt Cardiac Injury)

Bladder Trauma

Spleen Trauma

Intestinal Trauma

Liver Trauma

Pancreas Trauma

Kidney Trauma

Arms/Hands/Legs/Feet

General Information | More

Fractures

Dislocations

Sprains

Strains

Muscle Overuse

Muscle Bruise

Bone Bruise

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Tendon pain

Bruises

Injuries to ligaments

Injuries to tendons

Crushed Hand

Crushed Foot

Broken Hand

Broken Foot

Broken Ankle

Broken Wrist

Broken Arm

Shoulder Trauma

Broken elbow

Broken Knee

Broken Finger

Broken Toe

Face

General Information

Broken Nose

Corneal Abrasion

Chemical Eye Burns

Subconjunctival Hemorrhages (Eye Bleeding)

Facial Trauma

Broken/Dislocated jaw

Fractured Cheekbone

Skin & Bleeding

General Information (Skin Injuries) | More (Arteries)

femoral artery (inner thigh)

thoracic aorta (chest & heart)

abdominal aorta (abdomen)

brachial artery (upper arm)

radial artery (hand & forearm)

common carotid artery (neck)

aorta (heart & abdomen)

axillary artery (underarm)

popliteal artery (knee & outer thigh)

anterior tibial artery (shin & ankle)

posterior tibial artery (calf & heel)

arteria dorsalis pedis (foot)

Cuts/Lacerations

Scrapes

Abrasions (Floor burns)

Bruises

Gunshot Wounds

General Information

In the Head

In the Neck

In the Shoulders

In the Chest

In the Abdomen

In the Legs/Arms

In the Hands

In The Feet

Stab Wounds

General Information

In the Head

In the Neck

In the Chest

In the Abdomen

In the Legs/Arms

General Resources

Guide to Story Researching

A Writer’s Thesaurus

Words To Describe Body Types and How They Move

Words To Describe…

Writing Intense Scenes

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Masterlist | WIP Blog

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Shoutout to my $15+ patrons, Jade Ashley and Douglas S.!

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Ambient sounds for writers

Find the right place to write your novel… 

Nature

Arctic ocean

Blizzard in village

Blizzard in pine forest

Blizzard from cave

Blizzard in road

Beach

Cave

Ocean storm

Ocean rocks with rain

River campfire

Forest in the morning

Forest at night

Forest creek

Rainforest creek

Rain on roof window

Rain on tarp tent

Rain on metal roof

Rain on window

Rain on pool

Rain on car at night

Seaside storm

Swamp at night

Sandstorm

Thunderstorm

Underwater

Wasteland

Winter creek

Winter wind

Winter wind in forest

Howling wind

Places

Barn with rain

Coffee shop

Restaurant with customers

Restaurant with few customers

Factory

Highway

Garden

Garden with pond and waterfall

Fireplace in log living room

Office 

Call center

Street market

Study room from victorian house with rain

Trailer with rain

Tent with rain

Jacuzzi with rain

Temple

Temple in afternoon

Server room

Fishing dock

Windmill

War

Fictional places

Chloe’s room (Life is Strange)

Blackwell dorm (Life is Strange)

Two Whales Diner (Life is Strange)

Star Wars apartment (Star Wars)

Star Wars penthouse (Star Wars)

Tatooine (Star Wars)

Coruscant with rain (Star Wars)

Yoda’s hut with rain ( Star Wars)

Luke’s home (Star Wars)

Death Star hangar (Star wars)

Blade Runner city (Blade Runner)

Azkaban prison (Harry Potter)

Hogwarts library with rain (Harry Potter)

Ravenclaw common room (Harry Potter)

Hufflepuff common room (Harry Potter)

Slytherin common room (Harry Potter)

Gryffindor common room (Harry Potter)

Hagrid’s hut (Harry Potter)

Hobbit-hole house (The Hobbit)

Diamond City (Fallout 4)

Cloud City beach (Bioshock)

Founding Fathers Garden (Bioshock)

Things

Dishwasher

Washing machine

Fireplace

Transportation

Boat engine room

Cruising boat

Train ride

Train ride in the rain

Train station

Plane trip

Private jet cabin

Airplane cabin

Airport lobby

First class jet

Sailboat

Submarine

Historical

Fireplace in medieval tavern

Medieval town

Medieval docks

Medieval city

Pirate ship in tropical port

Ship on rough sea

Ship cabin

Ship sleeping quarter

Titanic first class dining room

Old west saloon

Sci-fi

Spaceship bedroom

Space station

Cyberpunk tearoom

Cyberpunk street with rain

Futuristic server room

Futuristic apartment with typing

Futuristic rooftop garden 

Steampunk balcony rain

Post-apocalyptic

Harbor with rain

City with rain

City ruins turned swamp

Rusty sewers

Train station

Lighthouse

Horror

Haunted mansion

Haunted road to tavern

Halloween

Stormy night

Asylum

Creepy forest

Cornfield

World

New York

Paris

Paris bistro

Tokyo street

Chinese hotel lobby

Asian street at nightfall

Asian night market

Cantonese restaurant

Coffee shop in Japan

Coffee shop in Paris

Coffee shop in Korea

British library

Trips, rides and walkings

Trondheim - Bodø

Amsterdam - Brussels

Glasgow - Edinburgh

Oxford - Marylebone

Seoul - Busan

Gangneung - Yeongju

Hiroshima

Tokyo metro

Osaka - Kyoto

Osaka - Kobe

London

São Paulo

Seoul

Tokyo

Bangkok

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

Alps

New York

Hong Kong

Taipei

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So I found this cool website for learning ancient languages

go wild

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Love this. #words #OE #English #linguistics

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Chinese poetry in translation: the Chariot Linchpin (draft)

車舝 Chariot Linchpin, from 詩經 The Classic of Poetry aka the Book of Songs or the Book of Odes, ca. 800BC

間關車之舝兮、 思孌季女逝兮。 匪飢匪渴、德音來括。 雖無好友、式燕且喜。

Ah, the linchpin is well-fastened on the carriage wheels, Ah, I am thinking of the beautiful young lady I seek. It is not hunger or thirst, but reports of her quality[1] that draw me. Though there are no friends with us, let us feast and be merry. 依彼平林、有集維鷮。 辰彼碩女、令德來教。 式燕且譽、好爾無射。

Pheasants gather in the support of this forest by the plain. My lady is well-grown now and has such quality to teach me. Let us feast and acclaim: I love you and will never hurt you.

雖無旨酒、式飲庶幾。 雖無嘉殽、式食庶幾。 雖無德與女、式歌且舞。

Though I have no fine wine, let us drink as if we did. Though I have no delicacies, let us eat as if we did. Though my quality is nothing to my lady’s, let us sing and dance.

陟彼高岡、析其柞薪。 析其柞薪、其葉湑兮。 鮮我覯爾、我心寫兮。

Now I go up to that high mound, and separate its branches, I separate its branches, ah, and its leaves are bright with dew![2] Deliciously I see you, ah, my heart is full!

高山仰止、景行行止。 四牡騑騑、六轡如琴。 覯爾新昏、以慰我心。

I am stopped before a high mountain, stopped before a wondrous scene. Four horses in harness, six reins like a qin.[3] To see you, my bride, comforts my heart.[4]

Translation notes, with the caveat that I am just an amateur:

1. 德 “virtue” for de is sometimes a controversial translation when its meaning is as critical to the work as it is here. Unlike English virtue, which is always aligned with righteousness, de is not necessarily so. Arthur Waley famously or infamously chooses to translate it instead as power, even, in his translation of this particular poem, magical power, no idea why.

The reason why I say it’s a key word here is that “news of her virtue has drawn me” implies something along the lines of “I hear this girl has really good morals” and I think it goes somewhat beyond that, and since I want this poem to be in the context of a story, for the story that’s not why the person who is singing this poem is singing it, like, at all. 

2. So 柞薪 is specifically a firewood but the branches have 葉湑 “leaves that are bright (lush with the water radical)”. 岡 mound as a word for the female mons (which is also mound) is pretty ancient; 高 high has associations with orgasm 高潮. I think in the context of a love song, the erotic qualities of the verse are there.

3. How precisely does one divide six reins among four horses? Please show your work. Unless this is some kind of imagery that I’m just not getting. A qin, if you don’t know, is a kind of zither (stringed instrument). Edit: Welp I looked it up (probably should have done that first……) and apparently even today there can be extra reins compared to the number of horses that have mysterious horse driving purposes. I don’t know shit about horses. In any event, I interpret the “six reins like a qin” is because the guy, and thus his horses, are so excited that they’ve gotten to the lady’s house that the horses are all like “let’s go” and thus the reins are vibrating like musical strings. Quite a vivid image. The overall impression is that this dude is so in ecstasy to marry this lady that he just can’t heckin’ be bothered to hold a wedding banquet, or buy good wine and food. Let’s get to the good stuff.

4. 慰 “Comfort, console” has sexual euphemism potential in Chinese that it lacks in English, though I’m not sure how far back that goes. “Self-comfort” is an extremely common euphemism for masturbation, for example; 舒服 “comfortable” is used in sexual situations where an English speaker would say “feels good”. It’s actually quite interesting to me because in English, “comfortable” is kind of, like, anti-sexy. Imagine you’re getting down with someone’s genitals and you say “how does that feel” and they say “that feels comfortable”. You’d be like “oh… okay…” This kind of connotation translation failure always fascinates me.

Finally as a last note, I really like translating ancient works, despite the difficulty, because like, nobody can actually prove that it doesn’t mean whatever you put. It might! It just freaking might! “It doesn’t mean that, it means this” Oh really? That’s great that you think so; make your own translation if you want. People were already arguing about what this meant 2000 years ago; you think you know for sure?! Freedom.

Edit: Also as a last last note, some characters in Chinese have different (or additional) meanings in classical Chinese, eg 寫 xie modern “write” ancient “fill, store”.

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some thoughts on different approaches to translation/transliteration of Chinese kinship terms in my historical fiction

So in my completed novel, Clouds and Rain, and other works set in that universe, I use all transliterated Mandarin for vocative kinship terms, with chapter beginning notes indicating the exact meaning, eg:

“Xiao Ge, could you talk to Er Ge?” said Yinping. “He wouldn’t give me a chance… he just seized on my first attempts to explain and turned me into some kind of…” 

Now a big part of the reason why I did this is the clarity that this affords, as shown in this sentence. “Xiao Ge” means “little big brother” and “Er Ge” means “second big brother”. Translating these terms makes an easy and intimate two-syllable appellation into a five-syllable weirdness ; substituting a simple “brother” is not sufficiently clear; using names instead flattens information of relationship which is so culturally important.

(Translating gets even weirder when it comes to more distant relationships by English standards. Take this line: “Shushu, Tangge, Tangjie… welcome to Jianye,” she said. Father’s Younger Brother, Paternal Clan Big Brother, Paternal Clan Big Sister? Just try to imagine saying that out loud.)

Now with the in-progress The Instructress I decided to try the opposite approach and use no transliterated kinship terms. Instead, people use the English terms if they work; if they don’t work, they use names or near equivalents that give a similar mood and meaning, eg:

Sima Yi shook his head at that. “My dear, I have waited too long to wait any longer to hear you call me father. Lady Zhang and I both count you as a daughter, you know.”

Now in the English here, I have Sima Yi asking Yuanji to call him father; but as I imagine it, he is actually asking her to call him 公公 gonggong, father-in-law, and saying that he and Lady Zhang both consider her as an 兒媳 erxi, daughter-in-law. The reason I went for “father” and “daughter” is that because the closeness of the Chinese terms is so much greater than the English, so I felt the emotional impact of the request that she start calling him that even though she technically isn’t married to his son yet was better conveyed this way.

Reading back over both works, I’m not sure which I prefer. There’s a lot I like about the former approach, but it does make an already opaque and intimidating culture (to most English-speakers) seem even more involved and difficult to comprehend. But the latter approach by necessity means flattening out information. The aforementioned lines would probably become “[Name], can you talk to [name]?” when normally a younger sister would never use an elder sibling’s name; “Uncle, [name], [name],” which basically entirely leaves out an exact relationship which the original culture considers important.

It’s a clash between specificity, world-building, accuracy, cultural immersion on one side, and accessibility, immediacy, comprehension on the other side.

This is why translation in general is so frustrating yet fulfilling.

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Hi! I'm newish to C-drama and I've gained an interest in the Chinese language lately. So I've been duolingoing away and reading tumblr posts about this and that, and now I stumbled into your post about naming your characters in Chinese. All good, all great, I understood as much as I could, and this ask has actually nothing to do with the naming. In your post you shared a saying: 瑕不掩瑜 “a flaw does not conceal the rest of the gemstone’s beauty; a defect does not mean the whole thing is bad”. (1/2)

tricksandthunder

said:

THAT'S SO MANY WORDS. FOR ONLY FOUR CHARACTERS. I mean I understand the language doesn't work similarly to Indo-European languages and all the word meanings can be symbolid but... still?? It just boggled my mind. Would you mind deconstructing this sentence and telling me how you get from 4 symbols to a two-line sentence? I feel like I'm missing something here. Thank you!

Bwahahahaha welcome to the Chinese language.

Okay here are some basic things to understand about Chinese, which will help explain how you get from four characters to a whole sentence.

Each character is (potentially) one word in the sense of “entire independent unit of meaning”, I think you know that part already, but it’s worth reiterating. Ancient Chinese was more monosyllabic than modern Chinese—that issue is beyond the scope of this post, but it is at least possible for each character to be a unit of meaning.

Chinese grammar is very, very different from Indo-European languages. It is an analytic language, not a synthetic language, in linguistic terminology; it does not use conjugation (eg English), it does not use agglutination (eg Hungarian and Finnish), it does not use declension (eg Latin). What does it use? Particles, when necessary; word order; and context. The heavy reliance on context is why machines are still really bad at translating Chinese into English!

Chinese also doesn’t use articles! No “the” and no “a”.

Alright so let’s look at this specific utterance: 瑕不掩瑜. I’m gonna show a screencap from the open source MDBG dictionary.

So we can parse this idiom as fault / not / conceal / jewel.

It’s because Chinese is an analytic language that doesn’t use articles, and English is a synthetic language that does, that we have to insert all kinds of extra words into it in order to make it sound smooth and natural in English: 

A fault does not conceal the jewel.

And then, because this is an idiom that has linguistic context, we further add gloss to explain the context.

A fault does not conceal the rest of the beauty of the jewel; a defect does not mean the rest of the thing is bad.

This line from the Office is a joke, but when it comes to Chinese, it’s really not a joke. Actually, you can almost translate this into Chinese directly and get a perfectly acceptable Chinese sentence:

我/想，为/什么/浪费/时间/说/很/多/词, 几/个/词/就/够/了。

I / think , for / what / waste / time / speak / very / many / word,  few / particle for measurement / word / just / enough / particle of completion.

The Chinese language, everybody!